Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Boavista & West Porto
The sprawling roundabout at Praça de Mouzinho de Albuquerque roughly marks the
boundary between 'old' and 'new' Porto. Here you'll find Casa da Música ( 7), Porto's
extraordinary concert hall.
Museu de Arte Contemporânea
(
www.serralves.pt
; Rua Dom João de Castro 210; museums & park €7, park €3; 10am-5pm Tue-Fri year-round, to
8pm Sat & Sun Apr-Sep, to 7pm Sat & Sun Oct-Mar)
Set in a leafy, upmarket neighbourhood, off the
grand Av da Boavista, is this arrestingly minimalist construction of vast, whitewashed
spaces bathed in natural light, designed by the eminent Porto-based architect Álvaro Siza
Vieira. Most of the museum is devoted to cutting-edge exhibitions, on show in nearby
Casa
de Serralves
, a delightful pink art-deco mansion, though there's also a fine permanent col-
lection featuring works from the late 1960s to the present.
Both museums are accessible on a single admission fee and are located within the mar-
vellous 18-hectare
Parque de Serralves
. Lily ponds, rose gardens, formal fountains and
whimsical touches - such as a bright-red sculpture of oversized pruning shears - make for
a bucolic outing in the city. The estate and museum are 6km west of the city centre; take
bus 201 from in front of Praça Dom João I, one block east of Av dos Aliados.
MUSEUM
