FCIC'24 | About Porto

About Porto

Porto - Capital and gateway to the north of Portugal, Porto is both the city that provided a nation with a name and a fortified wine known world-wide: port.

With its splendid geographical location on the mouth of the river Douro and an architectural heritage of exceptional quality, the historic centre of Porto was declared UNESCO World Heritage in 1996. Porto is the capital of the North and the second largest city in the country; its hard-working inhabitants are noted for their commercial enterprise, always standing firm against outside impositions and foreign invaders, which explains why Porto has become known as the «unvanquished» city.

In addition to its history, any visitor to Porto will be quickly impressed by the forceful character both of the city and its inhabitants.

If you want to get to know the city better, we recommend a gentle stroll through its streets, taking time to admire the typical granite houses and monuments, enjoying a tram ride along the banks of the river, or even going for a boat ride under the city´s six bridges, from where you can enjoy an entirely different view of the city. These itineraries seek to demonstrate the impressive contrasts this city has to offer. The "Baixa (Downtown)" of Porto, with all the rhythms of city life, its movement and intense retailing. There is a very peculiar expression which bestows a Nordic, mercantile tone onto a city that is both spiritually and intensely baroque. In sharp contrast, in the Serralves Park, there is the sheer modernity of the building housing the Museum of Contemporary Art, and the romantic, soothing surroundings of the surrounding leafy park.

For further information please check: Feel the call and Visit Porto

TRAVEL TO PORTO

Getting Around

To get to and from the conference venue to other parts of town the most convenient way is by taxi. Downtown can be reached in a 5 to 10 minutes-trip. From downtown, then metro and bus are the best alternatives.

A nice option to get around along the Douro river, including Ribeira, Foz do Douro and the neighbouring cities of Matosinhos and Gaia, is to rent a bike. Several rental shops can be found around the area of Ribeira.

Getting to Porto by plane

Porto is easily reachable by plane. Porto airport Francisco Sá Carneiro airport is a very well connected international airport with daily flights to the major European cities and a few intercontinental direct connections. Therefore, getting to Porto is generally at most a two hops flight.

Arrival Information

The Porto international airport is also known as Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport and was elected one of the five best European Airports. It is located about 10 km, a quick 20 minutes drive, from the Porto city centre where most of the hotels are located. The airport is served by Porto Metro. The service links the airport to Porto city centre. Public transport buses and dedicated shuttle buses also link the airport and the city.

INFORMATION FOR ARCHITECTURAL VISITS AND OTHER OPTIONAL TOURS

Buildings and Sites

CASA DA MÚSICA

For about an hour, a guide describes the building designed by Dutchman Rem Koolhaas, leading visitors around the building’s different spaces and explaining how the architecture, its functionalities and the artistic programming all relate to each other.

For further information please check: Guided Tours

CASA DA ARQUITETURA

Casa da Arquitectura has thematic, monographic, authorial, architectural and artistic period tours relevant to general or specialist publics. These tours consist of visits to relevant spaces and buildings, meant for international and national audiences, of all ages, lasting one or more days.

The itineraries and visits available include Boa Nova Tea House, Piscinas das Máres, Quinta da Conceição and its pool, Port of Leixões’ cruise terminal, among other thematic itineraries — Álvaro Siza’s or Eduardo Souto de Moura’s, for example, in Matosinhos and other localities.

For further information please check: Visits

Tours and Activities

ATWILL

AtWill provides original tourism experiences, we want to share “our” Porto with you in a different way: show you how locals live and take you to the most genuine, off the beaten track locations in our beautiful city.

And what better way to really know a place? Walking!

Besides loving Porto, we are passionate travelers. After visiting other cities we are always left with the feeling that there was more, there was a different city beyond what we saw, there was another side that, as occasional travelers we missed. We don’t want you to leave Porto with similar thoughts. We want to share the best our city has to offer and take you to the most original places in town. We want Porto to become an unforgettable memory!

We want to introduce you to the other Porto. Let us take you to places where tourists don’t usually go. We will guide you through the most authentic spots and show you the real and beautiful Porto. Our team of young experts with advanced degrees in history, architecture and art is eager to introduce you to Porto.

For further information please check: atwill.tours

CULTOUR

The goal of Cultour is to reveal Portuguese contemporary architecture. It is a company of architects directed towards everyone who is interested in Portuguese contemporary architecture’s culture. Cultour organizes and monitors architecture tours in Portugal ensuring technical and scientific rigor.

For further information please check:

Established tours:

TOUR, TASTE AND FADO

Everything you need to know about Port Wine, from the vineyard to the glass, in an unique format that includes an interactive museum tour, guided tour and a premium wine tasting. Includes Fado Show (45 min. aprox.).

For further information please check: Cálem – Tour & Taste

Architectural Maps

Collection of Architectural Maps, edited by the Order of Architects – Northern Regional Section.

For further information please check: Mapas de arquitectura.