April 8, 2019:
This was a day of travel. We had our usual wonderful breakfast at Da Pergola in Cascais, checked out, took a train to Lisbon, and then a train to Porto, arriving around 3 pm at our apartment in downtown Porto.
PORTO OVERVIEW
Porto (POR-too) – the capital of the north and Portugal’s second city – Porto is fiercely proud of what distinguishes it from its rival, Lisbon – Yes, Porto’s a bit less polished – But block for block, it may be even more gritty, with Old World charm.
Oporto or Porto? The British – who’ve traded with the city for centuries – refer to the city as “Oporto” – While various guidebooks and postcards call the city this, locals never do.
Festivals: Porto’s big holiday is São João Day (for St. John the Baptist, the city’s patron saint) on June 24 – Festivities start the night of June 23 with partying and fireworks at the Ponte Dom Luis I bridge, and continue on June 24 with a rabelo boat regatta.
Porto and the River Douro – Photo: ExploreWorldWide.com
Spared by the 1755 earthquake that toppled Lisbon, Porto is charmingly well-preserved – Houses with red tiled roofs tumble down the hills to the riverbank, prickly church towers dot the skyline, mosaic-pattered stones line streets, and flat-bottomed boats called rabelos cruise the Douro River that they formerly transported wine.
Rabelos cruise the Douro River – Photo: Norwegian Cruise Line
Internationally, the city is synonymous with the port wine that ages on its riverbanks – But the Portuguese think of Porto as a hardworking engine of industry, with an endearing warts-and-all character – It’s a solid city – it seems made entirely of granite – with solid people
Solid city – solid people – Photo: Irish Times
The town’s two most famous foods – tripe soup and a quadruple-decker sandwich drenched in sauce – say it all – This place is unpretentious – Locals claim they’re working too hard to worry about being pretty – As an oft-repeated saying goes, “Coimbra studies, Braga prays, Lisbon parties… and Porto works”.
But you’ll discover that Porto also features many unexpected treats: sumptuous Baroque churches and civic buildings, a bustling real-world market hall, atmospheric lanes of glorious azulejo-tiled houses, and a variety of good restaurants and appealing boutiques, and quirky but worthwhile museums.
Colorful neighborhood – Photo: TripAdvisor
Porto Self-Guided Walking Tour, Part 1:
We began our first Porto self-guided walking tour a short distance from our downtown Porto accommodation at…
Praça da Batalha (Batalha or Battle Square) – This square owes its name to a battle between Christians and Moors – Originally one of the gates of the City Wall opened into the south side and was demolished in the 18th century when this part of the city underwent many changes.
Praça da Batalha (Batalha or Battle Square) – Photo: Opporto Soul
Praça da Batalha (Batalha or Battle Square) – Google Satellite Map
Monument to King Dom Pedro V – Located at the southeastern part of Batalha or Battle Square, this monument memorializes “the Hopeful”, a conscientious and hard-working monarch who, under the guidance of his father, sought radical modernisation of the Portuguese state and infrastructure. Under his reign, roads, telegraphs, and railways were constructed and improvements in public health advanced. His popularity increased when, during the cholera outbreak of 1853–1856, he visited hospitals handing out gifts and comforting the sick.
Monument to King Dom Pedro V – Photo: Explorial
Sign at the base of the Monument to King Dom Pedro V – Photo: TripAdvisor
Teatro Nacional São José (National Theater of St. John) – South of the Monument to King Dom Pedro V, this used to be the opera house.
Teatro Nacional São José (National Theater of St. John) – Wikimedia – António Amen
Antigo Cinema Batalha – Now closed, the square also features this ancient Art Deco cinema.
Antigo Cinema Batalha – Photo: Wikipedia
Igreja Paroquial de Santo Ildefonso (Parish Church of Saint Ildefonso) – Located at the northernmost part of Batalha or Battle Square, this church church was constructed between 1709 and 1739 – The façade is decorated with tiles by Jorge Colaço (1932), depicting scenes from the life of St. Ildefonso and allegories from the Eucharist.
Igreja Paroquial de Santo Ildefonso (Parish Church of Saint Ildefonso)
Inside, there is a Baroque and Rococo retable from the first half of the eighteenth century designed by Nicolau Nasoni.
Baroque and Rococo retable
Other pictures of the interior of the church
Opening hours: Monday, 3 pm – 6 pm; Tuesday – Friday, 9 am – 12 pm; 3 pm – 6:30 pm; Saturday, 9 am – 12 pm; 3 pm – 8 pm; Sunday and Religious Holidays, 9 am – 12:45 pm; 6 pm – 7:45 pm; Free
Masses: Weekdays – 6 pm; Saturday – 7 pm; Sunday – 10 am, 12 pm, 7 pm
Exiting the church, we now made our way north on…
Rua de Santa Catarina – Porto’s main shopping street is busy and (mostly) traffic-free by day, quiet by night.
Rua de Santa Catarina – Google Street View
Closeup – Rua de Santa Catarina
On our right we soon see the…
Majestic Café – Belle Epoque-era café with ornate interior featuring carved wood, mirrors & chandeliers. Open Monday – Saturday, 9 am – 11 pm, closed Sunday; R. de Santa Catarina 112, 4000-442 Porto; +351 22 200 3887.
Majestic Café
FNAC Department Store – Kitty-corner from the Majestic Café is this department store, providing whatever essentials you need.
FNAC Department Store – Google Street View
The Rua de Santa Catarina sidewalk is a good example of calçada portuguesa, Portugal’s unique limestone and basalt mosaic work – It’s handmade and high-maintenance… but apparently worth the effort and expense to locals.
Calçada Portuguesa sidewalk – Google Street View
Notice the busy street – this is the place to shop in Porto…
Busy Rua Santa Catarina
After two and one-half blocks, you’ll see on the right, at Rua de Santa Catarina 312 – 350, the…
Via Catarina Shopping Mall – Porto’s modern, contemporary shopping mall, this multi-leveled mall is filled with shops, a food court, and lots of shoppers – Open Daily, 9 am – 10 pm.
Via Catarina Shopping Mall
Continue north on Rua de Santa Catarina, you’ll see on the next corner one of those old churches, the…
Capela das Almas (Chapel of Souls) – This chapel was built at the beginning of the 18th century – In 1929, the entire exterior was covered with 15,947 tiles, spread over 300 square meters of walls, by Eduardo Leite. The tiles were produced by Fábrica de Cerámica Viúva Lamago, and represent scenes from the life of St. Francis of Assisi and St. Catherine – these tile panels were restored in 1982.
Capela das Almas (Chapel of Souls)
Over the front entrance is a stained glass window representing souls escaping to heaven.
Front Entrance of the Capela das Almas (Chapel of Souls)
Stained Glass Window – Capela das Almas (Chapel of Souls) – Wikimedia – John Samuel
The tympanum is decorated with a coat-of-arms, while at the cornice extremes there are two urns and, at the center, a stone cross. Left of the tympanum, separated by a pilaster, stands the bell tower, on two levels – the first level has a door at the center, with a small window in the middle; in the second levels, bells surmounted by a balcony, with pyramids in the corners, with a dome at top, also topped by a slender iron cross.
Tympanum and Bell Tower – Capela das Almas (Chapel of Souls) – Wikimedia – Jsamwrites
The interior has a single nave with several side chapels.
Nave – Capela das Almas (Chapel of Souls)
Open Monday, Tuesday, 7:30 am – 1 pm; 3:30 pm – 7 pm; Wednesday – Friday, 7:30 am – 7 pm; Saturday, 7:30 am – 1 pm; 6 pm – 7 pm; Closed Sunday (except for Mass) – Free.
From the 18th century there is a wooden image of Nossa Senhora das Almas (Our Lady of the Souls), which is in a side chapel inside the church.
Nossa Senhora das Almas (Our Lady of the Souls) – Photo: gisaweb.cm-porto.pt
Make an about-face and return past Via Catarina south on Rua de Santa Catarina one block,
Via Catarina
then turn right on…
Rua Formosa – This street is lined with little specialty shops – wine, meat, sweets, canned fish, and so on – tempting you to assemble a Portuguese picnic.
A Pérola do Bolhão (“The Pearl of the Market”) – At #279, on the left, you can’t miss the glorious 1917 Art Deco façade, filled with traditional and edible souvenirs (Open Monday – Friday, 9:30 am – 7:30 pm; Saturday, 9 am – 1 pm; Closed, Sunday).
A Pérola do Bolhão (“The Pearl of the Market”)
Interior – A Pérola do Bolhão (“The Pearl of the Market”)
Nearby store
Comer e Chorar por Mais – At R. Formosa 300, 4000-248 Porto, we discovered this gourmet foods store. Open Monday – Saturday, 9 am – 7:30 pm, closed Sunday; +351 22 200 4407.
Comer e Chorar por Mais
At the next intersection, turn left on Rua de Sá da Bandeira. Follow Rua de Sá da Bandeira south until you reach a square on your right…
Praça D. João I – This square has a prancing horse statue. The equestrian statue Dom Joao I, made of bronze, was erected in 1971. King Dom Joao holds a scepter, the symbol of power, and the horse has a bowed head as a sign of obedience. A piece by Leopoldo de Almeida, and the plinth by the architect Jorge Segurado.
Equestrian Statue Dom Joao I
Continue south on Rua de Sá da Bandeira.
Pottery store on Rua de Sá da Bandeira
Turn right on Tv. dos Congregados, then slight left on Rua de Sampaio Bruno to reach…
Praça da Liberdade (Liberty Square) – Here there is an equestrian statue of King Dom Pedro IV (Estátua Equestre de Dom Pedro IV), and Porto’s main urban drag, Avenida dos Aliados (Avenue of the Allies).
The equestrian statue of King Dom Pedro IV (1798 – 1834), memorializes a hero in the 1832 Civil War, who advocated for a limited constitutional monarchy in Portugal (while maintaining his title as Emperor of Brazil) – King Pedro prevailed… and he’s holding the constitution to prove it.
Equestrian Statue of King Dom Pedro IV (Estátua Equestre de Dom Pedro IV)
Avenida dos Aliados (Avenue of the Allies) – this Avenue is named for the alliance created when Portugal joined the winning side before the outbreak of World War I – The wide boulevard, lined with elaborate examples of various architectural eras (mostly Art Noveau and Art Deco), is similar to Prague’s Wenceslas Square.
Avenida dos Aliados (Avenue of the Allies)
The twin bank towers flanking the street midway up were designed by Portuguese architect Marques da Silva (circa 1920).
Twin Bank Towers – Photo: Advisor.Travel
Twin Bank Towers – Detail
Notice the statue of the warrior (Estátua do Porto or Oporto Statue) before the bank tower on the left, with spear and shield and helmet surmounted by a dragon (a dragon is the mascot of the locally beloved soccer team, FC Porto) – This statue has quite a story… The statue, designed by the sculptor João de Sousa Alão and torn from the granite of Porto by the hand of the master bricklayer João da Silva, was created in 1818, with the aim of overlapping the old palace of the county, which was in Praça Nova, today Praça da Liberdade.
This building was demolished to open Avenida dos Aliados, and the statue Oporto, recovered from the façade, walked through various places of the city, before being placed in the Sé (Cathedral), within the framework of the project of requalification of the architect Fernando Távora.
About five years ago, the mayor of Porto, Rui Rio, made a decision to move the statue back to where it used to be, the Praça da Liberdade, to its present location.
Estátua do Porto or Oporto Statue – Photo: TripAdvisor
There is a statue in the middle of Praça da Liberdade representing the Fountain of Youth, with a “Naked Girl” (Fonte da Juventude / “Menina Nua”).
Fountain of Youth with “Naked Girl” (Fonte da Juventude / “Menina Nua”) – Photo: Triptipedia
There is a Bronze sculpture ‘Boys’ by Henrique Moreira on Praça da Liberdade (Liberty Square) that shows three children supporting a cup with flowers and fruits representing abundance.
‘Boys’ by Henrique Moreira – Photo: TripAdvisor
Imperial McDonald’s – Praça da Liberdade (Liberty Square) is also the location for an Imperial McDonald’s… This is one of the fanciest McDonald’s in Europe (formerly the Imperial Café) – Check it out, and ponder the battle of cultural elegance against global economic efficiency. Open Sunday – Thursday, 8 am – 2 am; Friday, Saturday, 8 am – 3 am.
Imperial McDonald’s
To the north of the Praça da Liberdade (Liberty Square) is the city’s town hall, Câmara Municipal do Porto.
Câmara Municipal do Porto (Porto City Hall) – Wikimedia – Pedro Paulo Palazzo
Head south on Praça da Liberdade (Liberty Square)…
South on Praça da Liberdade (Liberty Square)
Estátua do Ardina (Statue of Ardina) – Before reaching the southern end of Praça da Liberdade, you will see on your left this beloved 1991 sculpture of Ardina, by Manuel Dias.
Estátua do Ardina (Statue of Ardina) – Wikimedia – Manuel de Sousa
Turn left on Rua de Sá da Bandeira to see on your left…
Igreja de Santo António dos Congregados (Church of Saint Anthony of the Congregates) – The Church of St. Anthony of the Congregates dates from 1680 and is situated in Praça Almeida Garrett – Its Baroque style frontage dates from the 17th century – the front windows are lined with modern tiles by Jorge Colaço, representing scenes from the life of St. Anthony (there used to be a chapel dedicated to St. Anthony on the site).
Igreja de Santo António dos Congregados (Church of Saint Anthony of the Congregates)
Just south of the Church of St. Anthony of the Congregates is the…
Porto São Bento Train Station – Built in 1900, the beautiful glass and iron station was named after a Benedictine monastery that once occupied its space back in the 16th century (Convent of São Bento de Avé-Maria).
Destroyed by fire in 1783, the house of worship was rebuilt but by the 19th century was torn down to make way for the expanding railway system – Designed by architect José Marques da Silva, the very first stone was laid by King D. Carlos I himself.
The station’s main entry hall features some of Portugal’s finest azulejos – vivid, decorative, hand-painted tiles that show historical and folk scenes from the Douro region.
Porto São Bento Train Station azulejos
From the Porto São Bento Train Station, it is a short 5-minute walk, but with a quite-a-steep-climb along the railway station’s northern side on Rua da Madeira to return to Praça da Batalha.
The alternative, which we took, was to backtrack to Trolley #22 (every 30 minutes) from the trolley stop just west of Praça da Liberdade (10 minutes ride/walk).
This finishes our first Porto Self-guided Walking Tour.