Porto - Alma Nostra

Porto

The city of Oporto, along the Douro River is the second largest Portuguese city. The city took advantage of the wealth generated by the Portuguese maritime discoveries in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries and later saw the bet in the wine trade pay off.

In addition to the abundance of historical sites and trade, the city has the charm of medieval streets leading down to the river, as well as the opportunity to taste the Port wine in its place of storage. Seeing the old typical houses of the Invincible City, as it is called, suggests immutability and permanence in time and constitutes a unique example of an urban landscape endowed with a strong identity and character.

The historic city center was declared World Heritage by UNESCO in 1996.

Porto is the capital of the district that includes the following counties: Amarante, Baião, Felgueiras, Gondomar, Lousada, Maia, Marco de Canaveses, Matosinhos, Paços de Ferreira, Paredes, Penafiel, Porto, Póvoa de Varzim, Santo Tirso, Trofa, Valongo, Vila do Conde, Vila Nova de Gaia

Crafts

Bobbin lace is traditionally made by fishermen’s wives in the coastal lands. This is the case of Póvoa de Varzim and Vila do Conde. The lace comes along with the help of wooden bobbins that were once carved by men as a hobby.
Filigree is the art of "making lace" in gold. Gondomar is one of the main centers where this manual art is practiced as it was hundreds of years ago.

Also important in this district are ceramics, leatherwork, embroidery on linen and cotton, regional costumes, the black pottery, baskets, blankets and wool socks, the string musical instruments, wooden miniatures, painting on tiles and porcelain, cooperage, work in pewter, wrought iron, shale, stone, slate, weaving and metal and wood toys.

To visit

São Gonçalo Bridge over the Tâmega river – Amarante

Sponge cake factory in Margaride – Felgueiras

Port wine cellars – Vila Nova de Gaia

Oporto historical centre

Vila do Conde