ORGANIZATION
Viana do Castelo is Portugal's most northerly Atlantic city, located around 25 minutes from Porto International Airport.
Served by functional highways and a seaport, it is easy and convenient to reach the city, where visitors can enjoy a remarkable quality of life, both through the tranquillity and safety of its urban living, and the richness of its natural, monumental and historical heritage, as well as the existence of excellent cultural, sporting and social facilities.
The presence of the river, the hills and the sea give the city excellent landscapes that delight the senses, provide a psychological climate of decompression and are conducive to healthy and enjoyable leisure time.
An urban transport network, which includes small electric buses running through the streets of the medieval quarter, discourages the use of individual cars and promotes environmental quality. The ring road around the oldest part of the city and the distribution of several underground parking lots along this road, relieve the medieval area of surface parking for cars, taking them away from the city's prime area and, as a result, facilitating pedestrian mobility.
The city also has a good hotel capacity, which is growing rapidly, both to welcome tourists and to host congresses, seminars and other meetings for tourism, business or study, conditions that are supported by the existence of modern and functional auditoriums for these meetings.
A series of modernized cultural spaces - theaters, cinemas, libraries, museums - provide cultural enrichment for residents and visitors, while the presence of the river and the sea offers special conditions for recreational sailing and the practice of all kinds of water sports.
The unparalleled richness of Viana's ethnography, which makes the city the capital of Portuguese folklore, the originality and functionality of its handicrafts, with special emphasis on crockery and embroidery, and the assiduous and qualified cultural entertainment, are other attributes that make Viana do Castelo an extremely attractive city for all aspects of tourism.
The exceptional geological values preserved in this territory, as reflected in the inventory of 13 areas classified as Natural Monuments, as well as the award of the 2016 Geoconservation Prize, also underpinned the creation of the Viana do Castelo Coastal Geopark in 2017. The richness of the biological, historical and cultural heritage, which is equally remarkable, together with its potential to establish a functional identity for the region, justify the ongoing process of applying for the Viana do Castelo Coastal Geopark to become a Unesco World Geopark.
The historic center of Viana do Castelo and all its monuments - the medieval parish church, the old town hall, the 16th century Casa da Misericórdia and the fountain from the same century, among others - are important landmarks of a historic past. The streets and alleys of the historic center, one of the most beautiful and well-preserved in the country, draw our attention, both for their beautiful armor-plated façades and for the panels of precious tiles in line and color, constituting an authentic compendium of the history of architecture in Portugal.
Praça da República - Praça da República is the civic center of Viana do Castelo and has been the city's main square for five hundred years. The east end of the square is home to an emblematic monumental triptych of great architectural value: the fountain in the center, surrounded by the Misericórdia building and the Old Town Hall, which was built in the first half of the 16th century. The square is the heart of the city and hosts numerous events throughout the year.
Contemporary architecture - Viana do Castelo's new centrality - Praça da Liberdade, set within a group of contemporary buildings of great architectural value (Municipal Library - Siza Vieira, Multifunctional Buildings - Fernando Távora and Cultural Center - Souto Moura).
Praça da Liberdade - Contemporary architecture
Viana do Castelo reconciles ancient architecture with contemporary architecture, providing a balanced blend of the classic and the modern in the city's historic center and surroundings. On the city's waterfront, the Praça da Liberdade by Fernando Távora, the Municipal Library by Siza Vieira and the Cultural Center by Eduardo Souto Moura stand out, three designer buildings that have enriched and differentiated the Princess of Lima.
The city's various monuments - the Castle of Santiago da Barra, the Eiffel Bridge, the Church of Srª d'Agonia (whose pilgrimage is celebrated on the municipal holiday of August 20 - Festas da Srª d'Agonia), the other churches, manor houses, among others.
Santa Luzia and Funicular
The Temple of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is a true postcard of the city and the country, and is one of Viana do Castelo's most emblematic monuments. It is a mandatory stop for all visitors to the city and, by climbing up to the zimbório, you can enjoy one of the most breathtaking views in the world.
The Temple was built in 1898 by one of the most prominent national and international architects at the time, Miguel Ventura Terra, and is an excellent example of revivalist architecture. For a complete visit, we suggest taking the Funicular de Santa Luzia, which overcomes a 160-meter drop in a journey of six to seven minutes. Over a distance of 650 meters, this is the longest journey of all the funiculars in the country.
Jardim Público, Jardim D. Fernando, Parque da Cidade, Jardins da Marina, Parque Ecológico Urbano, Parque das Tílias, among others.
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