8. Directions in Oporto and the Douro
Most visits to the Douro begin and end in Oporto. The atmosphere of Portugal’s second
city is encapsulated in the Portuguese saying that while ‘Lisbon shows off, Oporto works
for a living’. The city has expanded both upwards and outwards in recent years but the
central, downtown area with its workaday nineteenth-century atmosphere has an uncanny
resemblance to Manchester or Newcastle in the north of England. Like Manchester, rain is
frequent and plentiful so Oporto’s soberly dressed commuters carry umbrellas just in case.
Between the Praça de Liberdade which marks the centre of the city and the riverfront
there is a maze of medieval streets. The cathedral, a small but solid thirteenth-century
building with later add-ons, surveys Oporto’s welter of rooftops and the long, low roofs of
the Port lodges in Vila Nova de Gaia beyond. On a clear day the eighteenth-century Torre
dos Clérigos, Portugal’s tallest church tower, provides the best overall view of Oporto and
Vila Nova de Gaia. There are 240 steps to reach the top.
The historic centre of commerce is located close to the river along the Rua Infante Dom
Henrique (formerly the Rua Nova dos Inglezes – ‘New English Street’). This used to be a
rather run-down area but tourism has brought new restaurants, smart shops and boutiques.
The Port and Douro Wine Institute occupies a sober granite building on the Rua Ferreira
Borges. Close by, the Salão Arabe or Arab Hall of the Oporto Stock Exchange is worth
viewing for the ostentatious internal decoration inspired by the Alhambra in Granada. It is
completely out of sorts with the staid and rather grey character of the old financial district.
The British still have a significant presence in Oporto, with life centred on their own
club. This used to be located near the city centre on the Rua das Virtudes, inappropriately
named because it also served as the red light district! In the 1960s the club decamped
to the Rua do Campo Alegre (‘happy field’) and became known as the Oporto Cricket
and Lawn Tennis Club. The oldest British institution is the Factory House on the
Rua Infante Dom Henrique. Behind the austere grey facade is an elegant interior with
English-style furniture and some fine china on display. There are two identical dining