The past few years to the port, the second largest city in Portugal, is one of the ten most popular cities in Europe. There are several reasons for this: such a warm climate that the temperature from February to November rarely drops below +15, the historical center, included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Ocean coast and excellent beaches, where you can reach the metro, low prices and excellent wine. Porto is a small city that can be circumvented in a few days, so we will talk about interesting places in the city and in its environs: palaces, monasteries, wine plantations and medieval towns that you should see if you decided to spend more than a couple of days in the port.
Flight hotel
Ponti-di-Don-Luis I (Ponte Luís I)
Photo: @priscilacampo / janwillem7 / instagram.com
The old city of the port lies on the hills of the right bank of the Doru River. With the center of production of Port, the city of Vila-Nova-Di-Gaya, lying on the other side of the river, it is connected by several beautiful bridges. The most famous of them is the elegant metallic bridge of King Louis, built by the student of Eiffel Theophilus Serig. From the top level of the bridge, the best view of the port, river and slaves (ancient boats) open the best.
moored by the marinas. And the bridge itself has long become one of the symbols of the city and its image can be found everywhere – from souvenirs to labels of port.
Ribeira (Ribeira), the most beautiful quarter of the old city
Photo: @samuelzeller
Ribeira, with multi -colored houses, narrow prayer streets, artisans’ shops, endless stairs and port bars – the most colorful quarter of the port. The facades of many houses are lined with tiles of azulezh, shining in the sun. At home on a hill, such narrow and small and so hang over each other that they resemble bird nests. The Riberaera embankment is the widest and most beautiful in the city, from here walking boats and old ships depart. In addition to cheap cafes and restaurants in Ribeira, there are many excellent stores with ceramics and leather products.
Railway Station San Bentu
Photo: @pixelgraphy.pt / @mafaldarodrigues.fotografia / instagram.com
San Bentu was opened in 1916. The walls of the main hall of the station are lined with 20 thousand azulezh (traditional Portuguese white-white painted tiles),
depicting the main historical events of Portugal and landscapes to the port. All azulezh were painted by hand by artist Georges a wheel, which took more than three years.
Lello Bookstore (Livraria Lello)
Photo: @molochko89 / @bmseventh / instagram.com
LELLO is the oldest bookstore of Portugal, which has been included in the top 5 most beautiful bookstores in the world for many years. The facade and interior are made in the style of neo -Gothic, with an abundance of small details, intricate thread and magnificent decor. The curved red staircase, carved walls, racks and stained glass of the store inspired Joan Rowling and became a prototype for the Hogwarts library in Harry Potter. In addition to an amazing interior, the store pleasantly surprises the choice of books in English, Portuguese and French.
The entrance to the store costs 4 euros. But if you buy a book, then the cost of the input ticket will deduct from its price.
Observation sites
Photo: @alicia_Bonilla / Instagram.com
Porto is a city on the hills, and there are a lot of viewing platforms, from where the day is an excellent view of the city (it is during the day, because the multi -colored old city is weakly lit at night):
- The site near the Cathedral of CE (SE CATEDRAL). The cathedral stands at the top of the highest hill in the city. In addition to the main panoramic site, there is still small at the Chafariz Do Pelicano fountain.
- The platform on the top of the 18th century tower is Clements Clérigos in the heart of the old city. This 75-meter tower was considered the highest in Portugal for more than a hundred years. The entrance is paid and costs 4 euros.
- The platform at the monastery Serra Do-Pilar, from where the whole old city, the river and the bridge of King Louis are at the same time.
Ocean coast, beaches, beacons and the best fish restaurants
Photo: @Monicasilva / Instagram.com
Porto lies on the banks of the Doru River, a few kilometers from the place of its confluence into the ocean. To the ocean beaches and lighthouses in the Matosignyush area, you can get in 30-50 minutes by bus or metro from anywhere in the city. There are many beaches there: wild and equipped, sandy and small -gear.
The largest and most popular beach is the sandy Matosinhos Beach. Next to it is R. Heróis de França, on which there are dozens of the best fishing restaurants of the city. We also recommend visiting the old Farol de Felgueira lighthouse, which huge waves are broken about in any weather.
Historical tram coming from the city center on the coast
Photo: @thehostelgirlhk / Instagram.com
There are much fewer old trams in the port than in Lisbon, but some of them are still on the go. The old yellow tram of 1872, decorated from the inside with wooden panels, leather seats and brass details, go along three lines: 1, 18 and 22. The most popular of them is 1, it goes from the Infante station along the shore to the coast of the ocean. Lines 18 and 22 are much shorter, they run along the most beautiful streets of the city center. Conventional traveling on these three lines do not work, the ticket should be bought from the driver for cash, it costs 3 euros one way.
Palace of Exchange (Palácio da Bolsa)
Photo: @ananewyork / @sarasignorini_ / Instagram.com
The Exchange Palace is a masterpiece of neoclassical style, built in 1891. Dozens of artists worked on his interior. Each hall is made in the original style and all of them are designed to show the wealth and power of the port, the city of wealthy merchants and winemakers. The Arab hall is blinded with a brilliance of gold and arabesque, in the courtyard the walls are decorated with the emblems of the cities with which the port traveled, and the Golden Hall and the meeting room are decorated with frescoes, sculptures and gilding gold. Ticket price: 8 euros full, 4.5 euros preferential for students and pensioners.
Church of San Franesy (Igreja Monumento de Sune Francisco)
Photo: @magnum6666 / @monicabuddenhagen / instagram.com
The Church of San Francisha in Gothic style with Baroque elements is beautiful both outside and inside. Inside, it is decorated with wooden panels, the walls and the dome are covered with frescoes, and the huge altars are decorated with gilded carvings. According to the legend, 370 kilograms of golden gold, the San Franesyshka was gilded by the altar of altars. There are also catacombs at the church where the townspeople were buried in the 18-19 centuries and which are now open to the public, as well as the Museum of ancient painting and furniture. Ticket cost (church+catacombs+museum) 4 euros.
Museum of Contemporary Art Serralweg.
Photo: @nunocenteno / @pijama_orchestra / instagram.com
Serralwesh, one of the largest and most visited museums in Portugal, was built in 1999. An impressive collection of Portuguese and European contemporary art and several temporary exhibitions is placed on an area of 5000 m². The museum building, built by the architect Alvar Vieira, is an interesting example of modern architecture. The museum is surrounded by a large garden, which is decorated with sculptures by the minimalists of Graham and Serra. Exhibitions of artists, sculptors and designers are often held in the garden.
Input ticket price: 10 euros full, 5 euros preferential for students and pensioners.
The best places in the vicinity of the port:
Aveira
Photo: @luisdelfim / @gracejsilla / instagram.com
74 kilometers south of the port is Aveyir, who is called the “Portuguese Venice” because of dozens of channels, through which the painted boats “Molseir” float. The houses of fishermen, facing the channels, are painted in all colors of the rainbows, palm trees grow on the embankments, and in the city center there are a monastery of Jesus (Convento de Jesus),
Capella Senor Dash-Barrokash (Capela Do Senhor das Barrocas) and the Church
The interiors of which are decorated with skillful wood carvings.
Coshta-Nova Do Prado)
Photo: @leparisblog / @paulamagal / instagram.com
Koshtanov-a marine resort 84 kilometers from the port and 11 kilometers from Aveyir, who is known for excellent beaches, sand dunes, beaches for surfers and amazing fishermen’s houses. All houses are painted in horizontal and vertical stripes, and local residents say that the color of each house is unique. Also in Koshta-Nova they make and sell excellent ceramic dishes at low prices.
Valley of the Doru River
Photo: @brokiek84 / Instagram.com
The Doru River Valley is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. You can get to it by train, car and even on one of the boats that leave the port in the morning and return in the evening. The valley is covered with hills on which grapes, fig and lemon trees grow. It is here that there are wine farms and cellars with the best port in the world.
Gimarainsh
Photo: @Audiosoup / @mpaulino82 / instagram.com
Himarainsh is a cute medieval town 50 kilometers north-west of the port. In the historical center of the city, cheap restaurants, medieval houses and ancient fortress walls. The ducal palace contains an excellent collection of tapestries and furniture of the 15th century, but only ruins remained from the Himarainsh castle. And the best view of the city is opened from the cabin of the cable car, which leads from the city to the hill of the stump.
Braga
Photo: @civilking / Instagram.com
Braga lies 50 kilometers from the port and is considered the religious capital of Portugal. The city has a cathedral of the 11th century, medieval houses, palaces, a museum with a huge collection of ancient household items, as well as the artist’s museum Enrique Medina. And 6 kilometers from the city is one of the most beautiful monasteries of Portugal Bon-Zhozush-Do Monte with an amazing staircase with crossing spans, which leads to the top of the hill.
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Photo for Preverty: @magicalyullowtram
