Inflight Magazine of Brussels Airlines

Welcome to the Inflight Magazine of Brussels Airlines

Destination Guides

bthere! Destination guides

Previous issues for Porto

Whilst every effort is made to ensure accuracy,
please confirm event/venue details in advance.

Portugal : Porto - October 2008

Country Code: Dial 1 for Portugal

Porto remains lively throughout autumn. You can catch a concert during the Casa da Música’s Ciclo de Jazz festival all month, watch FC Porto take on Leixões on the 26th, while the grape harvest continues through October ready to replenish stocks of the city’s famous port wines. Matthew Hancock drinks it all in

Getting around

Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport

Bus: The 601 bus runs to the city centre every half hour, the 602 runs every 15 minutes. The journey takes about an hour and tickets cost €1.30.
Train: The metro runs into the airport terminal and takes 25 minutes to reach the city centre. Tickets cost €1.35. Trains run from 6.00am to 1.00am.
Taxi: A taxi to the town centre costs about €20 and will take approximately 20 minutes.
Tourist information: 25 Rua Clube dos Fenianos (tel.//, www.visitportugal.com).

RIBEIRA

Bisected by the Douro river, this atmospheric quarter’s dramatic buildings have earned it Unesco World Heritage status.

Sleep soundly – The three-star Hotel da Bolsa is well positioned for the centre and the riverfront.

Culture vultures – Head to the quayside and take one of the regular boat tours up and down the Douro for the best views of the city.

Must eat – Chez Lapin’s (40-42 Rua das Canastreiras, tel. ) cosy, stone-clad interior is a great place to hole up on a cool evening. Warming dishes include sumptuous typico Portuguese grills, great local cheeses and a few vegetarian options. A simple, inexpensive place overlooking the quayside, O Muro (87 Muro dos Bacalhoeiros, tel. ) has an outdoor grill for superb fresh fish.

Must drink – Vinologia (46 Rua de São João) is a well-stocked port shop-cumbar, and a great place to get expert advice.

BAIXA

After the steep slopes of the riverside, it’s a relief to find that the city centre sites are easy to explore on foot.

Sleep soundly – Grand in atmosphere though surprisingly modest in price, Grande Hotel de Paris serves breakfast in a splendid drawing room.

Culture vultures – Housed in a former royal residence, the Museu Nacional Soares dos Reis (44 Rua Dom Manuel II) has one of Portugal’s finest collections of applied and decorative art, including sculpture by António Soares dos Reis as well as French furniture and Chinese ceramics.

Must eat – Bustling tiled restaurant Abadia (22-24 Rua do Ateneu Comercial, tel. ) does tasty local dishes. Tripeiro (195 Rua de Passos Manuel, tel. ) is named after the city’s speciality, tripe, though there are less adventurous ways to line your stomach here including some fine grilled fish and meat.

Must drink – Porto’s cafés are always an experience but the ornate Belle Epoque interior at Café Majestic (112 Rua de Santa Caterina) gives it a bit of an edge.

Shop til you drop – A treasure trove of books, games and CDs, fnac (73 Rua de Santa Catarina) is the best place to hunt out the latest fado sounds.

VILA NOVA DE GAIA

Porto’s south bank is home to the city’s port wine lodges, not to mention the best views back over the old town.

Culture vultures – Take a tour of Cálem (26-42 Avenida Diogo Leite), a wine lodge founded in 1859. You’ll find out how port wines are produced, visit the cellars where the wine ages in oak casks for years, and there’s an irresistible tasting session at the end.

Must eat – Barão de Fladgate (250 Rua do Choupelo, tel. ) serves excellent international cuisine. Try and get a terrace seat for some sublime views of the city.

Dance the night away – Set in a former port cellar, Rock’s Bar (228 Rua Rei Ramiro) is good for live music.

BOAVISTA AND MASSARELOS

The riverfront district of Massarelos spreads up to Boavista, famous for its fantastic Casa da Música arts centre and fine array of shops.

Sleep soundly – The Sheraton (146 Rua de Tenente Valadim, tel. , sheratonporto.com, rooms from €145) is smart and modern with elegant rooms and its own spa facilities

Culture vultures – The Museu do Carro Eléctrico, (51 Alameda Basílio Teles) delves into the history of the wonderful Porto trams that still ply the city on a couple of routes.

Must eat – Housed in the arts centre, the swish, minimalist Restaurante Kool (7 Casa da Música piso, 604–610 Avenida do Boavista, tel. ) is currently the talk of the town. The set lunch here is good value.

Compiled by Matthew Hancock