Sightseeing OverviewPorto’s riverfront is arguably the most attractive part of the city, with the port wine cellars on the south bank in Vila Nova di Gaia, the magnificent Ponte D Luís I iron bridge crossing the river and the many restaurants and bars on both sides of the Douro.
The city’s most recent attraction is the Casa da Musica, a huge €109 million building opened
in 2005, created by Dutch architect Rem Kolhaas and devoted to music.
Among the city’s church buildings, the cathedral and the 76m (249ft) tall tower Torre dos Clérigos are well worth visiting, although the Igreja de Santa Clara, with its amazing gilded and carved woodwork is arguably the jewel in Porto’s ecclesiastic crown.
The Palaçio da Bolsa (Stock Exchange Palace) is also worth exploring. A neoclassical building from the 19th century, it contains the wonderful Arab Hall, the city’s most beautiful reception hall.
Café Majestic, a Belle Epoque-style café from the 1920s, is a Porto institution and The Fundação e Museu de Serralves (Serralves Foundation and Contemporary Art Museum), one of Portugal’s best contemporary art museums, is also very popular.Tourist InformationTourist Welcome CenterCasa da CâmaraTerreiro da SéTel: 223 325 174.Website: www.portoturismo.pt
Turismo Norte de Portugal Praça D. João I, 25 - 4º Dir.
Tel: 223 393 550.
Website:
www.visitportoenorte.com There are tourist information offices also at Rua do Infante D Henrique 63 in the Old Town (tel: 222 060 412 or 222 060 413) and at Rua Clube dos Fenianos 25 in the city center (tel: 223 393 472 or 223 323 303). They have specialized staff who will help visitors obtain all the information they need about Porto and also assist with accommodation, bookings and tickets.PassesThe Porto Card gives free entrance to the city’s municipal museums and discounts at several other museums and monuments. Card holders can also get discounts at various shows, cultural institutions, cruises on the Douro River, city tours, restaurants, shops and other places of interest. In terms of public transport, the Porto Card offers free travel on almost all metro connections, free travel all over the STCP network (buses, tram, aerobus, Guindais funicular) and free travel on the CP suburban trains, from Valongo to Coimbrões. The card can be bought for one, two and three days.Key Attractions:The Douro River, the Wine Cellars and the Bridges The most attractive part of Porto for tourists is the area along the Douro River downstream from the Ponte D Luís I bridge, the iron bridge built by Teófilo Seyrig, one of Gustavo Eiffel’s students. On the north bank of the river runs the Cais da Ribeira, Porto’s riverfront which is full of bars and restaurants, and along the south bank is the Cais da Vila Nova di Gaia, where the big port wine producing companies have their famous cellars giving visitors the opportunity to indulge in some wine tasting. There are plenty of companies offering cruises on the river, and it is worth going on a short trip to check out the six bridges crossing the Douro.
Riverfront
Casa da Musica It opened in 2005, four years late; it cost €109 million, exceeding the initial budget by more than €80 million; and the architecture is so modern and daring that it has proved highly controversial in Porto. Still, there is no disputing the originality of the vision behind the Casa da Musica, the city’s new iconic music house. Neither can anyone complain about its acoustics, as the main concert hall is already considered one of the best in the world. The whole building houses a great variety of musical events aimed at a wide-ranging audience, from babies to teenagers to older people, and all kinds of music are performed here. Casa da Musica is the creation of world-famous Dutch architect Rem Kolhaas.
Avenida Da Boavista 604-610
Tel: 220 120 220.
Website:
www.casadamusica.pt Admission charge (for tours of the building and most concerts – but some concerts are free).
The Porto Sé (Cathedral) Porto’s cathedral dates from the 12th and 13th centuries, but big parts of it were given a make-over some 500 years later in the baroque style. From the outside the cathedral has almost a fortress-like look, but the interior is more gentle, and it contains some gems such as the 14th-century images of the Nossa Senhora da Vandoma, a gothic cloister, a silver altar, the São Vincente Chapel and an impressive collection of religious sculptures from the 14th and 18th centuries.
Terreiro da Sé
Tel: 222 059 028.
Website:
www.ippar.pt/monumentos/se_porto.html Free admission.
Café Majestic While it has become rather touristy over the years, there is still a strong air of authentic 1920s European cafe culture in Porto’s
Cafe Majestic. It opened in 1921 and is the last of its kind in the city. A true Porto landmark, it has a beautiful Belle Epoque decor, and it still offers the kind of refined atmosphere and service that made it the city’s favorite more than 80 years ago.
Rua Santa Catarina 112
Tel: 222 003 887.
Website:
www.cafemajestic.com Free admission.
Palaçio da Bolsa (Stock Exchange Palace) A building whose neoclassical style is evidence of the English influence on Porto architecture, the
Palaçio da Bolsa was built in the middle of the 19th century. Inside it has an atrium covered by a huge glass and metal dome. The most impressive rooms are the Assembly or Golden Room with a gilded stucco ceiling, and the splendid Arab Hall, designed by Goncalves de Sousa and inspired by the Alhambra Palace of Granada. This hall, an amazing combination of eastern and western influences, is one of the finest in Porto and was completed in 1880.
Rua Ferreira Borges
Tel: 223 399 000.
Website:
www.palaciodabolsa.pt Admission free (but there is a charge for guided tours).
Igreja de Santa Clara This church is from the 15th century, but what makes it special is its wonderful 17th-century interior artwork. The extremely ornate and superbly carved and gilded woodwork inside is some of the finest in all of Portugal. Baroque and rococo motives blend in a pictorial dance of saints, cherubs and angels.
Largo 1º de Dezembro
Tel: 222 054 837.
Free admission.
Further Distractions:Fundação e Museu de Serralves (Serralves Foundation and Contemporary Art Museum)One of Portugal’s leading contemporary art centers, the
Serralves art museum is housed in an art deco-style building designed by the renowned Portuguese architect Álvaro Siza and also boasts a lovely park. It displays national and international contemporary art and has a permanent collection of work from the late 1960s to the present. It also hosts a great number of cultural events, including concerts, discussions and workshops and other things.
Rua João de Castro 210
Tel: 808 200 543.
Website:
www.serralves.ptAdmission charge.
Torre dos Clérigos (Tower of Clérigos)At 76m (249ft) high this baroque tower from the 18th century is the highest city tower in Portugal. There are 235 steps up to the top, and from there the views of the old cityscape are impressive. The tower was constructed by the architect Nicolau Nasoni.
Rua São Filipe de Nery
Tel: 222 001 729.
Free admission.
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