Overview Porto Modern Quarter Of City Stock Photography

Without doubt one of Europes most astonishing cityscapes, Porto’s old quarter, with its thick flagstones and delicately-moulded façades, is attracting a fast-growing number of culture-hungry tourists. Without doubt one of Europe’s most astonishing cityscapes, Porto’s old quarter, with its thick flagstones and delicately-moulded façades, is attracting a fast-growing number of culture-hungry tourists.Firmly set on the hillsides overlooking the mouth of the River Douro, the origins of this ancient district go back thousands of years when Phoenician merchants moored their vessels at the quayside to trade with incumbent Celtiberian Lusitanians. Without doubt one of Europe’s most astonishing cityscapes, Porto’s old quarter, with its thick flagstones and delicately-moulded façades, is attracting a fast-growing number of culture-hungry tourists.Firmly set on the hillsides overlooking the mouth of the River Douro, the origins of this ancient district go back thousands of years when Phoenician merchants moored their vessels at the quayside to trade with incumbent Celtiberian Lusitanians.Today, this gracious capital of the north is Portugal‘s second-largest city and a thriving industrial hub, successfully blending commercial efficiency with an atmosphere of unpretentious charm. Flanked by an arcaded walk containing shops and restaurants built into the old city wall, the historic heart of the city is a warren of narrow, crooked alleyways worn smooth by countless generations. Along with two of the original gates, some remains of the city’s 12th-century ramparts erected on Roman foundations can still be seen today. UNESCO was so impressed with its patrimonial importance that it classified this part of downtown Porto as a World Heritage Site in 1996, stating that the city’s historic centre, built along the hillsides overlooking the mouth of the River Douro, forms an exceptional urban landscape with a thousand-year history. December 2009