20 CURIOSITIES OF PORTO

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Decadent as its tiles, full of personality like La Ribera, its most characteristic neighborhood, and tasty as its wine that, by chance or not, has its same name: Porto. We have already told you everything you have to see and do in Porto, the second Portuguese city, and the restaurants where you can try their specialties, but today we are going to discover you a few curiosities of Porto. Here they go:

1. Portugal owes its name to the city. The Latin name of Porto was Portus Cale and until Lisbon took over, it was the capital of the country.

2. The typical food of Porto is the Little Frenchie and it consists of a sandwich with the most varied ingredients (ham, sausage, sausages, egg ...), dipped in sauce and accompanied by fried potatoes. The inventor was the chef Daniel David Silva who returned to Portugal from his journey through France in the 60s, hence his name.

3. The most famous wine from Portugal takes the name of the city: Porto. It is produced in the Douro Valley and is preserved in the many wineries scattered throughout the area of Vila Nova de Gaia. The most curious thing is that it is a fortified wine (during the process the degrees of alcohol increase). To learn more (and especially taste it) you can take a tour of wineries and vineyards.

4. The population from Porto they have a curious name: tripeiros. The origin must be sought in the fifteenth century, when the Portuguese marched to the conquest of Ceuta and all the inhabitants of Porto donated the meat they had. They only stayed with the guts and invented one of the most typical dishes of Porto: guts à moda do Porto.

5. The Maria Pia Bridge It is the work of the author of the Eiffel Tower: Gustav Eiffel. While the famous Don Luis I Bridge It was the work of a disciple of the great architect, Teophile Seyrig.

6. The tapas may not exist in Porto, but there are bifanas and believe us, they are a great invention! It's about meat and sauce montaditos They usually eat between one cane and another. Do not leave the city without trying them.

7. Many think that Lisbon knew how to adapt over time, while Porto was anchored in the past. But that is precisely its greatness: its decline is what makes it so beautiful.

8. And it is that between both cities always there was a rivalry. For many, that "pique" is due to historical causes, for others it is football's fault ... We, really, love both!

9. There is a saying that: “In Lisbon they have fun, in Braga they pray, in Coimbra they study and in Porto they work,” and that is that the inhabitants of Porto have the fame of being some currantes. And also some revolutionaries, practically all the Portuguese revolutions began in this northern city.

10. On Rua das Carmelitas 144 you will find the Lello bookshop, one of the most famous bookstores in the world for a fact that never came to contrast: there are those who say that J.K. Rowling was inspired by it to create the Hogwarts library. Will it be true? What is known for sure is that this library is a pass!

11. It is said that J.K. Rowling began writing his first book of Harry Potter on a paper napkin while having coffee in the Majestic coffee. Although it seems to be a hoax: the napkins here are made of cloth and, which today is a billionaire writer, in her day she was a simple teacher with economic problems, and that cafeteria is one of the most chic in all of Portugal ... a Coffee costs € 5!

12. Portuguese cuisine is so rich that entering a McDonalds It would be a crime ... peeeero is something we recommend. Specifically see the one in Praça da Liberdade (where the Imperial Café used to be): It is possibly one of the most beautiful and elegant in the world.

13. ¿Porto or Porto? The Portuguese name is "Porto" but due to a misinterpretation it is believed that the English began to call it Porto (or porto = porto).

14. The most famous party in Porto is the Sao Joao Festival (San Juan) celebrated on June 23. Typically, celebrate by eating sardines, roasted potatoes and toasting with wine.

15. The Sao Bento train station It is a mandatory stop, even if you don't have to take any train. The reason is simple: it has beautiful tiles that tell the portuguese history.

16. The center of Porto was declared UNESCO heritage in 1996. This recognition includes the area of Vila Nova de Gaia, the old Fernandina wall, the Ribera del Duero and the area of the wineries.

17. One of the most controversial buildings in the entire city is the House music, work of the Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas. Not everyone likes it: for many its modern architecture It doesn't hit anything with the rest of the city.

18. In Porto you can navigate the Douro River aboard a rabelo, the traditional boat that once served to transport the grapes to the wineries.

19. The Capela das Almas It is another very curious place: it is entirely covered with white and blue tiles that relate the life of San Francisco and Santa Catalina.

20. Did you know that a short distance from Porto is the “Portuguese Venice"? We talked about the pretty Aveiro. If you have time it is highly recommended to make a day break.