Porto is the second largest Portuguese city and the main centre in the north part of the country. It is called the Granite City for the severe aspect of the architecture with the churches and the buildings in the historic centre made of granite and iron, which is in complete contrast with the green of the surroundings. Porto is an important commercial centre, a city where the new and the old happily coexist.
Porto is a working city and a cultural centre, which in 2001 was recognized as European Capital of Culture, a joint title shared with Rotterdam in the Netherlands.
Culture
The Torre dos Clerigos (Tower of Clerics) is a prominent monument and the symbol of Porto. Dating back to the 18th century, the 75.6m high tower has 225 steps that can be climbed to enjoy the views over the river and Vila Nova de Gaia.
In Porto you can see the first suspended bridge built by Gustave Eiffel’s company in 1877 as part of the national rail, a 354-metre arch suspended over the river at 61m.
The wine lovers must go across the Douro River to Vila Nova de Gaia to discover the secrets of Port wine. There are 58 wine companies spread out between the river bank and the hill and they are open to visitors for tours of the cellars and wine tasting. Some of the better known names are Taylor’s, Sandeman and Ferreira.
Portuguese food is rich of fish and seafood, however the northern regions as well as fish consume a lot of meat dishes. Tripe is one of Porto’s specialties, they eat so much tripe that the people are nicknamed “tripeiros”; a typical recipe is tripe cooked with Douro red wine, beans, sausage, garlic and black pepper. The wines produced in the Douro valley are rich and full bodied, characteristics that are usually combined with rich meat recipes such as duck and chicken cooked in red wine and vinegar served with rice or the “sarrabulho”, a mixture of meats, vegetables and spices cooked in wine.
The area of Porto where the majority of restaurants and bars are located is Ribeira on the bank of the Douro River. This is the gathering point for young people and the focal point of Porto’s nightlife.
Equality
You can find a some gay bars/disco near the city center like:
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