
Facts
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Full Name Porto Area 43 sq km 17 sq miles Population 264,000 Time Zone GMT/UTC +0 (winter), +1 (summer) () Currency Euro (€) |
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Amarante
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Amarante Crossed by the river Tâmega and surrounded by mountains, this pretty town proudly displays its 17th century mansions, with colourful balconies of painted wood brightly decorating the narrow streets, its restaurants with terraces overlooking the river or the beautiful bridge of São Gonçalo which leads to the great monastery of the 16th century that bears the name of the same saint. |
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Vila Nova de Gaia Seat
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Vila Nova de Gaia Seat of a county of commercial and industrial importance and facing Oporto across the river Douro, Vila Nova de Gaia is the main centre of Port wine production. Thus, the heart of the city is dominated by the Port lodges with their characteristic red roofs emblazoned with well-known names, and over fifty companies based in narrow and twisting streets are engaged in blending and ageing the famous drink. Some of them offer guided tours so that visitors may see how Port is made and taste different samples. |
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Golf
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Oporto Golf Club This course is located 17 kilometers to the south of Oporto beside the beautiful beaches of Espinho. It is, after Pan, in France, the second oldest course in Continental Europe. It was established in 1890, when British residents in Porto created the club.
Miramar One of the oldest Portuguese golf courses and one of the most traditional in the country. When the course was inaugurated in 1932, Frank Gordon and Arthur Mariani were jointly responsible for the design, a nine hole course for Par 34 over 2.579 meters.
Amarante Located in the estate of Quinta da Deveza and is set on a delightful landscape - with the towns of Amarante and Marco de Canaveses, as well as the mountains of Marão and Aboboreira, in the background. It is a narrow, winding hilly course, calling for great accuracy, particularly at the bunkers protecting the greens and at the lakes that are brought into play at holes number 3, 8, 12 and 17. |
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S. Francisco Church
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S. Francisco Church The São Francisco Church is one of the few remaining medieval buildings in Porto. Also, it is the only Gothic church in the city. It was part of a Franciscan convent and its construction lasted from the late 14th century until the early 15th century. The medieval architectonic programme went through several occasional changes but its structure remained unaltered. Diogo de Castilho, following the instructions of João Carneiro, built the Carneiros Chapel, or the Chapel of the Baptism of Christ, in the 16th century. The new main
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portal was built in the following century and had baroque characteristics. In the 17th and 18th centuries the interior of the church was completely covered with wood carvings, forming a sort of golden box. It is one of the most beautiful baroque interiors in the country. Although the wood carvings do not present a stylistic coherence, their great quality, which was the fruit of the best workshops in Porto, makes up a selection that enables the observation of its evolution. It is a true museum of gilt wood carving in the city. | |
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Casa do Infante (House of the Prince)
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Casa do Infante (House of the Prince) or Casa da Alfândega Velha (Old Custom House). Since then the services of the Municipal Archive are located there. The Archive promoted a project of study and of deep remodelling of the building. An important Roman palace as well as better knowledge of ancient royal buildings from the 14th century to present days were the result of the research carried out. The relevance of the archaeological finds led to the creation of a site museum situated by the Archive and a small Tourist Office. The architectural project to remodel and update the Archive was designed by the architect Nuno Tasso de Sousa. |
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Romantic Museum of Quinta da Macieirinha
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Romantic Museum of Quinta da Macieirinha The Museum reproduces the interior of a rich dwelling of the 19th century. Some aspects of the decorative arts of that period are worthy of notice. Charles Albert, King of Piedmont and Sardinia, spent his last days in exile here, where he died on 28 July 1843. In his memory, some of the rooms he inhabited were restored. |
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Soares dos Reis National Museum
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Soares dos Reis National Museum The Museu Nacional Soares dos Reis, former Museu Portuense and first art museum in Portugal, was born in 1833, when D. Pedro IV of Portugal decided to establish in the city of Porto a Museu de Pinturas e Estampas (Paintings and Prints Museum). The aim of the foundation of this Museum was the preservation of the artistic heritage that came mainly from extinct convents, and the simultaneous promotion of its use for cultural and pedagogical purposes. The Museum has been settled since 1940 in the Palacio dos Carrancas, currently considered a public interest property, and it was built in the late 18th century, by a wealthy family of Porto. |
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Le Meridien Park Atlantic
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Le Meridien Park Atlantic The Hotel offers a wide range of facilities and services specifically tailored to meet your requirements. Central location easy access to commercial centres. Major airlines, travel agencies and banks: 3 minutes walk. Le Méridien combines the elements of traditional hospitality with the amenities of an International Hotel. You will find 232 guest rooms including 7 suites, spacious, comfortable and stylish . |
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Ponte D. Luís I (D. Luís I Bridge)
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Ponte D. Luís I (D. Luís I Bridge) In accordance with the Law of 11/02/1879, the government determined the opening of the competition for the "construction of a metal bridge over the Douro River, in the place considered the most convenient in front of the city of Porto, for the replacement of the current suspended bridge". The winning proposal was the project of engineer Teófilo Seyrig, from the Belgian company Societé de Willebroeck. Teófilo Seyrig had already been the author of the plan and head of the team in the project of the Ponte D. Maria Pia (D. Maria Pia Bridge) as Eiffel's associate. This time he was the sole responsible for this work of the new and grand Ponte D. Luís I (D. Luís I Bridge). The construction works began in 1881 and the inauguration occurred on 31 October 1886). The arch comprises 172m of cord and is 44.6m tall. |
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Matosinhos
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Matosinhos is, in spite of its industrial port, renowned for its gastronomy based on seafood and also popular for its coastline of small beaches enclosed by rocks beaten by the sea. Matosinhos also boasts of a valuable patrimony visible in monuments such as the Monastery of Leça do Bailio, the first headquarters of the Order of Hospitallers in Portugal and with a 14th-century fortified church exhibiting Gothic arches and a beautiful rose window. |
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