Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
(Quinta da Macieirinha; Rua Entre Quintas 220; admission €2.20, Sat & Sun free; 10am-5.30pm Mon-Sat,
10am-12.30pm & 2-5.30pm Sun)
Nestled on the southern slopes of Jardim do Palácio de Cristal,
beneath cathedral oaks and sycamores, is the small but stately home where the exiled king
of Sardinia spent his final days holed up in 1843. The upstairs has been turned into a mod-
est museum featuring the king's belongings and dainty period furnishings. Downstairs is
4pm-mid-
night Mon-Sat)
.
Vila Nova de Gaia
While technically its own municipality, Vila Nova de Gaia ('Gaia') sits just across the Rio
Douro from Porto and is woven into the city's fabric both by a series of stunning bridges
and by its shared history of port-wine making. Since the mid-18th century, port-wine bot-
tlers and exporters have been obliged to maintain their 'lodges' - basically dressed-up
warehouses - here. Today some 30 of these lodges clamber up the steep riverbank.
From Porto's Ribeira district, a short walk across Ponte de Dom Luís I lands you on
Gaia's inviting riverside promenade. Lined with beautiful
barcos rabelos
- flat-bottomed
boats specially designed to carry wine down the Douro's once-dangerous rapids - the
promenade offers grandstand views of Porto's historic centre. Here you'll find Gaia's
tur-
ismo
( 223 703 735;
www.cm-gaia.pt
; Av Diogo Leite 242; 10am-6pm Mon-Fri, 10am-1pm & 2-6pm Sat)
,
which dispenses a good town map and a brochure listing all the lodges open for tours.
Most people come here to taste the tipple, of course, and about 17 lodges oblige them.
If you come in high season (June to September), you may feel yourself rushed in the
largest lodges. Then again, you won't have to wait long for a tour in your native tongue.
Note that most large houses charge for their tours (€2 to €3), though these invariably in-
clude free tastings.
return €5/8; 10am-8pm summer, 10am-6pm winter)
, an aerial gondola that provides fine views
over the Douro and Porto on its short, five-minute jaunt. It runs between the southern end
of the Ponte Dom Luís I and the riverside.
Espaço Porto Cruz
NOTABLE BUILDING
