Ribeira

“The Livraria Lello bookstore in Porto is one of the world's oldest bookstores, frequently ranked as one of the most beautiful bookstores in the world, and a top place to visit in Portugal.”

“This owes its planning to the visionary spirit of the Almadas whose restoration work brought a new brightness to the city of Porto in the second half of the 18th Century. The road was extended as far as Alameda da Aguardente, today's Praça Marquês de Pombal. Its imposing façades house some fine examples of the Art Nouveau style. Over 1500 metres long, the Rua de Santa Catarina, part of which has been pedestrianised, is the busiest shopping street in the city centre with clothing stores, haberdashery, shoe shops, the Via Catarina shopping mall and countless street vendors, less or more legal and carts selling handicrafts and jewelry.”

“2019: the building is currently going under massive refurbishment which I cannot wait to see the result as a Porto inhabitant but also as an Architect. So far the time being, you can still enjoy the very fresh food producers stand in the relocated Mercado do Bolhão a little further away. Open on a daily basis and always fresh!”

“The Clerigos Tower is one of the paradigmatic architectural landmarks of Porto. The structure is, in fact, part of the Clerigos Church, representing its bell tower. The church proper was built between 1732 and 1750, but the construction works at the Clerigos Tower started no sooner than 1754, only to be completed in 1763. It was designed by Nicolau Nasoni, the Italian architect who left a strong artistic print on Porto since he also contributed, at least in part, to the design of sundry other landmarks of the city, such as the Porto Cathedral, the Church of Mercy and the very Clerigos Church. The Clerigos Tower of Porto At the moment of its construction, the Clerigos Tower was the tallest building in Portugal. Thus, it amounts to some 76 meters in height, counting about 230 steps visitors can use in order to climb the six levels of the structure in order to get to the belfry and admire the view of Porto. In fact, the main tourist merit of the tower resides precisely in the panoramic views it provides over the city. However, visitors can also direct their attention to the architectural merits of the structure. It is an example of the Baroque style blending mild influences of the Tuscan bell towers that must have inspired Nasoni when he designed the Portuguese campanile.”

“The Oporto City Park. A nice place to enjoy nature in the centre of Oporto a very close to the beach!!”