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Hotel Solverde Spa & Wellness Center
28 December, 2018 / ,

The Hotel Solverde Spa & Wellness Center is a reference of Greater Porto, the only 5 star hotel in the north of the country, located in front of the beach. It is only two minutes from Espinho and just 15 minutes from Porto, this hotel offers the ideal conditions for both leisure tourism and business.
It is set in a 2-hectare complex with direct access to the beach.The hotel provides a pleasant atmosphere of relaxation spiced with the scent of sea air and magnificent views of the sea and the surrounding landscape.
The gastronomy is also one of the highlights of this Solverde hotel unit, offering a rich and varied range of the most delicious delicacies of traditional Portuguese cuisine.
The Spa & Wellness Center is one of the most complete and modern in the country. It provides for the perfect symbiosis between body and mind, offering exclusive treatments, allied to the Thalgo and Terraké brands.

Accommodation
• 174 rooms (90% are interconnecting rooms)
• 169 rooms, 111 of which have a balcony and sea view
• 5 suites with balcony and sea view
• Rooms for people of reduced mobility
• Air conditioning
• Safe
• Mini-bar
• Telephone with a direct outside line
• Cable TV
• Free Wi-Fi

Restaurants | Bars
• “O Jardim” Restaurant with panoramic views of the sea
and gardens (capacity for 200 people)
• Coffee Shop (capacity for 100 people)
• Ponto de Encontro Bar (70 seats capacity)
• Salão de Jogos Bar (70 seats capacity)
• Esplanade – Roofed Bar for smokers (36 seats capacity)
• 24-hour room service

Services
• 17 meeting rooms with natural light (the largest with 400 m2)
• Free Wi-Fi
• Laundry service
• Free private parking (300 cars)
• Private garage (50 cars)
• Charging point electric cars: 1 Tesla + 1 Universal
• Business Center
• Helipad

Leisure
• Outdoor seawater swimming pool
• 2 Tennis courts
• Padel court
• Football pitch
• Beach Volleyball Court
• Mini-Golf
• Playground
• Bicycles

Spa & Wellness Center (1800 m2)
• Gym equipped with cardiofitness machines
• Indoor heated seawater swimming pool
• Heated seawater dynamic swimming pool
• Saunas area (sauna, laconium, salts steam bath, ice cabin
and sensations shower)
• 6 treatment cabinets, floating, vichy shower and royal bath
• 2 relaxation rooms (one of which has Wave Dream)

Entertainment and amusement close by
• Espinho Casino and Bingo
• Golf – Oporto Golf Club and Miramar Golf Club
• Horse Riding
• Skydiving
• Surfing and other water and nautical sports
• Espinho Tennis Complex
• Indoor Karting
• Paintball
• Gaia-Espinho maritime boardwalk (>15 km long)
• Gastronomic itineraries
• Tourist Cruises on the River Douro
• Guided visits to the city of Porto, Castles, Museums, Port
Cellars
• Gaia and Porto Marina
• Various tourist activities

Clerigos Museum
14 December, 2018 / , ,

The journey through the Casa da Irmandade (1754-1758), where the Museum is located, provides a return to the past as you get to explore spaces that once were private and destined for the daily life of the Brotherhood of Clerics.

Walking through the Casa do Despacho, the Sala do Cofre, the Archives, and the old infirmary, one can see that the Museum has a collection of cultural assets of considerable artistic value from the 13th to the 20th century, which spreads through its collections of sculpture, painting, furniture and jewellery. These goods are messengers of a historical and cultural patrimony, whose function was lost throughout time but gave way to the creation of the museum.

 

The infirmary of the Brotherhood of Clerics, which operated until the end of the 19th century and dedicated to the treatment of sick clerics, has been converted into an exhibition space and currently houses the Christus collection. This exhibition, conceived from the donation of a collection by a private collector, reveals the passion for collecting and tells a story complemented by objects, once of devotion, considered today cultural legacies of interest. They are important pieces of sculpture, painting and jewellery making that enhance the encounter of art with faith.

The exhibition, distributed in three rooms – Núcleo da Paixão, Viagem das Formas e Imagens de Cristo – invites you to travel through time and space, through image and devotion.

The Museum of the Irmandade dos Clérigos, is part of the Portuguese Museum Network, since August 28, 2018.

 

Sugestions by Paulo Sarmento e Cunha
7 December, 2018 / ,

I’ve been living in downtown Porto for 15 years, since the area was decadent and unsafe in the eyes of most… but not mine.

The downtown of this city has a strong character, with spaces enveloped by buildings with history and traditions. It is from here that I often go for walks, usually on foot or by public transport.

I know the city where I live. I’ve been discovering its corners over the years, from where the river meets the sea to the opposite side, where the city is still strongly marked by the industrial movement of other times.

There are not many public sites in the city that I have not visited, some of them quite vivid and filling my memory. However, Porto always surprises me. The sites are reborn and renewed, so I often feel like a tourist in my own city.

I will be a tourist when I go back to Quinta do Barão de Nova Sintra, after the recent requalification, which made it worthy of the name Jardins Românticos de Nova Sintra (Romantic Gardens of Nova Sintra), going back to stroll, see the old fountains and how the new sculpture of Julião Sarmento was integrated into the new garden.

It will also be a pleasure to revisit Parque da Pasteleira and witness the transformation to which the old water reservoir is being subjected in order to welcome one of the sites of the City Museum. I am curious to know how the history of the City will be cared for inside the successive water cells of the old reservoir.

I usually start my days early. I try to keep this habit on weekends and get out early to enjoy the mornings. I avoid, therefore, the night and the atmosphere of bars. I prefer coffees and I like to read in the light of day. My favorite is Guarany, right on Avenida dos Aliados. With a lot of arabica, the taste of the coffee is prolonged.

 

As for restaurants, I have a particular relationship with Euskalduna Studio, in Rua de Santo Ildefonso. I never got to dine there. “We’re sorry, but we don’t have a table”, “Sorry, but we’re full”… are some of the answers I’ve often encountered. I’ll keep trying…

To listen to music… naturally, Casa da Música.

The magic of Christmas in Lapa
5 December, 2018 / , , ,

If we ask different people what Christmas is like in Porto we will get different answers. They will say that it is the beauty of the Aliados Christmas tree, the color of the lights downtown, the frenzy of Santa Catarina, the Bolo Rei from different traditional pastries or the cod of a certain grocery store, which has been conceptualized by years of infallible service to the palate of Porto. All this is true, and there would be more to add. However, all this is part of something infinitely more important, all this underlines the joy of what Christmas really is, but it does not exhaust or overshadow it. Christmas is the birth of Christ, the proclamation of redemption, the celebration of God’s supreme trust in His people.

Living, or being in Porto, on this date makes it mandatory to witness to the way the city lives this significant moment of its spirituality. I venture to say that, at least once in my life, so as not to steal the limelight of other parishes, it is mandatory to participate in the extraordinary Missa do Galo in Lapa. Christmas is also magic, and magic is not incompatible with solemnity. The experience of the Missa do Golo in Lapa is just that, magical and solemn. Here, the spirit is awakened through the different senses in a sublime way. As the eyes marvel at the artistic richness of the Church and with the aesthetic rigor of the celebration, the scent of traditional incense reinforces the intensity of the moment and the music of extraordinary execution and delicate choice fills the time between words that give meaning to everything else. It is a unique experience!

The very special care put into this Mass, the strict observance of a tradition that is strengthened with each passing year, has had the power to attract more and more people, giving more meaning to the Christmas of each one who chooses to join this celebration. One can say that there is pomp, rigor, staging even, but without ever losing sight of the essential. Everyone gives their best to receive the Christ who has come. I would say that it is the gold, the incense and the myrrh that Porto has to offer.

 

I would dare say that this is not an exclusive moment of believers; it would be terribly selfish. This is also a time for those who do not believe, but like to feed their spirit with the beauty of creativity and the sublime power of art in different forms, architecture, painting, sculpture, music, the word. Believers and non-believers, for different reasons, some of them communal, leave from there full of soul and with the clear notion of the privilege of participation in such a special moment. And Christmas happens.

My street … Rua de Serralves
4 December, 2018 / ,

I live on a street where the past is giving way to the future. A narrow, old, somewhat run-down street, typical of the old Porto. But, a modern urbanization, superbly placed on a wide and green ground, was imposed in the place where formerly was the old Wool Factory of Lordelo. There, in this place and still taking advantage of some structures of the facade of the old building of the early nineteenth century, there is now a different way of living. It is no longer the artisans who move there to work in the factory, but the families or early couples who live there.

From the windows of my house or down at the gardens, I see a brook. Rare thing! Ribeira da Granja, as it is called, is the largest water trail that crosses the city of Porto. And it brings a very special charm to all of its surroundings. There is the sound of running water and birds are seen laying on the grass where many children play.

The street is dotted with small shops, cafes and grocery stores, small dwellings, which bring a large influx of people. As it rises, the street is improving, with more modern recently built housing, until you reach the splendorous that is Serralves. The entrance to Casa de Serralves, an icon of the city, almost at the intersection of Rua de Serralves and Avenida Marechal Gomes da Costa, appears, imposing and inviting a visit.

 

This is my street.

Ferrimex: everything you need for the “do it yourself”
15 October, 2018 / ,

Ferrrimex presents a wide range of innovative products and services for DIY, minor repairs, remodelling works, lighting and gardening. In the physical store – located in the Boavista area – or virtual, you will find superior products at a very affordable price.

The company also bets on innovation and has a tool hire service available, for those who need to make a small repair and do not want to invest in something that they probably will not use again.

Learn more about this innovative service through the following contacts:

Ferrimex Home & Office, Rua João de Deus, 58 Porto

Telephone +351 223 264 249

Email: comercial@ferrimex.pt

www.ferrimex.pt

 

 

Suggestions – Elien Declerck (Erasmus)
15 October, 2018 / , ,

Nationality: Italian

International experience: Internship under the Erasmus +

Before Porto, my Erasmus stops were Madrid and Barcelona: two populous cities full of life. However, my time in Porto was by far the best I could have imagined. And the vibrant international community that Porto offers. As soon as I arrived I felt welcome and had the feeling that everyone knew each other or wanted to be friends.

 

  1. A suggestion of a restaurant to go in Porto

Tasquinha dos sabores (favorite restaurant)

  1. A bar that you really need to know

Labirintho Bar

  1. A tour of Porto

Rua Santa Catarina to take a walk and go shopping

  1. A place to study

Livraria Lello. A place to study or to go when you are struggling to find the motivation to study. This place inspires anyone to choose a book and start reading.

The panoramic view from the Guindalense Futebol Clube.

Suggestions – Elien Declerck (Erasmus)
15 October, 2018 / , ,

Nationality: Belgian

International experience: internship and currently living and working in Porto, the city where she moved to after meeting her boyfriend there.

  1. A suggestion of a restaurant to go in Porto

Bira dos namorados, in the street of Ceuta. It is a restaurant that recently opened, but which already existed in Braga. It is a hamburger and pregaria place, with a simple but very good menu. I love the space because it is filled with quaint motifs with its own style and it is almost all built through reused materials.

 

  1. A bar that you really need to know

Capela Incomum, in Travessa do Carregal, in the area of ​​Cedofeita. It is a bar inside an old chapel of the nineteenth century.

 

  1. A tour of Porto

I highly recommend a bike ride along the river Douro to Foz. There are several places along the Ribeira where you can rent a bike, so there are no excuses for not doing this tour. Then, when you get to Foz, you must eat fish in one of the restaurants!

 

  1. A place to study

E-Learning Café in the Botanical Garden. In addition to being a space to study, the e-learning café also organizes various academic and cultural events. The garden is the perfect setting to take a break and a picnic before returning to study.

 

  1. A secret of the city of Porto

The secret ingredient of Francesinha’s sauce! I have not found it yet. Porto has several good restaurants to eat francesinha. My favorite is the restaurant Santiago. That’s where I ate my first one and I was a fan!

Praça Gomes Teixeira (Praça dos Leões)
12 October, 2018 / , ,

The centre of Porto’s student life, this square is named after an illustrious mathematician, but it is the lions of its imposing fountain that have made it known.

The official designation of this square in Baixa do Porto is homage to Gomes Teixeira, a mathematician who was the first rector of the University of Porto. However, it is best known for the Praça dos Leões (Lions Square), due to the granite and bronze fountain that exists in the central zone.

In fact, this place dates much earlier than the fountain and even the university itself. According to legend, in the 12th century, the first king of Portugal, D. Afonso Henriques and his wife, D. Mafalda, were on their way to Guimarães when the queen fell on a precipice. In that moment of distress, each element of the couple invoked a saint. Grateful for having rid themselves of the danger, they built chapels in that place, Nossa Senhora da Graça and São Miguel-o-Anjo (already demolished).

Already in the XVII century the Convento dos Carmelitas (where the GNR barracks is nowadays) and colleges where orphans were housed, which led to this place was also known as Largo do Carmo or Campo dos Meninos  Órfãos. Later, and because flour and bread were sold there, it was also known as Praça do Pão (Bread Square) or Praça da Feira do Pão (Bread Market Square). Already in the XIX century, it became Praça dos Voluntários da Rainha, thus honoring the liberal battalion of the Portuguese army that had occupied the Convento dos Carmelitas.

When the University of Porto was created, it was renamed Praça da Universidade and, later, Praça Gomes Teixeira.

The current building of the Rectory of the University of Porto was built throughout the nineteenth century and it also served as the Faculty of Sciences and Engineering. The square then gained a new life; the presence of the students was decisive for the emergence of cafes, such as the mythical Café Âncora d’Ouro (better known as O Piolho), bookstores and other services linked to academic life. The shops and warehouses nearby also created, along with the people of Porto and who visited the city, the habit of shopping in this area.

Nowadays it is one of the main places in Porto for nightlife activities and it continues to be a meeting point in the main moments of the academic life of the city, such as Queima das Fitas or the Reception to the new students of the University of Porto.

The churches of Carmo and Carmelitas, separated by the narrowest house of the city, are another point of interest in the place.

 

The fountain

Imposing, this emblematic source was commissioned by the Companhia das Águas do Porto in 1882, with the purpose of supplying water to that area of ​​the city. Built in France by the Compagnie Générale des Eaux pour l’Etranger, it is 8 meters in diameter and 6 meters high, consisting of a granite tank and a central bronze fountain with four winged lions and seated at the ends. Two cups on the top complete the decoration of this fountain, once protected by an iron fence.

Praça de Liège
9 October, 2018 / ,

This garden in Foz do Douro is a tribute to war heroes. It has been recently renovated and is the perfect place to enjoy moments of tranquility.

Until 1914 this square had the designation of Largo da Monte da Luz, since this was the name of that area of ​​the Foz do Douro. However, a war episode would change the name of the place. The German invasion of Liège during World War I, and the heroic way in which the inhabitants of this Belgian city beat each other, have caused a great wave of solidarity in Oporto and in various Portuguese towns. On October 8, 1914 the proposal for the attribution of the name of Praça de Liège at Largo da Monte da Luz was approved.

This garden, known for its great tranquility, was recently renovated, in an intervention that recovered the pavement and the two pergolas. The fountain in the central zone of the garden was also recovered.