The city of Porto is known worldwide for the wine with its name (produced in the Douro valley), for the bridges and for its historic center classified by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Without forgetting its gastronomy!
But what do we have to write even in our visit plan?
Here are 10 tips:
- KNOW THE CATHEDRAL
The Cathedral is imposing and of rare beauty inside. It is to be seen and admired without haste, as well as its cloister, on the south side. In the wide square of the cathedral, one has a privileged view of the city, the Douro River and part of the Ribeira. Close to the Sé, being in Terreiro da Sé, on the left, you go down a staircase and you will visit the Church of São Lourenço (16th century), also known as Igreja dos Grilos, in a mannerist style.
2. VISIT THE CHURCHES
Church of the Crickets
Inside you will be dazzled by the richness of details and the beautiful altarpiece of Our Lady of Purification, in gilded woodcarving. It is called Igreja dos Grilos because it was, after the expulsion of the Jesuits, sold to the Barefoot Hermits of Saint Augustine, known as “Friars Grilos”, who remained there until 1832.
Church of Santa Clara
This church has a great contrast between the extreme simplicity of its facade and the luxurious interior of gold carvings. Impresses by the sumptuousness and beauty! It is close to the Fernandinas Walls (14th century), being very close to the Guindais Funicular, which connects the Batalha neighborhood to Ribeira, in the lower part of the city.
Igreja do Carmo and Igreja das Carmelitas (side by side), in Cordoaria neighborhood
The Igreja do Carmo has a huge panel of tiles on its external side and the Igreja das Carmelitas, previously attached to the Convent (converted into part of a barracks) is also very beautiful.
San Francisco Church
Impresses by the wealth of details covered with more than 200 kg of gold and the wonderful work “Tree of Jesse”.
3. WALK THROUGH RIBEIRA
Ribeira is an area that is close to the Douro River, in the historic center of Porto. From there you can see the wine cellars and the Luís I bridge. A place of great charm with the colorful houses that compete for space, in the middle of the narrow streets, with shops, restaurants and people walking.
4. VISIT THE BOLSA PALACE
This palace was built in the place of the old San Francisco Monastery. Don’t miss the Arabic room with gold decorations and oriental style
5.TAIN THE TRAMWAY TO THE OCEAN
Take the tram line 1 from Ribeira to the mouth of the Douro river. It is a short trip – about 20 minutes – but very beautiful.
Attention: it is not a cheap transport as the tram ticket costs more than twice as much as a bus or metro ticket.
6. DISCOVER THE SERRALVES FOUNDATION AND THE CONTEMPORARY ART MUSEUM
The cultural foundation is one of the most important in Portugal and the museum is the most visited in the whole country. The building mixes contemporary architecture with Art Decò and touches of modernism.
7. EAT A FRANCESINHA
Looking for a real tavern to try an unforgettable dish: Francesinha. Inspired by the French toast, with various types of meat in the filling and melted cheese and fried egg on top. All dipped in an extraordinary sauce and accompanied by chips.
8. DRINKING A COFFEE AT CAJÉ MAJESTIC (on Rua Santa Catarina)
Certainly a tourist experience, but this cafe is worth a visit to observe its Art Nouveau architecture. In 2011 it was considered one of the most beautiful cafes in the world.
9. WALKING IN VILA NOVA DE GAIA
From Porto, you can cross the Luis I bridge on foot. Go to Vila Nova de Gaia from the top and take the opportunity to make fantastic photos! Arriving in Gaia, on the left side, the Serra do Pilar Monastery is highlighted, another unforgettable visit. And stop at one of the port wine cellars for a visit and a tasting.
10.WALKING IN THE BOLHÃO MARKET
One of the most emblematic markets in the city of Porto. The market is mainly focused on fresh products, especially food.
The vine has been growth here since antiquity and the Romans made wine on the hilly banks of the Douro River throughout their long occupation of the Iberian Peninsula. Later, following the establishment of the Kingdom of Portugal in the 12th century, the country became an important exporter of wine. However it was not until the mid-17th century, than the Douro Valley became the source of what we know today as Port.
It was the Treaty of Windsor, signed by England and Portugal in 1386, which sowed the seeds for the emergence of this great classic wine and the transformation of the Douro Valley into one of the most renowned of the world’s wine regions. The treaty established a close alliance and a strong trading relationship between the two countries.
Many English merchants settled in Portugal where the treaty had awarded them special privileges and by the late 1400s shipments of Portuguese wine to England had become substantial. In 1654 a new trade agreement created even more favourable conditions for English and Scottish merchants living in Portugal. From England they brought salted cod (known as bacalhau) as well as wool and cotton cloth. In return they shipped out Portuguese agricultural produce including the thin, astringent wine of the coastal Minho region known as ‘Red Portugal’.
Two decades later the trade in Portuguese wine received further encouragement. A blockade of the shipment of English goods to France, imposed in 1667 by its first minister Colbert, caused the English King Charles II to retaliate by prohibiting the import of French wine. The English wine trade was forced to look elsewhere for its supplies. The British merchants at Viana do Castelo seized the opportunity. It was in the remote hills of the upper Douro Valley that they found what they sought. Sheltered by the mountains from the damp westerly winds blowing off the Atlantic which brought rainfall to the coastal vineyards of the Minho, the Douro with its scorching summer heat and arid climate produced the robust and heady wines that the market wanted. However the English merchants were unable to carry the wine overland from the Douro Valley to Viana do Castelo. The only way it could be transported to the coast was by boat down the River Douro. One by one, the English merchants moved from Viana and established their businesses in the large mercantile city of Oporto a few miles from the river’s mouth. By 1710, most had established their ‘lodges’, or warehouses, in Vila Nova de Gaia on the south bank of the Douro, opposite the old city centre of Oporto, where they remain to this day.
It was from the Oporto, the city from which it was shipped, that the powerful wine of the Douro Valley took its name. Vinho do Porto in Portuguese, meaning ‘wine of Oporto’, was translated into English as Port Wine or simply Port. The earliest known record of wine being shipped under this name dates from 1678.
The 18th century saw shipments of Port grow rapidly as the rich, red wine of the Douro Valley gained in popularity. The Methuen Treaty of 1703 further encouraged the trade in Port by setting a much lower rate of English duty for Portuguese than for French wines. The strong demand for Port brought great prosperity to the Douro Valley as well as to the English merchants. In 1756, the first minister of Portugal, the powerful and influential Marquis of Pombal, introduced a series of draconian reforms. He imposed a state monopoly over the sale of Port and its shipment to England and Brazil as well as the production of brandy used for fortification. He defined the boundaries of the Port vineyard area, marking them out with over three hundred stone posts known as ‘marcos pombalinos’. In 1757 he carried out the first detailed classification of the vineyards of the Douro, grading them according to quality and establishing prices for their production. The best wines were designated as ‘vinhos de feitoria’ and allowed to be shipped to the demanding English market while the lesser ‘vinhos de ramo’ could only be sold in Portugal. Measures were taken to do away with the fraudulent practices that had become commonplace, such as the addition of elderberry juice to give colour and the appearance of quality to poor wines.
These visionary reforms effectively
In 1791 the eastern reaches of the Douro River were opened to navigation when the massive outcrops of rock obstructing the Valeira Gorge were finally removed. This made it economically viable to plant vineyards in the eastern area of the Douro Valley which became known as the Douro Novo, or ‘New Douro’, and later as the Douro Superior. In the years that followed many new estates were established in this area, including some famous properties whose magnificent wines did much to enhance the prestige of Port.
The early nineteenth century was marked by conflict and Port shipments were affected in turn by the Napoleon’s peninsular campaigns and the civil war between the supporters of the liberal and absolutist pretenders to the Portuguese throne. However the return of peace in the 1830s ushered in a golden age for Port producers.
The 1860s and 70s brought disaster to the Douro Valley in the form of Phylloxera, the deadly American vine louse that had already laid waste to many of the vineyards of France by attacking and destroying the roots of the vines. It is thought that Phylloxera arrived in the Douro in 1868. In any event, by the early 1870s it had destroyed many of the valley’s finest vineyards. Phylloxera was finally brought under control by grafting the Portuguese vine varieties onto the resistant roots of native American vines but in the meantime yields had dropped dramatically and many vineyard owners had been financially ruined. The vestiges of old terraces which were never replanted after Phylloxera can still be seen in many parts of the valley.
In the 1880s the Port trade began to recover and vineyard owners set to rebuilding and replanting the blighted vineyards, often introducing new techniques and grape varieties. By the final years of the century, Port was thriving once again
The first years of the 21st century have witnessed continuing investment in the vineyard, with sustainability, both economic and environmental, becoming an increasingly important priority as producers seek to preserve the unique heritage and environment of the Douro Valley for future generations.