pleasure-porto

Note: Time schedules and visit sites may differ according to the season.

Ponte das Barcas

In the past, the crossing between the banks of Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia was made using boats, barges or barges. In 1369 a footbridge was created, but with the intense rains and consequent flooding of the river, the improvised bridge was destroyed. Over time and with the need for a permanent crossing for people and goods, Ponte das Barcas was born in 1806. It consisted of about 30 barges connected by steel cables, with a central opening to allow river traffic to pass.

The story still tells that on March 29, 1829, while thousands of people from Porto were fleeing General Soult's troops, the central trapdoor of the bridge was opened and the bridge collapsed.

Pênsil Bridge or D. Maria II Bridge

With the increase in traffic, it was necessary to build a new bridge. Thus, in 1843, the famous suspension bridge was born, the work of engineers Bigot and Mellet. This suspension bridge was later demolished in 1887 to make way for the D. Luís I Bridge, located right next to it.

Maria Pia Bridge

The Maria Pia Bridge, built between 1876 and 1877 by Gustave Eiffel's company, was the city's first railway bridge. It is a bridge made up of an arch that supports the 354-meter-long deck. As it only had a single line, it required the passage of one train at a time, at a speed that could not exceed 20 km/h and with very limited loads, it gradually became obsolete and, at the end of the 20th century, its circulation was terminated. It is curious to mention that this construction work did not take even 2 years to be completed: the works started in January 1876 and ended in October of the following year - fantastic, don't you think?

D. Luís I Bridge

The D. Luís I Bridge (or D. Luiz I, from its real name) is the most iconic bridge in Porto and one of the most famous in Portugal. With a metal structure and two decks, it was built between 1881 and 1888 (the year in which the second deck was completed) and designed by Teófilo Seyrig, a disciple of Gustave Eiffel. The bridge was budgeted at 369 contos. The iron arch of this bridge is considered to be the largest wrought iron arch in the world.

Arrábida Bridge

In 1952 it was decided to build the Arrábida Bridge, designed by Eng. Edgar Cardoso, the work was completed in 1963, having been considered for some years the largest reinforced concrete bridge in the world. It was the first major bridge over the Douro River in Portugal designed and built by Portuguese Engineering.

It has a span of 270m, reaching 70m above the average water level. Even today, the Arrábida Bridge remains the main connection between the city of Porto and the south bank of the Douro.

São João Bridge

With the increase in the flow of goods and the growth of rail traffic, it became necessary to replace the Maria Pia Bridge. Designed by Eng. Edgar Cardoso, its construction began in 1984 and inaugurated in 1991. It is a continuous multiple gantry bridge, with vertical pillars and three spans. It is still today the only railway infrastructure to transport the Northern Line over the Douro River.

Ponte do Freixo

Ponte do Freixo was born in 1995 due to the growing need to minimize traffic congestion experienced on the Arrábida and D. Luís I Bridges. The project was designed by Professor António Reis and is curious to see that it is actually two bridges built side by side and 10 cm apart. Today it has eight traffic lanes and is exclusively intended for road traffic of around 100,000 vehicles a day, on average!

Infante D. Henrique Bridge

Inaugurated in 2003, the Infante D. Henrique Bridge was built to replace the car crossing that until then was made by the upper deck of the D. Luís Bridge, meanwhile converted for use by the Porto Metro. This 371 meter long bridge was designed by engineers António Adão da Fonseca and Francisco Millanes Mato.

Built in the middle of the historic area, it connects the picturesque Bairro das Fontaínhas to the famous Serra do Pilar (where you can see one of the most beautiful views over Porto).