Much more than fortified wine (Porto)

There is a saying that “While Lisbon is getting pretty, Coimbra is studying, Braga is praying and Porto is working.” The second-largest city in Portugal not only fascinates tourists with its historic center and amazing views over the river Douro (still a lot of tourists in November). Building on a strong commercial tradition, Porto undertakes initiatives to reclaim its role as a dynamic business center.

Sao Bento Railway station

Imagine arriving in this beautifully decorated railway station. The azulejos, famous Portuguese tiles, depict historical life scenes.

Rich interiors of the Palácio da Bolsa

The Porto Commercial Association built this palace as headquarters and as рrеmisеs fоr соnduсting intеrnаtiоnаl trаdе nеgоtiаtiоns аnd аssеmbliеs. Тhеrеfоrе, thе building wаs dеsignеd to bе imроsing аnd sресtасulаr. Оvеrаll, thе dесоrаtiоn аnd соnstruсtiоn tооk аrоund 60 yеаrs.

Strolling through the historic center

We walked a lot through the winded streets and along the quays, from one historical site to another.

Port Wine tasting

Through the tasting, we discovered how varied Port Wines can be.

We visited the Ferreira estate, created by a family of Douro winemakers in 1751. Dona Antónia Adelaide Ferreira, a legendary woman with a unique personality, played a prominent role to promote the wine industry. She also took care of the working families and introduced innovation in the fight against the phylloxera.

Sunset over river Douro

The Luiz I bridge has 2 levels, both accessible to pedestrians. The lower one marks the end of the voyage for most sailboats with only 8 meters clearance.

As we made our way back on the upper level, we enjoyed watching the sunset over a city that was far from going to bed any time soon.