ESTAÇÃO (STATION) SÃO BENTO
A vast building considered one of the ten most beautiful stations in the world with its clock forged in Porto.
When the railroad arrived in Portugal at the end of the 19th century, it took almost thirty years to build the railway station in the center of Porto. This is because it stands on the site of the 16th-century São Bento convent, whose destruction was one of the illustrations of the age-old antagonism between merchants, city authorities and the Church. From temporary installations to partial demolitions of the convent, whose name the station has retained, it was inaugurated in 1916, although the first project was presented in 1887. After more than 50 years as a mixed freight and passenger station, it is now used exclusively for passenger transport, in connection with the Campanhã station 3 km to the north (which can be reached by metro).
It's a vast building considered one of the ten most beautiful stations in the world (and the most beautiful in Portugal), with its wrought-iron clock, but above all its large salle des pas perdus, beautifully decorated with azulejos created by Jorge Colaço in 1914. You could stay for hours to admire each "painting" presented before your eyes, and just when you think you've come full circle, you discover new ones hidden here and there in nooks and crannies, much to your delight. To get the most out of it, however, come at the end of the day when there's less traffic. A must-see during your stay in Porto.
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