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postage (also Oporto) is a city on the Douro in the north Portugal and the second largest city in the country.
background
After Lisbon, Porto is the second largest city in Portugal. Depending on the source, around 1.3 - 1.6 million people live in the Porto metropolitan area. The Portuguese name Oporto (from the Latin portus = 'the port') already indicates the city's original function as a port city. Traditionally, the inhabitants of Porto are said to be cosmopolitan, sober business acumen, pronounced realism and the ability to make clear calculations. In Portugal, the people of Portugal are considered hard-working, brittle and somewhat cool. A common saying goes: “Lisbon is the place to live, work in Porto”, which refers to the many cafés in Lisbon opposite the many banks in Porto, with the residents of both cities interpreting this saying positively for themselves. There is definitely some rivalry between the two cities. The Portuese accuse the Lisboners of their carelessness, on the other hand the capital city dwellers despise the metropolis of the north for their eagerness to work.
Be that as it may, it can be stated that Porto also has its unmistakable charm, both for wine lovers and night owls, as well as for other people.
history
Today's Porto probably originated from a Celtic settlement about five km west of the Douro. The place continued to grow and eventually became a bishopric. Due to its geographical location, Porto was repeatedly affected by campaigns of conquest and the associated changes of power until the region finally merged and made Porto its capital. From Porto, King Afonso Henrique started his campaigns against the Moors and ultimately liberated Lisbon with the help of crusaders who convinced Bishop Pitoes that the holy war had to start in Europe. After that, Porto's bishops, who had become powerful, only devoted themselves to increasing their own power and financial strength, so that the local merchants wrested one right after the other from them. Little by little, an increasingly liberal spirit developed in Porto under the two slogans: 'no paternalism' and 'free trade'. The mercantile bourgeoisie now led Porto to its prime, from here fleets set sail for important conquests. In this golden era, Heinrich the Navigator was born, who achieved other important conquests - especially in North Africa.
But from the 18th century onwards, Porto became increasingly dependent on the English. This went back to Heinrich's father, who married Philippa von Lancenster. In 1703, the Methuen Treaty heralded the port wine boom, but at the same time it also destroyed domestic wool production, as the domestic market was now flooded with cheap goods from England. In order to break the dependence on England, Marques de Pombal created a Portuguese monopoly company in 1757.
Napoleon invaded Porto at the beginning of the 19th century, but was defeated by the English generals. The French Revolution also spilled over to Porto, after the revolution of August 24, 1820, the first radical-liberal constitution was formulated. A trade association was established in 1834, and a chamber of industry in 1844. On January 31, 1891, there was another popular uprising, as Portugal withdrew from North Africa due to a German-English ultimatum. In 1927 there was another uprising, this time against the military dictatorship, which finally came to an end on April 25, 1974 and gave way to the modern republic.
climate
The climate of northern Portugal is not that of the Algarve comparable. Nevertheless, one can speak of a Mediterranean climate because, like in the other countries of southern Europe, there is a hot summer and the rain falls mainly in winter. The Atlantic of course provides variety: Clouds and fog are not uncommon in the coastal area, there is almost always a light to moderate wind on the beach. Here the temperature difference between day and night is small.
population
The history of northern Portugal is also reflected in the population of Porto. You see blond people with blue eyes as well as black-haired people with chestnut brown ones. Porto experienced constant immigrants mixing with the locals.
getting there
By plane
The Aeroporto Porto Francisco Sá Carneiro is Porto's international airport and is close to the city. With direct flights from Germany and Switzerland, Porto can be reached with these airlines, among others:
- Lufthansa - Frankfurt am Main, Munich
- TAP Air Portugal - Frankfurt am Main, Munich, Zurich, Geneva
- Ryanair - Frankfurt am Main, (Once a day), Weeze, Cologne / Bonn, Memmingen, Bremen, Karlsruhe, Nuremberg, Hamburg
- EasyJet - Stuttgart, Basel, Luxembourg, Geneva
Metro line E, which leaves directly at the airport and takes about half an hour to get to the city center (depending on the destination), is ideal for continuing into the city. Even on Sundays, the frequency is at least every 20 minutes.You need a Z4 ticket (€ 1.85 plus the fee for the "andante" card - status 10/2015). The card can only be used for one person and it is also not worth buying the return journey at the same time, otherwise you cannot load trips within the city onto the card.
A taxi costs around € 20.
By train
The journey by train usually takes about 26 - 30 hours (pure travel time, plus transfer times, etc.). Depending on the place of departure in Germany, around three to five changes are necessary.
The costs of the train journey vary greatly depending on the connection, but in general the flight connection is not only faster, but also significantly cheaper.
The fastest connection from Lisbon takes 2 hours and 45 minutes. The journey costs € 42 in first class and € 30 in second class, including seat reservations. The only advantage of 1st class is the wider seats, so you can book 2nd class without hesitation.
The long-distance trains in Porto stop at the Porto-Campanhã train station outside. Holder of a ticket after 1 Porto-Campanhã
are entitled to take a local train to the inner city train station 2 Porto Sao Bento to continue.
By bus
In the street
Arrival by car is possible and takes around three days from Germany. However, this is only recommended if other destinations on the route are to be visited. Otherwise, the costs and effort of traveling by car are in no relation to the costs and effort of a flight (or train) trip.
By boat
Porto is on the Douro, the river is from Vega Terrón on the Spanish border up to its mouth near Porto navigable over a length of 210 km. The nearest sea port is the man-made port of Leixöes, cruise ships also anchor here.
mobility
On foot
The old town of Porto is relatively manageable and can be explored on foot. However, it is very mountainous, which can sometimes make short stretches very exhausting.
Public transport
There are several in Porto Metro lines, as well as countless Bus routes and three Tram linesthat are operated with historic vehicles. They all belong to the same transport association, so the same tickets can be used. A trip within the city center (within one or two zones = z2) costs 1.20 €, a trip to the airport 1.85 € (4 zones = z4). A 24-hour card for 2 zones costs € 4.15 (all fare information as of June 2014). There is also Andante tour-Cards that are valid for 1 or 3 days.
There is also one Postage Card for 24, 48 or 72 hours, which allows the use of local public transport and also includes free entry to several museums and other discounts.
Ticket system: Before starting a journey, an Andante card with an RFID chip must first be purchased from a machine (e.g. in the metro stations, usually also in English) for € 0.50, which can then be credited for any number of journeys in a category or a 24-hour card. Ticket of a category can be loaded. A category change is only possible when the card is empty (therefore you should only load a z4 ticket onto the card at the airport in order to then have space on the card for z2 tickets with which all tourist-relevant destinations in Porto can be reached can). The card must be validated every time you board or change trains on the designated devices; no new journey will be debited during the permitted travel time (e.g. 60 minutes for z2 tickets). Single tickets for bus trips are also available from the driver for € 1.90 (as of September 2017); they are only valid until you get off the bus.
Attention: Neither the Andante card credit nor a 24-hour ticket loaded onto the Andante card can be used in the historic trams (only Andante cards that have a credit for a longer period of time are accepted). The trams cost € 3.00 per person per trip. If you want to go to Foz do Douro, you can also use the 500 bus from Lóios instead of tram line 1 (the Andante card applies here).
The funicular is an exception 3 Funicular dos Guindas, is located near the Ponte Dom Luis and connects the river bank of the Douro with Batalha and offers a beautiful view. It is also part of public transport, but a one-way trip costs € 2.50. The Cable car in Vila Nova de Gaia however, is operated by a private company.
Tourist Attractions
The historic old town Ribeira on the north bank of the Douro has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996. It has a lot of charm despite a shockingly large number of completely derelict houses. The following sights are located in the old town:
Churches
- 1 Sé do Porto
(Terreiro da Sé, opening hours: April-October 9: 00-12: 30 & 14: 30-19: 00, November-March 9: 00-12: 30 & 14: 30-18: 00, admission prices: cathedral free, cloister normal € 3, reduced (e.g. students) 2 €): Massive cathedral from the 12th century, enthroned over Porto, rebuilt several times. Interesting Gothic cloister from the 14th century. The bishop's palace, which is also worth seeing, is in the immediate vicinity of the cathedral Paço Episcopal (Terreiro da Sé) and the reconstructed medieval tower Torre Medieval (Calçada do Pedro Pitoes).
- 2 Igreja e Torre dos Clérigos (Rua de São Felipe Nery, tower: opening times April-October 9 a.m.-7 p.m., November-March 10 a.m.-12 p.m. & 2 p.m.-5 p.m., visit of the church free of charge, entrance fee for the tower: 5 €, no discounts): On the edge of the Baroque church from the 18th century, located in the old town, with an oval (!) Nave and a 76 meter high tower, from which there is a beautiful view over Porto (Attention: the viewing platform does not have a child-safe railing, the gaps are so large that children could fall through ). Admission to the tower includes access to the upper balconies of the nave and to several rooms with exhibits, in particular a large number of Christ figures. The staircase to the tower is quite narrow and there is always oncoming traffic. You also have to factor in some waiting time, as only a certain number of visitors are allowed on the tower at the same time.
- 3 Igreja dos Grilos. - Igreja de São Lourenço, Jesuit Church.
- 4 Igreja do Carmoand Igreja dos Carmelitas. The two churches were built in the Baroque style. A narrow, multi-storey building, the sexton's apartment, connects the two facades.
- 5 Igreja de Santa Clara
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- 6 Igreja de Sao Francisco
- 7 Igreja de Santo Ildefonso.Built in the 18th century, the facade is decorated over and over with azulejos.
Palaces
- 8 Palácio da Bolsa (Rua Ferreira Borges, opening times: April-October 9 a.m.-7 p.m., November-March 9 a.m.-1 p.m. & 2 p.m.-6 p.m., admission prices: normal € 7, reduced (e.g. students) € 4, [1]): The former stock exchange, housed in an extremely magnificent, neoclassical building (built 1842-1910). The pompous Salão Árabe ballroom in Arabic style is worth seeing. The rooms can only be viewed as part of the half-hour guided tours (also in English) that begin every 30 minutes. The price includes a tasting of various Portuguese white and red wines (not port wines).
- 9 Estação de São Bento - Porto São Bento train station. The high station hall is richly decorated with painted tiles, the azulejos, up to the ceiling.
- 11 town hall (Edifício da Câmara Municipal do Porto).The town hall was built between 1920 and 1955, it stands at the end of Avenida dos Aliados.
bridges
- 12 Ponte Dom Luis I..- the arch bridge was made by Théophile Seyrig built and in 1886 by its namesake King Ludwig inaugurated. Your two levels combine postage with Vila Nova da Gaia. From the bridge there is a beautiful view of Porto and the Douro. The upper level is used by pedestrians and the metro, the lower level serves as a road bridge.
- 13 Ponte Maria Pia.The arch bridge was built in 1877 by the Portuguese Queen Maria Pia inaugurated and served as a railway bridge until 1991. It was built by Gustav Eiffel and his student Théophile Seyrig.
miscellaneous
- 14 Livraria Lello, Rua das Carmelitas No. 144.The facade of the building was constructed in the neo-Gothic style by Xavier Esteves at the end of the 19th century. Livraria Lello opened in 1906, and its appearance has changed little since then. In 2013 it was placed under a preservation order. In order to visit the interior, which is worth seeing, you first have to buy a ticket, either online or in the entrance but one on the left. There are also lockers for hand luggage (1 € deposit}. The entrance fee of 4 € can be offset against a purchase, there are a number of offers that can also be of interest to tourists.Open: Mon - Fri 10 a.m. to 7.30 p.m., Sat, Sun until 7 p.m.Price: Entry 4 €.
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Outside the old town are the following sights:
- 15 Jardim do Cordoaria (Praça da Cordoaria): The small but fine park is located northwest of the old town.
- 16 Casa da Música
Museums
- The 17 Museu Nacional de Soares dos Reis offers a collection of faience and silver jewelry, as well as paintings and sculptures by Portuguese artists. Open: daily from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., closed Mon and Fri, Sun 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Homepage
- The 18 Centro Regional de Artes Tradicionais is a arts and crafts museum with changing exhibitions. Art objects can also be purchased here. Open: daily 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Closed on monday
- The 19 Fundação de Serralves is the museum for modern art, which also shows young contemporary artists. Open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tues-Fri, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sat, Sun and public holidays.
- The 20 Casa Museu Guerra Junqueira offers a true-to-original insight into the life of a privileged northern Portuguese household at the end of the 19th century. Open: daily 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 5.30 p.m., closed on Sun and Mon.
- 21 Museu da Universidade
- Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e do Porto. See below kitchen.
The Postage Card for 24, 48 or 72 hours includes admission to several museums and other discounts, as well as unlimited use of local public transport for an additional charge.
activities
- São João. The Midsummer Festival is celebrated in Porto on the night of June 23rd to 24th. Roasted sardines and other delicacies are offered everywhere on the street and you can unabashedly hit the other festival participants on the head with a colorful plastic hammer or wave a garlic plant in the face. Of course, you have to take it yourself. At midnight there is a big fireworks display over the Douro.
- beaches. Foz do Douro has relatively rocky city beaches. In front of Matosinhos, a wide and lively sandy beach stretches between Avenida da Republica and Praça da Cidade do Salvador. It can be reached with the blue line of the metro (stop: Matosinhos Sul) and via the Avenida da Boavista with the bus line 502, e.g. from the metro station Casa da Musica.
shop
- Cabaz do Infante, Rua de São João 126/132. Small grocery store with a large wine department where you can get good advice.
- Mercado do Bolhão, Rua Formosa. The town market has fruit and vegetables, fish, baked goods, flowers and much more, preferably in the morning and in the morning.Open: Mon - Fri 8 a.m. - 5 p.m., Sat 8 a.m. - 1 p.m.
kitchen
You can go out to eat in the whole city, as well as in all places in the area, only on Sundays and in August finding a place can be a challenge, as many places are closed at that time. The restaurants located at tourist spots such as the banks of the Douro try to attract tourists and are accordingly expensive and often of poor quality. In these places you should also check the invoice more closely, as "errors" are more common there in the invoicing. Fish dishes are particularly good. Meat dishes are mostly mediocre. A bottle of wine from the region costs around € 5-8 in restaurants.
- Francesinha (little French woman) is originally from Porto. The sandwich consists of 2 slices of toast, with ham, linguiça (similar to chouriço) and beefsteak in between. The toast is packed with cheese, which melts due to the residual heat from toasting. There is also a thick sauce made from tomatoes and beer. Usually there is also a fried egg on top. There are now also options with poultry, fish or vegetarian options with mushrooms and vegetables. French fries are very popular as a side dish.
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Francesinha
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In Matosinhos, near the port of Porto, in the Rua Herois de Franca, there are countless fish restaurants. If the weather permits, the freshly caught fish is grilled right next to the road.
snack
- Confeitaria dos Clerigos, Rua Clerigos 67. Very tasty sandwiches and breaded snacks for in between.
Restaurants
- Museu D'Avo, Travessa de Cedofeita 54/56. In this restaurant, which is especially popular with night owls at a later hour, there are numerous Portuguese tapas. Despite the fact that the house was full, the Portuguese menu was explained to us in English by a very nice waitress.
- Migalha restaurant, Rua do Dr Ricardo Jorge 9. Simple restaurant with large, cheap (€ 5-8) portions of decent, traditional Portuguese meat and fish dishes.Open: Mon - Sat, noon in the evening.
Cafes
- Sahara bar, Caís da Estiva 4. Very cozy Moroccan style café with a large selection of teas and delicious chocolate cake. In the evening it is more like a bar with cocktails and water pipes.
port wine
Porto is known in the world for the port wine named after the city. It is only grown in the Douro Valley and shipped all over the world from Porto. The numerous wineries are always worth a visit. There are also frequent wine tastings here. Below is an overview of the port wine types and a selection of the port wine trading companies based in Porto or Vila Nova de Gaia:
Ruby, White Port and Tawny
Most of the port wine produced consists of the simple, young rubies, white ports and tawnies. Ruby is a young wine with a medium to heavy body that is blended according to our own style. Wines without an indication of the vintage age in wooden barrels and come onto the market after about three years. Port wines labeled "Vintage Character" or "Reserve" are qualitatively better rubies and mature in large pipes (barrels) for around four to six years.
White Port is made from light colored grapes. For several years there have been two types: pale, tangy wines that are fortified shortly before the end of fermentation, and wines that are more intense in color and taste and mature in piping for up to ten years.
Fine Tawny (young tawny) is lighter than Ruby. In its production, ruby and white port are blended, or the aging process is accelerated by storage in the Douro region itself.
Old tawnies
If port wine is stored in pipelines for a long period of time, it loses its original ruby red color and takes on a reddish brown, tan color due to the gradual oxidation caused by the barrel wall.
Vintage sports
Vintage port is at the top of the port wine hierarchy, it is the result of a particularly good year and representative of the wineries. As one of the longest-lived wines there is, it is bottled after two years and ages slowly and reductively for decades. In its youth, the best vintage sport is very full and fruity and contains a high proportion of tannins; However, it does not reach its peak of maturity until after 20 years. During this bottle maturation, a considerable deposit, also known as a crust, is formed, which is why it has to be decanted. Dealers and Quinta owners decide whether a year is declared a top vintage, but this decision must be approved by the Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e Porto.
The Late Bottled Vintage Ports (LBV), which are also wines of a fixed vintage, but are produced practically every year, are one level among the vintage sports, which may only come from top vintages. They mature for about four to six years before they are bottled. But then they are already ready to drink, i.e. they no longer expand in the bottle.
Port wine trading houses
The following is an alphabetical list of some of the better-known port wine trading houses located in Porto (or in Vila Nova de Gaia). A visit to one - or even more - of these wineries can only be warmly recommended to Porto visitors.
- A.A. Calem & Filho, Lda., Rua de Reboleira, 7, Porto. Visits to the warehouses possible all year round. Calem's warehouses are centrally located on the Dom Luis Bridge and can also be easily reached on a city tour, for example, and are highly recommended.
- A.A. Ferreira S.A., Rua de Carvalhosa, 19/103, Vila Nova de Gaia. Ferreira is one of "the" greats in the port wine world, it is the largest Portuguese brand. The warehouse can be visited Mon - Fri from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and on Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in the summer months.
- Fonseca Guimaraens - Vinhos S.A., Rua Barao de Forrester, Vila Nova de Gaia. Fonseca makes some of the best ports. Visiting the warehouses is possible.
- W. & J. Graham & Co, Trav. Barao de Forrester 58, Apartado 19, Vila Nova de Gaia. Graham is also one of the well-known producers of port wines. It is worth mentioning that a very high percentage of the annual production is traditionally trampled ("mashed") here. Visits to the warehouses and the Graham Museum are possible during the summer months from 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., in winter the opening times may be restricted, also on weekends.
- Sandeman & Ca., S.A., Largo de Miguel Bombardam, Apartado 2, Vila Nova de Gaia. Even by selling sherry, the Sandeman-Don is the Trademark, internationally known. Sandeman makes a very good port wine, but other houses are even more renowned. Visiting the warehouses is highly recommended, there is a visitor center with guided tours, as well as a museum, daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Taylor, Fladgate & Yeatmann - Vinhos, S.A., Rua do Chouplo, 250, Apartado 1311, Vila Nova de Gaia. Taylor is also one of the better known brands and manufacturers of the legendary "Nacional". Visiting the warehouses is possible.
You can also try port for a small fee in the
nightlife
accommodation
- Gallery Hostel Porto, Rua Miguel Bombarda, nº222 - 4050-377 Porto. E-mail: [email protected]. The Gallery Hostel is located in a privileged area of Porto known for its art galleries and modern shops, within walking distance of the main attractions in the center of the city such as museums, monuments, gardens, restaurants and bars.
- Pensão Grande Oceano, Rua Da Fábrica 45. Very centrally located, simple hotel. The furnishings are no longer the very latest, but the rooms are clean and comfortable. Our room faced the back and was quiet and bright. The owners speak neither German nor English, but are very nice. After checking in, you will receive a city map and tips for sightseeing, which you can understand with at least a few bits of French.Price: double room with shower / toilet 45 €.
- Alma Porto Hostel, Rua do Bonfim, 305B. Tel.: 351 914 049 326, 351 914 306 011, Email: [email protected].
youth hostel
- Pousada de Juventude, Rua Rodrigues Lobo 98. A bit out of the way, but the city is relatively easy to get to by bus.
Learn
Work
security
The general crime rate in Portugal is very low. Pickpockets should be expected, especially in large crowds. If you lose your identity card, you should contact the German consulate turn.
health
Practical advice
Diplomatic missions of the Federal Republic of Germany
- Embassy Lisbon, Campo dos Mártires da Pátria, 38, 1169-043 Lisboa. Tel.: 351 21 881 02 10, Fax: 351 21 885 38 46, 351 21 881 02 61 (Consular Section), Email: [email protected]. In emergencies, the embassy can be reached outside of office hours and on public holidays via the on-call service. Mobile: 351 96 580 8092.Open: Consular Section: Mon - Fri 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
- Consulate Porto, Avenida de França 20, 6 ° 4050-275 Porto. Tel.: 351 22 605 28 10, 351 96 502 63 87 (Emergency number), Fax: 351 22 605 28 19, Email: [email protected]. Open: Public: Mon - Fri 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
trips
- Guimarães. The oldest city in Portugal and the first capital. A train ride from the train station Sao Bento it takes about 1 hour and 15 minutes and costs € 2.30.
- Braga. With the train Sao Bento to be reached in about 1 hour. The trip costs € 2.30.
literature
Web links
- http://www.cm-porto.pt - Porto Official Website
- Porto tourism homepage - multilingual (port./span./engl.)
