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Portugal may not be a very big country but it’s
one of the oldest in the world, having a rich
history and plenty of interesting places that
remind us of it.
Have a look at some of our most interesting cities
and towns!
4. Guimarães Guimarães
The Cradle City (cidade Berço)
•The city of Guimarães is historically associated with
the foundation and identity of the Portuguese
nationality. It is known as the "cradle of the
Portuguese nationality". In 1128, political and military
events that led to the independence of Portugal took
place here.
•On the city's old wall we can read “E aqui nasceu
Portugal" (And so Portugal was born here).
•The city is considered the birthplace of King Afonso
Henriques, the first Portuguese king.
5. Comenius Project “Windows on Europe”
Guimarães
Cloister Palace of the Dukes of Palace
Bragança
Castle
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Guimarães
The Cradle City (cidade Berço)
•The city’s historical center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
•Guimarães, jointly with Maribor, is the European Capital of Culture in 2012.
7. Porto
Porto
• Porto is the second largest city in Portugal. Located along the Douro river estuary, it is
one of the oldest European centres, and registered as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO
in 1996.
• Its Latin name, Portus Cale, has been referred to as the origin for the name "Portugal“.
• In Portuguese the name of the city is spelled with a definite article as "o Porto"
(English: the port). Consequently, its English name evolved from a misinterpretation of
the oral pronunciation and is referred to as "Oporto" in modern literature and by many
speakers.
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• J.K. Rowling lived in Porto for 2 years. She was married to a
Portuguese journalist and it was here that she wrote her favourite
chapter in Philosopher's Stone, The Mirror of Erised.
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D. Luís I Bridge, Porto
• The Luís I Bridge is a metal arch bridge that spans the Douro River between
the cities of Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia.
• The bridge was built by the same engineer of the Eiffel Tower, Gustave
Eiffel.
• The construction began in 1881 and the bridge opened on 31st October
1886.
10. Comenius Project “Windows on Europe”
Clérigos Tower, Porto
• The Clérigos Tower is a
Baroque church.
• Its tall bell tower, the Torre
dos Clérigos, can be seen
from various points of the
city and is one of its most
characteristic symbols.
• The construction of the
church began in 1732 and
was finished around 1750.
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City Hall of Porto
• The current City Hall of Porto was designed by architect Correia da Silva
and began construction in 1920.
• The central tower, 70 meters tall, with a chiming clock, is accessible by
an indoor climbing 180 steps. The interiors are made with marble and
granite and they are richly decorated.
12. Porto
S.Bento Train Station
Stockmarket Palace
Lello Libray
one of the most beautiful in the world
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Coimbra The University of Coimbra was established in 1290 .
It’s the oldest Portuguese university and one of the
oldest universities in continuous operation in the world.
15. Conímbriga’s Roman ruins
University students
Library of the University
“Portugal dos Pequeninos”
(Little Ones' Portugal)
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Lisboa
Lisbon is the capital and largest city of Portugal. About 2,831,000 people live in
the Lisbon Metropolitan area.
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•According to legend, Lisbon was founded and named by Ulysses as Ulissipo or
Olissopo, which has its origins in the Phoenician words for "enchanting port".
•It is one of the oldest cities in the world, outdating other modern European capitals
such as London, Paris and Rome by hundreds of years.
18. It’s a monument to Portugal's
Age of Discovery, often serving
as a symbol of our country.
It was built in 1515 as a fortress to
guard the entrance to Lisbon's
harbor and it was the starting
point for many of the voyages of
discovery.
UNESCO has listed it as a World
Heritage monument.
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Jerónimos Monastery
It was built in 1502 on the site where Vasco da Gama and his crew spent their last
night in Portugal in prayer before leaving for India.
The monastery is one of the most prominent monuments of the
Manueline-style architecture (Portuguese late-Gothic) in Lisbon, classified in 1983
as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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Jerónimos Monastery
Vasco da Gama and Luís de Camões are
buried in the Jerónimos Monastery.
Luís Vaz de Camões is
considered Portugal's
and the Portuguese
language's greatest
poet. His most famous
work are “The
Lusíadas”.
Vasco da Gama was a Portuguese explorer,
one of the most successful in the Age of
Discovery and the commander of the first
ships to sail directly from Europe to India.
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Monument to the
Discoveries
It was built in 1960 to honor
the 500th anniversary of the
death of Prince Henry the
Navigator.
It´s designed in the shape of
a caravel, on which many
heroes of Portuguese
history are shown.
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Aqueduto das Águas Livres
Built in the 18th century , this aqueduct served to supply water to the city.
23. National Coach
Museum
It was founded by Amelia, wife of King
Carlos I. The museum is one of the most
visited tourist sites in Lisbon. It displays
the carriages of the seventeenth
century, which were built in various
styles of art and used by kings and other
important world figures.
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Sintra
Quinta da Regaleira
Sintra
Well
• Quinta da Regaleira consists of a romantic palace and chapel, and a luxurious
park with lakes, grottoes, wells, fountains, and a number of exquisite
constructions with symbolic meaning.
• It’s classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO within the "Cultural
Landscape of Sintra".
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Sintra National Palace
Kitchen of Sintra National
Palace
• Also called Town Palace (Palácio da Vila Vila), it is the best preserved medieval
Royal Palace in Portugal, having been inhabited more or less continuously at
least from the early 15th up to the late 19th century.
• It is an important tourist attraction and is part of the Cultural landscape of
Sintra, designated World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
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Monserrate Palace, Sintra
• It is a villa that used to be the summer resort of the Portuguese monarchy. It was
built in 1858.
• Its Moghul-inspired details are unique in Portugal and a fine example of the
Sintra romanticism, along with other nearby palaces.
28. Pena National Palace,
Sintra
• Palácio Nacional da Pena (1847) stands on the top of a hill above the town.
• Its design was inspired in the Palace of Neuschwanstein, Germany and it
constitutes one of the major expressions of 19th century romanticism in the
world.
• The palace is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the Seven Wonders of
Portugal.
• It is used for state occasions by the President of the Portuguese Republic and
other government officials.
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Sintra
Moorish Castle built by the Moors in
the VIII or IX century d.C. and
conquered by King D. Afonso
Henriques in 1147.
30.
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Évora
Évora
• Évora has a history dating back more than two millennia. It was known as Ebora by
the Celtics, who made the town their regional capital.
• It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its well-preserved old town centre, still
partially enclosed by medieval walls, and a large number of monuments dating from
various historical periods, including a Roman Temple.
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Évora
Cromlech of Almendres
Cathedral
Diana’s Temple
Medieval wall,
surrounding the city
Bones Chapel
Évora’s Bandstand “Nós ossos que aqui estamos pelos vossos esperamos.”
“We bones that here lie for yours await”
