Walks · Porto · English
8 narrated stops, 24 minutes of stories, 3.3 km on foot. Press play at each stop — no app needed — or open the walk in Avsha and let the stories keep coming as you move.
Stop 1 · 3 min
In short: Baron Joseph James Forrester drowned in 1861 when his boat capsized at the Cachão da Valeira gorge. Legend suggests he was pulled down by a heavy belt filled with gold coins. While his companions survived, his body was never recovered.
↓ 1.2 km · 18 min to the next stop
Stop 2 · The Physician's Revolution on Rua Miguel Bombarda · 3 min
In short: Miguel Bombarda was a pioneer of psychiatry and a republican assassinated in 1910. The street named after him is now Porto’s Creative District, famous for contemporary art galleries and 'Simultaneous Openings' where all galleries host new exhibitions at once.
↓ 500 m · 7 min to the next stop
Stop 3 · 3 min
In short: This house was built because law prohibited churches from sharing a wall and to separate monks from nuns. Measuring just over a meter wide, it served as a residence for chaplains, doctors, and bell-ringers until the 1980s.
↓ 200 m · 3 min to the next stop
Stop 4 · 3 min
In short: No, J.K. Rowling revealed in 2020 that she never set foot in Livraria Lello while living in Portugal. Furthermore, the bookstore's famous staircase is actually made of reinforced concrete and hand-painted plaster instead of real wood.
↓ 50 m · 1 min to the next stop
Stop 5 · Livraria Lello, Porto, Portugal · 3 min
In short: This Neo-Gothic bookstore features a winding crimson staircase made of painted reinforced concrete and a large stained-glass skylight. Its Gemma room houses rare treasures, including first editions and signed copies that represent the pinnacle of Portuguese and international literature.
↓ 500 m · 7 min to the next stop
Stop 6 · Estação de São Bento, Porto, Portugal · 3 min
In short: Designed by José Marques da Silva, the station is famous for its atrium containing twenty thousand hand-painted tiles by Jorge Colaço. These azulejos depict pivotal moments in Portuguese history and the evolution of transport, such as the Battle of Valdevez.
↓ 700 m · 10 min to the next stop
Stop 7 · Mercado do Bolhão, Porto, Portugal · 3 min
In short: Opened in 1914 and designed by António Correia da Silva, this neoclassical market in Porto was restored in 2022. It features fresh produce, legendary vendors called Damas do Bolhão, and an upper level offering local cheeses, olive oils, and Vinho Verde.
↓ 150 m · 2 min to the next stop
Stop 8 · Capela das Almas, Porto, Portugal · 3 min
In short: The 16,000 tiles depict stories from the lives of Saint Francis of Assisi and Saint Catherine of Alexandria. Added in 1929 by Eduardo Leite, these azulejos cover nearly 360 square meters of the 18th-century chapel's exterior walls.