Porto

It is in the shadow of the capital, has a picturesque riverbank and excellent wines, many bridges... Only the river flows in the wrong direction.

The most beautiful view of Porto will open up to us with Luis I iron bridge. Deep below us, on the opposite side of the river, multicolored facades glisten in the sunlight Ribeiro, the "bank", the true heart of the city. We stand high above a little over seventy cellars port wine, who found the best climatic conditions for aging this special wine right in the former Celtic settlement, today the southern quarter of Vila Nova de Gaia. A walk across the bridge reveals a beautiful view towards the mouth of the second longest Iberian river, above the barcos rabelos, today photogenically anchored in front of the cellars, as they have been run over by time and the tanker trucks that have been transporting wine from the upper valley in their place for several decades in the spring Doura in the cellar, where the Port gets the last characteristics of this Portuguese pride during aging. The view also opens up to the remaining five bridges that connect the most important Portuguese port and the first industrial center with the capital, 350 kilometers away. He built the oldest one, over which until recently railway traffic passed, 12 years before his most famous work. Auguste Eiffel.

"In Porto, the towers are placed horizontally and used for bridges," said an English traveler towards the end of the 19th century. On the second oldest, also made of iron, the most modern addition to the city - the metro - keeps us company on the top floor. Subway, whose construction was built through granite piles on which it lies on a steep slope Porto, very difficult and time-consuming. An interesting Romanesque cathedral has grown from the same granite at the top of the hill, which at times resembles a fortress. The huge silver altar in the left chapel of the transept is interesting. But even more breathtaking are the gilded Baroque Gothic altars Church of St. Francis. We have probably never seen such a highly decorated church. We will go there later, after visiting the stock market. Stop for a moment at the top of the hill and squint at the beautiful azulejos, the ceramic tiles that adorn the lobby of São Bento Central Station, not far from the cathedral. For a nice view over the city, let's look to the west and go to the highest bell tower above the city. It's called Torre dos Clérigos (let's say Torre dos Clérigos so they understand us). We won't be sorry. The stock exchange, actually the city's chamber of commerce, was created in the abandoned premises of the former Franciscan monastery. One is surprised by the magnificence and furnishings of the rooms, especially the Arab rooms, which were modeled after the Alhambra Palace above Granada. The offices of the Port Institute are located in the adjacent building. Just offices. They pour a drop elsewhere.

For under the teeth
The inhabitants of Porto are known in the country as tripeiros, but they don't like to hear it. Rather, they are the "hardest working" in the country. The nickname caught on when the famous Prince Henrik the Sailor, born right here, in 1415 led the Portuguese navy into the battle for Ceuta, the main port of the Tetuan pirates, who were causing the prince and his father displeasure. Since the main shipyards were in Porto, the expedition started from there. They seized all the meat, leaving only the tripe to the locals. The hungry townspeople then invented a recipe that is still known today as Tripas à moda do Porto. Francesinha à moda do Porto is a sandwich for which we must first prepare ourselves psychologically. What's in it? Pork steak, cheese, sausage, ham and a delicious sauce made from beer, port wine, prosciutto and something else, not to give away all the secrets. The less hungry will probably be satisfied with the caldo verde, a green soup made from potatoes, onions and cabbage, and a few rings of sausage will be found at the bottom. Otherwise, the Portuguese have always been a fishing nation, known for hunting saltfish in the northern seas. Slanik delights Portuguese people at home in a thousand and one ways at least once a week. Choose at least one way during your visit to Porto. They call it Bacalhau. All this can be found in simpler restaurants on Ribeira, perhaps also in more chic bars in the Boavista district. The Portuguese were once the world's best seafarers and the glorious colonial past is still reflected today in excellent Japanese, Indian and Brazilian restaurants. For tours of the port wine cellars and of course a taste of this dessert wine, we will cross the river again on the lower floor of the Luisa I bridge and visit the Sandeman, Ferreira, Calem, Graham's or any of the remaining seventy wineries.

For spendthrifts
Shoppers will come to their senses at Santa Catarina Street and 31 de Janeiro in the city center. In addition to traditional Portuguese products made of cork, ceramics and glass, we will be able to stock up on port wine, check whether we like ginjinha (ginseng) cherry liqueur, and buy all the usual souvenirs, jewelry and cosmetics, as well as clothes from world-famous designers.

What's happening
Until January 27, 2008, the exhibition Leonardo da Vinci - a genius was open in the Rosa Mota pavilion, with eighty models, many in life size, made according to da Vinci's plans, including a prototype of a submarine, parachutes... Until December 31, in the National Printing Museum on visit the exhibition Printing - a living memory. The exhibition with replicas of old printing presses, dedicated to the first Portuguese printer Rodrigo Álvares (end of the 15th century), is interactive and allows visitors to experience the printing process firsthand. By November 17, the tallest Christmas tree in Europe will be completed on the square. It will be 76 meters high, 280 tons of iron will be on it, and 13,000 lights will shine.

Nightlife
If we are already in Portugal, let's treat ourselves to an evening of sad Portuguese fado chanson, which will help us get to know the melancholic Portuguese soul and make it easier to understand Portugal today. To continue the night hike, many bars on Ribeira are open almost until the morning hours. Bar after bar, where you can find everything from alternative music to Latin rhythms. For more selected tastes (and pockets), we can go to the residential part of the city at the mouth of the Foz river, where there are quite a few pleasant bars and nightclubs along the Atlantic coast. On the way there, we can stop at Chalet Suiço for a glass of excellent wine from the Dão area. We can continue our journey towards the harbor in the Matosinhos quarter, where the industrial zone has been transformed into the latest hit of the city's nightlife. For romantic views of the illuminated Ribeiro, let's go to Vila Novo de Gaia and enjoy a natural juice or a quiet dinner on one of the newly built terraces in front of the port wine cellars, right above the river.

How to get there
Airplanes from Italy, Germany, and Spain fly to the airport in Porto daily. There are no direct flights from Slovenia or airports close to it. Transfers are necessary, for example in Frankfurt, Brussels, Madrid... Porto is more than 300 kilometers away from Lisbon, the train connections are frequent, fast and good.