Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Drinking & Nightlife
E3
(see 2)
Entertainment
B1
E1
Sights & Activities
Ribeira
The Ribeira district - Porto's riverfront nucleus - is a remarkable window into Porto's his-
tory. Along the riverside promenade,
barcos rabelos
(the traditional boats used to ferry
port wine down the Douro) bob beneath the shadow of the photogenic Ponte de Dom Luís
I. From here you have a fine perspective of the port-wine lodges across the river in Vila
Nova de Gaia. It's also packed with flocks of tourists.
CATHEDRAL
(Terreiro da Sé; cloisters adult/student €3/2; 9am-12.15pm & 2.30-6.30pm daily Apr-Oct, to 5.30pm Nov-Mar)
From Praça da Ribeira rises a tangle of medieval alleys and stairways that eventu-
ally reach the hulking, hilltop fortress of the cathedral. Founded in the 12th century, it was
largely rebuilt a century later and then extensively altered during the 18th century.
However, you can still make out the church's Romanesque contours. Inside, a rose win-
dow and a 14th-century Gothic cloister remain from its early days.
CHURCH
Igreja de São Francisco
( 222 062 100; Praça Infante Dom Henrique; adult/student €3.50/2.50; 9am-8pm Jul-Aug, to 7pm Mar-Jun &
Sep-Oct, to 6pm Nov-Feb)
Sitting on Praça Infante Dom Henrique, Igreja de São Francisco
looks from the outside to be an austerely Gothic church, but inside it hides one of Por-
