Porto

One of the first two places that come to mind when you say Portugal is undoubtedly Porto. The city, which was declared as the World Capital of Culture by Unesco in 2001, is a city that I believe will meet all your expectations in terms of history, architecture and culture.

Although it is the second largest city in Portugal, it is possible to walk around the city's must-see places. You can take your city maps located around the train station and start your trip. However, if you choose the place where you will start your trip correctly, you will walk less and get less tired. If you choose the starting point of the trip as the peak, you will only go uphill once, so you will have more energy. :)

If you want to go from Guimarães, Braga, Aveiro to Porto, you can use intercity trains. (This journey from Guimarães takes about 70 minutes. The price was 3.30 Euros in January 2019.)

The most convenient means of transportation from the Porto Airport to the center is the metro. (It was 2 Euros in January 2019.) You can reach the metro directly from the lower floors of the airport. You can also stay at this Airport if you have nowhere to stay in Porto. Although it does not seem like a very important detail, I would be happy if it helps even one person.

Places to Visit in Porto

I. Luís Bridge

It is almost impossible not to come to Porto and meet this bridge. Knowing your name and a few things about it may make you feel better.

This bridge was designed by the famous architect of the Eiffel Tower, Paris Gustave Eiffel, and is a wonder of engineering. While vehicles and pedestrians pass from the bottom, the top is closed to vehicle traffic. Trams and pedestrians can cross the top.

I definitely recommend you to be at the top to see Porto and take great pictures.

I. Luís Bridge

Porto Cathedral

Although this thousand-year old cathedral, which is located on the right from the center to the bridge, does not promise much from the outside, the inside of the cathedral has a truly fascinating atmosphere. When I searched a little bit on the internet, I came across those who claimed to be closed to visit, and I also came across those who stated the visiting hours and fees. Whereas, we were able to go inside at no cost and nobody asked us anything. We may have come across worship times, I cannot remember much now. I recommend those who love art, history and architecture to see it.

Inside of Porto Cathedral

Outside of Porto Cathedral

Livraria Lello

The author of the Harry Potter series is J.K. Rowling wrote Harry Potter, inspired by this bookstore (especially the staircase and library section) and the school uniform of students from Porto, during his time in Porto.

At Minho University, only those who were very close to graduation wore school uniforms with a cape. The superior-subordinate relationship at the university is taken very seriously by students. Students in these uniforms made them marry a variety of anthems, play games and even have push-ups. It was possible to hear a community yelling from somewhere in and around the university. :)

If you like reading or watching Harry Potter, you should definitely go to this bookstore. The entry fee to the bookstore was 5 Euros in October 2018. Although I have no interest in Harry Potter, I can say that the bookstore is interesting.

There are a lot of places to visit in Porto. The places I wrote were a very small part of my perspective. The last place I recommend to go is the bottom of the bridge. It is quite possible to encounter a perfect atmosphere especially at sunset.

Finally, if you are in Porto and you are a football-loving personality, I did not forget you. :) You can either be on the porto and you recently came across a match of one of your country team. I definitely want you to experience the atmosphere of Dragão Stadium. Before I went to Erasmus, I really wanted Galatasaray to be in the same group as a Portuguese team in the Champions League Draw and they took my chance to Porto. Combining the feeling I felt that day with going to the stadium will remain one of the most memorable processes of my life.

It was great that they transferred all Galatasaray Supporters to the same side for security reasons. I do not remember that we silenced for a minute for 90 minutes. When I was so far away from my country, it was a great feeling to support the team I held.

You will definitely hear how much Portuguese people love football before going to Portugal. I did not encounter the slightest disrespect for Galatasaray fans in the city before the match. The situation was no different around the stadium. I think the act of supporting can be really enjoyable when combined with respect.

Those who plan to go to such a match can go to the stadium without worrying about the ticket issue. Tickets are available from the stadium (Porto FC Museum). Of course, Porto Fans can sell the tickets on the black market much cheaper, but you will likely watch the match with Porto fans. (Except for the back-goal, you can watch the game easily wherever you want. The back-goal can be more fanatic than the marathon.) However, as I mentioned above, it is very likely that they will transfer all fans to the away tribune in the champions league matches.

The place where you can get the tickets is the museum where the star is in the photo.

It is very unlikely, but those who think of going to such a match can reach me at barisyldrm06@gmail.com and get more detailed information from me.