In Porto from Lisbon
Description:
To get to Porto before lunch, we will leave Lisbon in the morning because these cities are 300 km apart. There will be a 15-minute coffee break along the way.
Porto is the second largest city in Portugal and one of the most charismatic cities in Europe, which has carefully preserved its architectural treasures. This city, which gave its name to port and Portugal, is known for its rocky banks of the Douro River, medieval streets, squares in the Paris style, monuments and numerous churches and most importantly - an attractive atmosphere.
Many of the attractions and popular shops are located near Allies Avenue and Santa Catarina Street. The wide Allies Avenue, being one of the famous points in Porto, is surrounded by impressive neoclassical buildings. At the top of this avenue stands the building of the municipality, and on its southern side is the Freedom Square. This is where the most beautiful McDonald’s in Europe is located.
Nearby is the extraordinary beauty of the railway station San Bento, built in the late XIX century. It is famous for its magnificent tile panels with images of various events that took place in the north of Portugal: the tournament in Valdevage, the entrance to Porto of King João I and Philippa Lancaster in 1387 and the conquest of Ceuta. You will be fascinated by the splendor of azulejo panels, consisting of more than 20,000 tiles.
The Cathedral of Porto XII century is a complex that also includes the episcopal palace. In the seventeenth century, the original Roman-style altar was replaced by a larger Baroque altar. Having undergone many changes over the centuries, the Cathedral of Se in the historic center of Porto is one of the main and oldest monuments in Portugal.
The undoubted symbol of the city is the Klerigush Tower, built in the XVIII century. For a long time this creation of the architect Nikola Nazoni was the tallest in the city. Nearby was the Lello bookstore with the neo-Gothic facade that inspired J.K. Rowling to write Harry Potter.
During the tour, if desired, you can ride along the Douro River on a typical boat for this region. During a fascinating walk under six bridges built in different periods, the city will appear on a completely different side, exposing what is visible only to local residents.
On the other side of the river are all cellars of port wine. There you will learn about the history and all stages of the production process of this amazing wine, made exclusively from grapes grown in the Douro region. In total, about 60 wine houses producing port wine are shipped around the world from here, from the city of Vila Nova de Gaia. After visiting the cellar, you will taste several types of unique fortified “wine from Porto”.
In the evening we will return to Lisbon.