Porto, Portugal

Porto is the capital of the Porto district and a municipality on the north bank of the Douro (231 800 inhabitants · 41 km²), near the point where the river meets the Atlantic. Its historic centre, with the Luís I Bridge and the Monastery of Serra do Pilar in Vila Nova de Gaia, forms the Historic Centre of Oporto, inscribed by UNESCO in 1996.

The history of Porto has its own page.

Beaches in Porto

Porto has ten beaches on the national bathing-water register, along the Atlantic coast of Foz do Douro and Nevogilde.

Monuments in Porto

• Porto Cathedral: the Romanesque cathedral on the hill of the Sé, begun in the 12th century, where King João I married Filipa de Lencastre in 1387.
• Clérigos Church and Tower: a Baroque church and bell tower by Nicolau Nasoni, with a tower about 75 metres high finished in 1763.
• Church of São Francisco: a 14th-century Gothic church lined with gilded carved wood.
• Palácio da Bolsa: the neoclassical seat of the Porto Commercial Association, begun in 1842, with its Arab Room.
• São Bento Station: the city-centre railway station, opened in 1916, with more than 20,000 tiles by Jorge Colaço.

Museums and culture in Porto

• Serralves: a foundation with a museum of contemporary art by Álvaro Siza, an Art Deco villa and an 18-hectare park.
• Casa da Música: the concert hall by Rem Koolhaas on the Rotunda da Boavista, opened in 2005.
• Livraria Lello: a bookshop on Rua das Carmelitas, opened in 1906, known for its neo-Gothic façade and red staircase.

Markets in Porto

• Bolhão Market: the central fresh-food market, in a building of 1914 to 1917 that reopened in 2022 after its restoration.

Nature in Porto

• Foz do Douro: the district at the mouth of the Douro, with the Passeio Alegre garden, the Felgueiras lighthouse and the seafront avenues.

Leisure in Porto

• Bridges: six bridges cross the Douro between Porto and Gaia. Bridges of Porto describes each of them.
• Port wine cellars: the Port wine houses keep their cellars on the Gaia riverfront, across the Luís I Bridge. Visiting Porto lists the cellars and covers transport and food.

Marinas in Porto

• Marina do Freixo: a marina on the right bank of the Douro, in the east of the city.

Parishes of Porto

• Aldoar, Foz do Douro e Nevogilde (29 085 inhabitants · 6 km²): the western parish on the Atlantic coast, with Foz do Douro and the beaches of Porto.
• Bonfim (22 978 inhabitants · 3 km²): a parish east of the city centre.
• Campanhã (29 666 inhabitants · 8 km²): the eastern parish, with Campanhã railway station and the Dragão stadium.
• Cedofeita, Santo Ildefonso, Sé, Miragaia, São Nicolau e Vitória (37 430 inhabitants · 5 km²): the central parish, with most of the historic centre.
• Lordelo do Ouro e Massarelos (27 911 inhabitants · 6 km²): the western parish along the Douro, between the city centre and Foz.
• Paranhos (45 883 inhabitants · 7 km²): the most populous parish of the municipality, in the north of the city.
• Ramalde (38 847 inhabitants · 6 km²): a parish in the north-west of the city.

Healthcare in Porto

Guides to Porto

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Porto, Portugal

Historic Centre of Oporto, Luiz I Bridge and Serra do Pilar

Historic Centre of Oporto, Luiz I Bridge and Serra do Pilar

Palácio da Bolsa

Palácio da Bolsa

Livraria Lello

Livraria Lello

Foz do Douro

Foz do Douro

Clérigos Church and Tower

Clérigos Church and Tower

Church of São Francisco

Church of São Francisco

São Bento Station

São Bento Station

Porto Cathedral

Porto Cathedral

Serralves

Casa da Música

Casa da Música

Bolhão Market

Bolhão Market

History of Porto

History of Porto

Visiting Porto

Visiting Porto