Porto is the former capital of Portugal, the second largest city after Lisbon. Located in the immediate vicinity of the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Douro River, it is a large industrial, winemaking and cultural center. Porto is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe .Its historical part is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Hot tours to Portugal, whose prices can not please the tourist, give an excellent opportunity to enjoy its historical and architectural sights and comfortable rest. A trip to Porto will be especially interesting for those who are bored with traditional sightseeing tours around Europe, as well as for history lovers.
It was from the city of Porto that the name of the country and port appeared. The city is divided into five districts, each of which is attractive in its own way. Most of its attractions are in the historic center on the pedestrian street Avenida dos Allados, which is a favorite place for tourists.
In its very center on the hill towers a majestic Cathedral built in the XII century with two crenellated towers and a round stained glass window. This is a rather gloomy building, the main decoration of which is the baroque altar, made of 800 kilograms of silver. From the cathedral opens a delightful view of the opposite bank of the Douro River.
The symbol of the city is the 75 meter high tower of Clorigush. If you climb up its spiral staircase, you can admire the magnificent panorama of the surroundings.
The Baroque Episcopal Palace, located here, is extremely beautiful. An excellent example of neoclassical architecture is the Stock Exchange Palace, the richest interior decoration of which amazes with its luxury. Extraordinary and beautiful is the Town Hall building.
The historic center of Porto is very compact and consists entirely of narrow streets, quarters and stairs, along which you can only walk. Thanks to inexpensive burning permits, the opportunity to get acquainted with this amazing part of the city, everyone has it today.
But the sights of the city are not limited to its old part. In other parts of Porto there are a lot of museums, the most interesting of which are: The Port Wine Museum is the only museum in the world, the Museum of History and Ethnography, the National Museum with a collection of modern Portuguese art, the House of Prince Enrique and the Romantic Museum.
The magnificent five bridges across the Douro serve as the decoration of the city. During their construction, unique engineering systems and technologies were applied. The oldest is the unique two-tiered bridge of Queen Maria Pia, 172 meters long, erected in 1877.
The churches and monasteries of Porto are of great interest for travelers. Especially among them stand out: the Gothic church of San Francisco, built in 1400, the Baroque church of Igreja do Carmo, the Congregational church of the 17th century with tiles azulezu, the small church of Santa Clara of the XV century. From the monastery of Serra do Pilar offers a wonderful view of the city.
Extremely interesting and Botanical Garden of Porto, where until our times preserved greenhouses, erected in the XVIII century.
You can enjoy a wonderful beach holiday in Porto in the area of the Matazinhos front-door, which you can reach on an old tram. There are also many restaurants offering a wide range of seafood and wine dishes.
Porto is one of 's most fascinating and memorable cities in Portugal .The possibility of purchasing inexpensive tours, as well as burning tours to Spain, gives every visitor the opportunity to plunge into the charming Middle Ages, an abundance of attractions and high-quality service.
