Places of Interest - Portugal

The old center "Ribeira":

This is the heart of the city of Portugal. From the promenade you can see where Porto once started (was founded) - on both sides of the "Douro” river  were Roman settlements once stood. On the quay there are a number of "barcos rabelos" - traditional port wine-boats with which the wine is transported over the river and further on you can see the beautiful "Maria Pia" bridge, built by Sir “Eiffel” also responsible for the “Eiffel” tower in Paris. Small narrow alleys with beautiful old colonial buildings, one of which is the birthplace of "Henry the Navigator" in 1394 who financed the first voyages of discovery. There are also two squares - "Largo de Terrreiro" and "Praca de Ribeira". You can also visit the "Igreja de Sao Fransisco" church. Another highlight is the "Patio das Nacous" (the country hall) of which the very impressive Arabic hall with golden stucos of Arabic prints is the most beautiful. It is not surprising that this old district has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1996.

The other side (eg "Afurado" and "Vila Nova de Gaia"):

You can take a ferry to the other side of the "Douro" river to see some other attractions of the city. First there is the view over the old city of Porto. Beautifully located against the slope with cathedral "Se" which stands out above it. Here you can view also the "Mosteiro da Serra do Pilar" in the "Vila Nova de Gaia" district where the port wine cellars are located (see below). Another very interesting sight is the district or separate village "Afurado" - something similar to a rebellious nationalistic neighborhood with many Porto flags and streets that turn into an open barbecue of freshly baked fish in the afternoon. Finally, there is the "Castelo da Foz" ("Forte S. Joao Baptista") located near the estuary in the ocean. 

Other attractions:

The "Sao Bento" station hall (with beautiful tiling), “Se”, the cathedral and the bookstore "Lello" (with beautiful ceiling paintings).

In the Roman period the city of “Portus Cale” was located on the site of nowadays Porto. On both sides of the river of the "Douro" that flows through the city were settlements at that time. The city would fall in Moorish hands before it was captured in 868 on the Muslims of Al-Andalus by Vímara Peres, a vassal of Alfons III of Asturias. From here, the reconquista was organized to hunt down the Muslims (the Moors) of the Iberian Peninsula (which eventually happened) as well as the emergence of a separate Kingdom of Portugal. While the explorers in the 15th century with the money and approval of "Henry the Navigator" discovered the African coasts and colonized the British settled down in Porto. Since they were not allowed to trade with the French, they built port cellars here to trade with the Portuguese. 

Porto and its inhabitants are known as rebels - in the past they stood their ground when a tax on postage was levied but also a high tax on linen was not taken lightly by the population. During the French occupation the Portuguese in Porto had their own resistance movement and with respect to the expulsion of the French by means of the English were here that a liberal constitution was called off. Thanks to the proceeds of port wine, Porto is the second largest city in the country in terms of industrialization and commerce.