The Livraria Lello & Irmão (formerly Livraria Chardron, until 1919), commonly known in English as the Lello Bookshop, is a bookshop located in the civil parish of Cedofeita, Santo Ildefonso, Sé, Miragaia, São Nicolau e Vitória, in the northern Portuguese municipality of Porto. Along with Bertrand in Lisbon, it is one of the oldest bookstores in Portugal and frequently rated among the top bookstores in the world
This is a derelict residential building in Porto’s historic center, very typical of the areas around Rua de São Pedro de Miragaia, Rua das Fontainhas, and parts of Vitória and Sé. Many of these 18th–19th century houses were abandoned during Porto’s late-20th century decline, and street artists later transformed their façades into canvases.
This work is “AN.FI.TRI.ÃO,” crafted by the artist Frederico Draw in 2015. The title translates to “host,” and the mural depicts an elderly man welcoming viewers as they arrive from across the river; seen especially well from the Dom Luís I Bridge.
The Luiz I Bridge (Portuguese: Ponte Luiz I), commonly known as Dom Luís I Bridge (Ponte de Dom Luís I), is a double-deck metal arch bridge that spans the river Douro between the cities of Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia in Portugal. At its construction, its 172 metres (564 ft) span was the longest of its type in the world.
View of Porto from Vila Nova de Gaia, Traditional rabelo boats once carried Port wine barrels down the Douro River, today they’re iconic symbols of Porto’s wine heritage.
Full moon, late night view of The Clérigos Church which was one of the first baroque churches in Portugal to adopt a typical baroque elliptic floorplan. The altarpiece of the main chapel, made of polychromed marble, was executed by Manuel dos Santos Porto.
The monumental tower of the church, located at the back of the building, was only built between 1754 and 1763. The baroque decoration here also shows influence from the Roman Baroque, while the whole design was inspired by Tuscan campaniles. The tower is 75.6 metres high, dominating the city. There are 240 steps to be climbed to reach the top of its six floors. This great structure has become the symbol of the city.
It’s estimated that around 20% of buildings in central Porto are currently abandoned or derelict, particularly those in older industrial zones. These structures cost too much to restore or redevelop, so they often remain neglected. Many such buildings including warehouses, storage facilities, and manufacturing sites stand as silent testaments to the city's once-thriving industrial heritage, now overtaken by nature and time.
Elderly woman on her balcony in a small village, far down the Douro River.