Porto - the Majestic City of Bridges And Portwine

Porto - a city in Portugal with the second large population located in the north of the country, on the right bank of the Doura river. It is the former capital of the Portugal and the large port of the country famous for its portwine. The settlement on the territory of modern Porto existed long before the Roman arrival. They called this city Portus Cale. Later this name transformed into Portucale. In its turn it gave a name to Condado Portucalense county that finally gave the name to the whole country - Portugal.

The city is sometimes called the northern capital of the country.

Abandoned church

There are a lot of bridges who stretch above the Doura and connect Porto with the satellite city Vila Nova de Gaia. Some of them are unique for their technology concepts that go ahead of time.

A two-level metal bridge Ponte Luís I erected in 1881-1886 became a unique for its time construction. It was made under the project of a pupil and companion of Eiffel - Teophile Seyrig. Unfortunetely, now it is not used. 

And this is a new railway bridge.







City station

On the banks are many warehouses, most of them are abandoned.

One of the brightest sights of Porto is a baroque tower Klerigush - the highest in Portugal - 76 m and having 225 steps. Its construction began in 1754 and finished in 1763.

The historic center of Porto is situated on the right bank of the Duero river, some kilimeters from the place where it flows into the Atlantic ocean. The center of the city is announced to be a World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO.

By the way, Porto is the second city in the country where the subway was built.

The railway bridge Ponte Maria Pia, erected in 1876-1877 under the project of Gustave Eiffel became one of the first who made his creator famous. Later Gustave used these technology concepts when built the Statue of Liberty (1884-1886) and the Eiffel Tower (1889).  

Yes, bridges and the history of Porto are quite remarkable but it's more popular because of wonderful portwine. Only the wine grown in the vineyards of Douro valley and aged in Porto city may be called portwine.

The city even has a scientific institute of portwine where its properties are studied.



via zyalt