Here’s a really nice video from Porto filmed with camera-equiped-drone. I need to buy something like this!
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Posts Tagged ‘city’
Porto filmed with a drone
April 1, 2014More photos: Oporto
November 1, 2010Some photos taken by Mesi when she was on holidays in Oporto in July.
For more posts and photos from Oporto please check the Index Page.
Thank you for sharing them with me :).
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- Douro River
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- Luis I bridge
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- Clerigos Tower and the City
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- Houses near Douro River
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- Bom Sucesso Shopping
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- Serralves Art Foundation
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- “Pastelaria”
Oporto: Using the Metro
November 1, 2009
Metro vehicle
“Metro do Porto” is a light-rail network that currently provides transport services to 68 stations in the metropolitan area of Oporto. The network is relatively new so it will look small and inappropriate for the city needs but new lines are already planned or being built.
I’ve been asked for help by tourists using the Metro in Oporto since it can be a bit confusing at first. Hope this helps you master it from the arrival.
Getting your first title:
As an example we’ll imagine you are at the Airport and you want to go to Trindade in the center of Oporto.
This is a ticket vending machine:
Metro Ticket Machine
1- Check the list of destinations to know what kind of title (“título”) you need – in this case z4.
2- Use this button to change the language to English
3- Follow the onscreen instructions and this buttons to buy a new “Andante” card with one z4 title in it
4- Pay your Andante + title (1,95€ in the example).
Note: If the machine you’re using doesn’t accept banknotes try the other one in the same station.
5- Collect your Andante card
6- Validate your ticket (*)
Now that you have an Andante card check the indicators above the tracks that indicate the direction of the next vehicle and estimated time to arrival to that station.
(*)You must always validate you andante by “showing” it in front on one of this sensor machines before getting in the vehicle:
Validating machine
You’ll get a green light and an indication in the display of how many titles there are left in your Andante card.
The title you used is valid for 1hour (on the metro, bus and some trains) so you can change line or even to get into a bus during that hour with that very same title but please always re-validate the card in the sensor machines you encounter.
After using your title in the Andante Card you should keep it, it is reusable -it will allow you to change the kind of title or to recharge titles in the same Andante machines.
Helpful Links: Metro do Porto official site ; Full Metro Map
ticket + validating
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Carlos Alberto Square and Cedofeita Street
October 23, 2009Continuing the walk from Gomes Teixeira Square: Google Maps
Praça de Carlos Alberto
The oldest reference to this square in Oporto is from 1638 being referred as a place with a great number of stables where people would prepare their mounts for long travels. It was also known as the Box’s Faire because emigrants to Brazil used to make the boxes for their luggage here.
In the North-Eastern corner of the square there is a palace built in the XVIII century and where King Charles Albert of Sardinia was later hosted in his exile. The square was named after him as a way of homage him (Carlos – Charles, Alberto – Albert).
In front of the palace there is a statue of the General Humberto Delgado also known as “The fearless General” due to his attempt to oppose the Portuguese Fascist Dictatorial regime (1933 – 1974) in the elections of 1958. The results of the elections were falsified so that the Regime’s candidate won; the general was murdered in 1965 by the State Police – PIDE.
In the center of the square there is monument dedicated to the Portuguese soldiers who fought and died in the First World War.
Rua de Cedofeita
It was open in 1784 and became an important residential area. Nowadays is one of the main commercial streets of Oporto.
The Cedofeita Church is not far to the West of this street. There is no certainty about when it was built but theories indicate 559 A.D. Many transformations were made to the church along the centuries. I’m sorry but i think that i’ve never seen it open to the public.
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- Carlos Alberto Square
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- Towards “Lions” Square
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- Humberto Delgado Statue
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- World War I monument
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- Rua de Cedofeita
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- Cedofeita Street
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- Old Cedofeita Church
Inside Trindade Church
October 15, 2009Note: Religious content – This following post shows the inside of a Roman Catholic Church from the XIX century, if you don’t want to see the photos please skip it. Turning site previews off temporarily could also be a good ideia. Sorry for the inconvinience.
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I found it hard to translate the name of the Saints to English and unfortunately I don’t know anyone with such specific knowledge so I did my best to add understandable notes, thank you for your comprehension.
As mentioned in the “trindade and aliados” post, the Trindade Church was built during the XIX century in neoclassical fashion following the design of the architect Carlos Amarante. The interior has the shape of a cross, the Main Altar in front of the main entrance and there’s one secondary Altar on each side: right and left. On the wide corridor towards the main Altar and before the crossing there are 3 smaller chapels on the walls of each side. view photo
As you enter the church, on your right wall you can see the chapels of (main door to main Altar direction):
- “Sagrado Coração de Maria” (Sacred Heart of Mary) view photo
- “Nossa Sra. das Dores” (Holy Lady of Pains) view photo
- “Nossa Sra. da Conceição” (Holy Lady of Conception) view photo
On the left wall (main door to main Altar direction):
- “Sta. Teresinha” (Saint Teresa) view photo
- “S. José” (Saint Joseph) view photo
- “Sagrado Coração de Jesus” (Sacred Heart of Jesus) view photo
Then you’ll reach the crossing with the two secondary Altars on each side:
The Altar on the right has “Nossa Sra. de Fátima” (Lady of Fatima) in the middle, “Santa Catarina” (Saint Catherine) on the right and “Santa Inês” (Saint Agnes) on the left. view photo
The Altar on the Left has “Santíssima Trindade” (Holy Trinity) in the middle, “S. Pedro” (Saint Peter) on the right and “S. João” (Saint John) on the left. view photo
The Main Altar has a big painting of the Baptism of Christ in the middle, “Nossa Sra. da Paz” (Lady of Peace) on the right and “Nossa Sra. das Mercês” (Lady of Grace) on the left. photo 1 ; photo 2
As you leave through the main door you can see the statues of two golden angels and a pipe organ in the balcony above. view photo
Oporto
October 9, 2009Where is it?
The metropolitan area of Oporto (Porto in Portuguese) is located in north-western Portugal where the Douro River meets the Atlantic Ocean. Check it on Google Maps.
The Historic Centre of Oporto was considered World Heritage by Unesco in 1996.
How to get there?
There are many options available to get to Oporto (by car, by plane, by train, by boat) so it’s hard for me to give you specific details on each of the means of transportation.
By airplane:
If you have limited time for your holidays and you only plan to stay a few days to know the city, going by airplane is your best option. The Porto (OPO) Airport is a destination available by many airline companies, including low-cost companies.
The Oporto Airport has a Oporto Metro station. By metro you’ll be in the center of the city for 1.95€ in approximately 30minutes.
By train:
It shouldn’t be hard to travel from Europe to the train station of Campanhã – Oporto. If you have enough time for a few stops more other than Oporto you could consider an Interrail pass. Unfortunatly there isn’t a high speed rail connection (TGV) to Oporto yet. Helpful links: CP ; Interrailnet.com
By car:
Portugal is the westernmost country of mainland Europe and is bordered to the West and South by the Atlantic Ocean so travelling from central Europe to Oporto will take time.
I’ve used Google Maps to create a few possible itineraries, hope it helps and that it gives you an idea of how long the travel will take.
Vigo – Oporto (estimated time: 1h36m)
Madrid – Oporto (estimated time: 6h04m)
Paris – Oporto (estimated time: 14h46m)
Helpful Links:
Portugal Discovery – watch their Oporto video on youtube: Here
the local guide 
