Oporto is situated in the river mouth of the Douro, and is the second largest Portuguese city. It is a prosperous city full of monuments which has been historically important. It is also considered one of the most beautiful cities in Portugal. This special charm led UNESCO to classify its historical centre as a World Heritage Site.

The name Greater Oporto is normally applied to a set of continuous cities, given that the density and closeness of the neighbouring cities has led to the creation of a single «city» of around 814 km² with more than 1,200,000 inhabitants.

History



The original settlement goes back to the Bronze Age. However, it was the Romans who baptised the city with the name «Portus», to which they later added the term «cale», thus giving rise to «Portucale», the name it was known by throughout the earlier Middle Ages and the name which later gave rise to the name given to Portugal. During the Roman occupation the city developed and controlled an important route between Lisbon and Braga. The construction of the first walls around the city dates from this period. After Vímara Peres had taken the city from the Moors, in 868, the importance of Portucale increased, and it became the centre of the movement to reconquer and join the lands surrounding it. In the first part of the 10th Century this land became the province of Portugalensis and its inhabitants «the Portugalenses» started to show the first signs of a national spirit and desire for independence.

In 1120 D. Teresa, mother of D. Afonso Henriques, the future first King of Portugal, awarded the small burgh of Porto to the bishop D. Hugo and his successors, and D. Afonso Henriques would later solidify and then widen these powers. With the passing of the year, Porto rapidly developed and the population increased along with its economic importance. However, the fact that the burgh belonged to the bishops was not a matter of indifference to the inhabitants of the city, and especially the burghers. At times the King had to mediate between the disputing parties. It was D. João I who, after two centuries of this, ended the internal struggle and bought the right to the temporal jurisdiction they had over the city from the Bishops of Oporto. As a thanks for the services which Oporto had given in the 1383-1385 crisis, the city received the title of «Very noble and always loyal» (Mui nobre e sempre leal) from D. João I.

D. João I was indeed very connected to the city. It was there that he married the English princess D. Filipa de Lencastre and where some of his children were born, particularly the Infante D. Henrique the Navigator.

In the 15th and 16th Centuries Oporto was one of the cities in Europe with the greatest coming and going of ships and sailors. The city underwent a great leap in its economic and cultural development. Bourgeois and cosmopolitan, the city got used early on to welcoming within its commercial walls artists and sailors from various nationalities, such as the Dutch, Flamengoes, French, and especially the English, who are still strongly tied to the city's economy and culture. However, the international projection of Oporto happened during the 18th Century with the exportation of Port wine, which would become not only the ex-libris of the region but also the whole country. Planted on the slopes of the river Douro, in steep steps dug by men over the centuries, Port wine has influenced the economic, social and cultural life of the city of Oporto throughout the last two centuries.

During the 19th Century civil war, Oporto played an essential role in defending the ideas of liberalism. In addition, the courage with which it withstood the siege by the troops led Queen D. Maria II to award it the title «unique amongst the cities of Portugal» of «Invicta Cidade do Porto» (the invincible City of Oporto). The church of Lapa keeps the heart of D. Pedro IV who offered it to the people of the city in homage to the contribution its citizens had made to the liberal cause.

Bourgeois, worldly, intellectual and romantic, the city of Oporto has left an indelible mark on the History of Portugal down through the centuries. Proud of its past, the city is banking on its future, by accepting forward looking cultural movements, particularly in the areas of architecture, plastic arts, music, literature and poetry.

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Tourism and leisure



A happy marriage between the past and the present. That is what Oporto is. A city where its historical heritage sits side by side with the most modern that Europe has to offer. So get to know this city better, and there is nothing better to start with than a visit to the Torre dos Clérigos, a Baroque monument designed by Nicolau Nasoni and the ex-libris of the city. Then go to the Fundação de Serralves, where that most modern of buildings designed by Siza Vieira houses the Museum of Contemporary Art. You should keep walking in the direction of the historical centre of Porto, classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The old row of houses, the secular monuments and especially the joy and animation of the inhabitants of the area make the Ribeira an unforgettable place. The Foz is another area not to be missed, not only for its natural beauty, but also for the romantic atmosphere which the sea imbues it with.

From the countless possible walks, we would highlight those which will help you to get to know the bridges over the river Douro and particularly the D. Maria, built by Gustave Eiffel at the end of the 19th Century. Or the one which takes us downtown.

Once here, make sure you visit Rua Miguel Bombarda, where you can find some of the main art galleries of the city. In recent years this area has undergone a major transformation which has led to the opening of a more sophisticated and contemporary form of commerce.

If you want to experience the intellectual ambience which Oporto lived through in the 19th Century, do not forget to visit the Café Magestic, one of the most emblematic places in the city. Then stretch your legs as far as the Livraria Lello, one of the most beautiful bookshops in the world.



But there is more to Oporto than just walking and in fact it is a shoppers' paradise. Walk through the traditional downtown shops or the countless shopping centres which have opened in recent years and look for the shoes, purses and any form of clothes or accessories, To end your shopping spree go to the Bulhão market and get to know the true soul of Oporto. Dive into the verbal to and fro of the sellers at the stalls of freshly arrived fish and the baskets of fresh fruit and green vegetables and get caught up in the sights and sounds.

And to visit Oporto without sampling a glass of one of the best wines in the world is a sin, which can be absolved by visiting one of the Porto wine cellars on the other side of the river Douro. Then take in sunset at a pavement café near the river and watch night fall over the city.

It is not at all difficult to find a good restaurant to dine in. Oporto has a unique variety of places to eat, from the traditional taverns (tascas) spread throughout the historical city centre which serve the dishes characteristic of the region to the most sophisticated restaurants.

Then set off on your night of adventure. In recent years, the city has seen endless new spaces open, such as restaurants, cafés, pavement cafés, bars and discos, and you can be sure of a lively night out in Oporto.

Nowadays, Oporto plays host to more than a million tourists a year, and is one of the most visited cities in Europe.

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Economy



The strong industrial and tourist sectors make the economy of Greater Oporto one which is healthy and experiencing growth; besides these sectors, the city of Oporto is increasingly a city of services, as well as hosting more and more national and international conferences.

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Transportation



Porto has undergone extensive modernization in recent years, specifically in the communication sector. The Francisco Sá Carneiro International Airport has been completely rebuilt, and is now a functional airport with a futuristic design, with the ability to receive up to 16 million passengers a year. The city also has a large over ground Metropolitan network and, once its second phase has been completed, this will be the 12th largest metropolitan network in the world.

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Culture



Culture collocates with Oporto. Medieval, Baroque, Neoclassical, Modernist or Contemporary's  the city has managed to preserve its heritage down the centuries while at the same time maintaining a rich and varied range of cultural activities. It was not by chance that Oporto was the European Capital of Culture in 2001.

The Fundação de Serralves and its Museum of Contemporary Art is one of the symbols of the city. The museum is one of the most visited in the country and has an ambitious programme of exhibitions, many of them forming part of the world art circuit. It forms part of the Serralves Park, a luxurious garden where it is possible to study the characteristic flora of the northern region of Portugal. It is also a must to visit the Casa do Infante, which dates from the 13th Century and where the Infante D. Henrique was born. Today it houses the Medieval Museum of Porto and the district's archive. The Soares dos Reis National Museum was founded in 1833 by D. Pedro IV and is another importance space in the culture of the city due to the cultural value of its collections.

There are also important thematic museums, such as the Oport Wine Museum, the Industrial Museum, the Museum of Natural History, the Museum of Paper Money, the Office of Numismatics, the Museum of Sacred Art, the Museum da Misericórdia, the National Museum of the Press, Newspapers and Graphic Arts, the Museum of Transport and Communications, the Romantic Museum at the Quinta da Macieirinha and the Military Museum of Oporto. The Queijo Castle, famous for its viewpoint, houses temporary exhibitions.

It is also worth noting the Portuguese Centre for Photography, located in the Cadeia da Relação do Oporto, as well as a number of House-Museums, such as those dedicated to Fernando de Castro, Guerra Junqueiro, Marta Ortigão Sampaio and António Carneiro. The city is also home to important foundations such as that of Cupertino de Miranda, of António de Almeida and that of Guerra Junqueiro.

With regard to facilities for shows and concerts, there is the Casa da Música, designed by the architect Rem Lookhaas, and who has given Oporto a concert hall with the best acoustics in the world, and which today is one of the icons of the city of Porto. Built as part of Oporto's period as the European Capital of Culture in 2001 and acclaimed by the international critics as being one of the most daring projects of European architecture, the Casa da Música was designed as a stage for every kind of music, from classical to electronic, jazz to fado, from major international productions to small experimental projects. Some of the best interpreters of classical music as well as contemporary musicians have played on its stages, as well as major ballet companies, symphony orchestras from around the world and a vast array of shows to suit every taste.

The Rivoli, S. João and Sá da Bandeira theatres are also important to the city. Just as is the emblematic Coliseu do Porto, the stage graced by stars such as the ballet dancers Margot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev, the Russian clown Popov, Leo Ferré, B. B. King, Amália Rodrigues, Zeca Afonso, Carlos Paredes and Miles Davis. Then there is the Batalha Cine-Teatro, the most well-known and historic film theatre in the city and which is linked to the expression go to Batalha, the Campo Alegre Theatre and the Helena Sá e Costa Theatre, which has been the stage on which the students at the Oporto School of Music and the Performing Arts have trained.

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Premises for the Presidency



The Oporto Customs House, build in the former sandy shore of Miragaia, was designed by the French architect Jean Colson in 1860 at a time when the city of Oporto was growing and the Port activity was becoming more and more developed. This large neoclassical building has the unique feature of bringing together different materials such as iron, stone, brick and wood.

It was restored in 1993 along with the personal touch of the architect Eduardo Souto Moura and today houses the Museum of Transport and Communications and a modern conference centre. Its location in the heart of the city's historic centre «awarded World Heritage Site status by UNESCO» and its closeness to the Douro river along with its size and the unique architecture of the building are excellent reasons for making the Oporto Customs House a unique facility in Oporto for the holding of events of a varied nature.

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• Church of Lapa
• Church of Trindade
• Church of Carvalhido
• Church of Cedofeita
• Church of Santa Clara
• Cathedral Church of Oporto
• Church of Santo Ildefonso
• Church of Bonfim
• Church of St. António das Antas
• Church of Lordelo
• Monument to D. Pedro IV
• Monument to Almeida Garrett
• Monument to the Heróis da Guerra Peninsular
• House of Almeida Garrett
• House of Reboleira Nº 55
• House of Reboleira, Nº 59
• House of Rua de D. Hugo N° 5
• House of Beco dos Redemoinhos
• House of Infante
• Building of the Governo Civil
• Porto Paço Episcopal
• Town Hall
• Palace of Bolsa
• Palace of São João Novo
• Palace of Freixo
• Alfândega Nova
• Alminhas da Ponte
• Sant'Ana Arch and Gate
• Cadeia da Relação
• Casa das Artes
• São João da Foz Castle
• S.Bento Ruins
• Bessa Football Stadium (21st Century)
• Estádio do Dragão (Oporto?s Football Stadium)
• Faculty of Sciences
• Lighthouse/Chapel of S. Miguel-o-Anjo
• Feitoria Inglesa
• São Francisco Xavier do Queijo Fort
• Galeria do Palácio
• Hospital of Santo António
• Botanical Garden
• Lello e Irmão Bookshop
• Ferreira Borges  Market
• Ancient Wall
• Fernandinas Walls
• Palácio de Cristal (Oporto)
• City Park
• Water Pavilion
• Ponte Pênsil Pillars
• Porto Planetarium
• Postigo do Carvão
• Praça da Batalha
• Praça and Cais da Ribeira
• Medieval Ruin of the Casa da Câmara
• Clérigos Tower
• Medieval Tower

Festivals and Fairs

• City Festivals
• São João

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