Scattered with rivers and streams, hills and valleys, northern Portugal is a historic and generous land. It offers the world, among its other treasures, the eponymous wine of one of the oldest cities in Europe: Porto. Porto, an intriguing and timeless city, is worth a visit. The many buildings create a colourful palette that offers curious visitors magnificent architectural discoveries. From baroque to modern, including ultra-contemporary buildings such as the Casa da Música and the Serralves Foundation, architecture enthusiasts will be won over. Not to mention the generosity and frankness of these inhabitants who are strangely called "tripeiros" (tripe eaters). Get lost in the steep alleys, and let your five senses guide you. Porto is lived, seen, tasted and told. Porto flourishes, just like its living youth. From art galleries to designer shops and international music festivals, Porto is in full swing. Your palate will be seduced by tasty and often gargantuan dishes!
One of the glorious centres of the Old World
More than 200,000 Portugueses (2 million for the agglomeration) walk hard every day on the paved pavements of Portugal's northern capital, the country's real economic lung. It must be said that its reputation as a hard-working city has a hard skin: a popular saying is that when Lisbon is having fun, Coimbra studies, and when Braga prays, Porto - she - works. A simple stopover of a few days in what was once one of the glorious centres of the Old World will soon have wrung its neck with short ideas, revealing to the stroller charms sometimes modest and sometimes fierce... on the trail of the illustrious Portuguese navigators who in their time set sail in search of unsuspected lands.
If by any chance it is the railway line that would be built to reach Porto, you will immediately get to know the splendid Salle de Pas Perdus, nestled in the hall of São Bento station: more than 20,000 azulejos painted in 1930 line the walls, showing scenes of ordinary life and some grandiose episodes in the country's history. No need for a sextant to reach the upper town and its treasures, from the shop of precious stringed instruments Porto Guitarra (where we learn that the ukulele is of Portuguese descent) to the Cathedral of la Sé, a real Romano-Baroque fortress housing an altar carved in a few hundred kilos of silver.
A stopover is then required at the emblematic Tour des Clercs, whose 240 steps, once climbed, reveal a stunning panoramic view of the city and the Douro River below. A stone's throw away are the wooded scrolls and finely carved stained glass ceiling of the Lello bookshop, considered one of the most beautiful in the world, which will only be left for the gardens - so romantic - of the Palacio de Cristal, its peacocks and its refined restaurant. This introductory stroll may end with a detour into the maritime and less touristic district of Foz do Douro, which hosts - in addition to the fresh sea spray of the Atlantic - the Serralves Foundation, a vast and important cultural centre in Europe dedicated to contemporary art.
Seafood lovers can even drop anchor in one of the many Marisquerias in the chic suburb of Matosinhos, 15 minutes further north. Return at dusk to the old town on board the picturesque tramway No. 1, which runs along the seaside. In order to grasp the very essence of Porto, it will be necessary to let yourself slide down to the banks of the Douro, a river that is used a thousand times by sailors leaving for elsewhere, but above all by winegrowers who have come from inland to ripen their harvest in the cellars of Vila Nova de Gaia. This locality is reached via the admirable Dom Luis I arch bridge - whose steel and style earn it the nickname "Eiffel Bridge" - and is home to the most prestigious port houses. A formal tasting course is required here
Tracing the thread of Portuguese history
With a skilful back manoeuvre, the walker will once again head for the other side of the water, this time towards the very lively districts, but the Ribeira and Miragaia could not be more enchanting. There are the São Francisco church, a sumptuous Baroque-Rococo complex with infinitely ornate golden mouldings and a crypt full of aristocratic bones from the 7th to the 19th centuries, the edifying Palais de la Bourse and its opulent Arabic Salon, decorated with embroidered marquetry in the exotic woods of the former Portuguese colonies, and the Casa do Infante Don Henrique, a 15th century Portuguese prince, also called "Henri Le Navigateur". Although he himself had never sailed, this honorary title was awarded to him because of the central role he played in the history of Portuguese navigation in the 15th and 16th centuries and the revolution it brought throughout the world. It is precisely through this character, in period costume, that the visitor is welcomed to the World of Discoveries, both an interactive museum and a 5,000 m² theme park retracing the history of Portugal through the prism of its naval power. Escorted by the Infanta and then by other personalities of the time - delivering old wolffish legends and authentic historical episodes -, we discover the powerful ships of the time and the way of life on board at the same time as the evolution of cartography thanks to multi-sensory and tactile installations (notably a 4D globe), models and other life-size reproductions. This journey in the journey ends with a rowboat ride through the ages and continents, taking the sailors through an immersive tunnel, from the Old World to India via the Cape of Good Hope, then to the fertile forests of Brazil, Macao, Japan... An unforgettable trip! The odyssey will only really end with a stop on the Praça da Ribeira, dreaming of tropics in the iridescent reflections of the setting sun, a light saudade in the hollow of the stomach.
Smart info
When? When? Due to its northern and coastal location, Porto is one of the cities in Portugal where rain is not uncommon, especially in winter. If the visit is not unpleasant at this time, the best season to visit it is from the end of March to the end of October.
Getting there. The flight between Paris and Porto takes about 2 hours and 10 minutes.
Find your flight at the best price - Compare
Book your train tickets - Book
Rent your car at the best price - Compare
Useful. To prepare your escapade as well as possible.
PORTO TOURISM OFFICE - More information on the website
WORLD OF DISCOVERIES - More information on the website
Book your accommodation at the best conditions - Compare
Find a local agency for a tailor-made trip - Find
Find a cultural or sporting activity - Find
