What To Expect

What‘s Included

Reviews

• Self guided walk Oporto

  TotalGourmand,,Feb 1, 2025

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  4.00

  Oporto is the 2nd largest city of Portugal dating back to 4th C ACE. Famous for its port wines, barcos rebelos (traditional flat bottomed boats that conveyed barrels of port up and own the Douro River) and bodegas in Gaia (area of Oporto on the south bank). There were over 300 sailing barcos working 90 years ago, today as all the barrels are moved by train and road modern barcos are for tourists and have no sails. Starting from Praça Dom Henrique Infante, Prince Henry the Navigator Square, to visit the World Heritage site on the north bank of River Douro. A statue of Henry stands in the middle of the square with the old market building, Mercado Ferreira Borges, to the north and Palácio da Bolsa, or Palace of the Commercial Association of Porto, to the west. Bolsa is worth a visit for its grandeur architecture. Walking towards the river from the square via Rua da Alfândega, which is wide and on the left hand side is The Casa do Infante, the building that housed the customs house in the year 1300. It is also said that it was in this house that Prince Henry the Navigator was born. Inside are exhibited important artifacts of the city’s history. The narrow streets of this historic part of Oporto was tortuous as not only were the streets paved with tessellated shiny 2” square ceramic tiles but over the years had settled in uneven levels, imagine what it would be like to walk when their surface is wet. In the midst of the tourist shops, local inhabitants go about their daily lives, such as drying their clothes on the façade, in the open air. Arriving at the bank walk towards Dom Luis I Bridge where many restaurants which serve typical food 'petiscar', which is how locals call eating small portions of Portuguese specialties, time to stop for a break and a beer. Just before reaching the Bridge, on the wall on your left side, you will see a metal plaque where the “portuenses” (the Portuguese name for the local inhabitants) light candles. It is a tribute to the Portuenses who died during the clashes with the Napoleonic troops on the old “Ponte das Barcas” (a bridge supported by boats) which collapsed under the weight of the people fighting and fleeing. Dom Luis I Bridge, built in 1877 by Teófilo Seyrig, Eiffel's partner (yes, the same of the Eiffel Tower), this metallic structure and the colorful buildings along the river make up one of the most beautiful sights in Porto from both banks. Cross the bridge on the lower level to Gaia and Port Houses. stop for sip at Caves Calem on Rua da Barroca. Walk over to Mosteiro Santo Agostinho da Serra do Pilar to see the view of the Bridge, Rebiera and the city. Catch a barcos across the river back to Rebiera.