GAIA - DOURO SLOPES route 2,6 km Route between Bridges
GAIA - DOURO SLOPES in numbers 20 km of riverfront: - 2,6 km Route between Bridges - 2,2 km Route between Quintas - 1,7 km River Route of Areinho de Avintes - 4,8 km through Forest Trails and Quintas - 2,8 km Route of Sirga - 1,4 km Riverfront Route between Crestuma and Lever - 4,5 km Route of Lever Douro à Vista (12 km inland)
1000 acres of area to protect 39 historical Quintas 6 bridges over the Douro River: - Arrábida Bridge - Luiz I Bridge - Infante D. Henrique Bridge - Maria Pia Bridge - S. João Bridge - Freixo Bridge In the future, 2 new bridges: - D. António Francisco dos Santos Bridge - Bridge to connect Arrábida and Campo Alegre (Metro)
Natural Resources and their values appreciation
Natural dam falls
Watercourses
Quintas Leisure
Viewpoints Slopes
Nature Conservation and Biodiversity Stairs
Riverside Areas
Fishing Areas
Riverfront beaches
Ecosystem Attendance
Environmental, Economic and Social Enhancement Woods
Architecture
Weirs
Natural landscape Piers
“ Sublime Douro. The prodigy of a landscape that ceases to be, by the force of being unmeasurable. It is not just a panorama that the eyes contemplate: it is an excess of nature. (...) A virginal universe as if just born, and already eternal through the harmony, through serenity, for the silence that not even the river dares to break, disappearing stealthily behind the hills, amazed by the background that reflects its own wonder. A geological poem. The absolute Beauty.
“
Miguel Torga, in “Diário XII”
2,6 2,6 km km between between bridges bridges 2,6 km between bridges 2,6 km Route between Bridges
Luiz I Bridge
Serra do Pilar Cliff
Quinta do Vale da Glória
Casino da Ponte
Senhor D’Além Chapel
Maria Pia Bridge
Serra do Pilar Monastery
Tinturaria da Beira’s Warehouse and S. Nicolau Pier
Casa do Registo
Antique Ceramic Factory of Senhor D’Além
Infante D. Henrique Bridge
S. João Bridge
bridges
Quebrantões Pier
Quinta da Bajanca
Oliveira do Douro Garden
Edgar Cardoso Laboratory
Quinta da Travessa de Azevedo Magalhães
Areinho de Oliveira do Douro
Quinta de S. Salvador
Quinta de Quebrantões and Romanic Chapel
Quinta da Alegria
Quinta de Santo António
Oliveira do Douro Pier
Freixo Bridge
1. LUIZ I BRIDGE Santa Marinha Luiz I Bridge, also known as D. Luís Bridge is the ex-libris of the two cities: Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia. It was classified as Public Interest Property, Industrial Heritage by the IPPAR in 1982, and also as UNESCO World’s Cultural Heritage in 1996. It was designed by the engineer Teófilo Seyrig (a disciple of Gustave Eiffel), and inaugurated in 1886. It is totally built in iron, with the length of 395 meters, it has two metal decks, an upper deck and a lower deck, supported by an iron arch with a string of 172 meters.
Photo: António Borges
Photo: Fernando Bagnola
2. CASINO DA PONTE Santa Marinha Casino da Ponte used to occupy a group of buildings between Casino da Ponte street (next to the upper platform of Luiz I Bridge), and the Calçada da Serra (near the lower platform), distributed in levels on the hillside. The main building took use of the stonework from the demolished Monastery of S. Bento da Ave-Maria located in Porto. In 1912, the owner was António Pinto Novais, which then sold the establishment to a wine company. In 1950, the building was occupied on several levels of the hill by commerce and industry promoted by a furniture factory. It remained abandoned during the last decade but recently it has been recovered to become a hotel.
3. SERRA DO PILAR MONASTERY Santa Marinha The Serra do Pilar whose 96 meters of hight gloriously adorn the steep slope overlooking the Douro River, was once owned by the Agostinhos friars. Nowadays it has been converted into a military barrack. In addition to the Monastery, the Church and Cloister of Serra do Pilar were also consecrated as UNESCO World Cultural Heritage in 1996.
Photo: António Borges
Photo: António Borges
4. ANTIQUE CERAMIC FACTORY OF SENHOR D’ALÉM Santa Marinha This ruins are located on the edge of Douro River, right down at the base of Serra do Pilar cliff. The building has a long history of occupation, first as a hermitage in the 16th century, and then as a hospice founded by the religious order of Carmelitas Descalços in the 18th century. Until 1861 and during a short period time, this building was the Glue Factory of Senhor D’Além. It then served as installation for the Senhor D’Além Ceramic Factory, which operated in Vila Nova de Gaia. In 1875 it belonged to the firm Vieira, Braga e Irmão, in 1897 to João António Vieira Braga, in 1908 to Barbosa Branco & C.ª. and in the following decade to José Pereira Valente Júnior, last owner of this building, which was then a Dishware Factory. After its closure, the building has been abandoned and left to degradation. Some remains can be found preserved making this a place of interest from an archaeological point of view.
Photo: Fernando Bagnola
5. SERRA DO PILAR CLIFF Santa Marinha Serra do Pilar Cliff is composed, in geological terms, of medium to coarse-grained alkaline granite, two-mica leukocrat, corresponding to the granite that can also be found in Porto. It has been currently under a series of urban requalification operations complemented by works of landscaping and renaturalisation, that will allow the consolidation of the cliff.
6. SENHOR D’ALÉM CHAPEL Santa Marinha Senhor De Além Chapel is referred to as being the heiress of a 16th century Hospício Carmelita. Built on the site of the old 12th century hermitage, it was consecrated to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, whose image is there venerated, invoking the Senhor d’Além.
Photo: António Borges
It was then rebuilt in 1877, highlighting the large, ornamented gold carving on the altar. Its’ first chapel was located on the slope, but with the rising waters, it was eventually repositioned where it is today. The festivities in honour of Senhor d’Além were held in boats along Douro River on the second to last sunday of August.
Photo: Rui Marques
Photo: Rui Marques
7. TINTURARIA DA BEIRA WAREHOUSE AND S. NICOLAU PIER Santa Marinha At the end of the 19th century, this warehouse was part of the physical memories of the industrial heritage in constant development along Cabo Simão street, favoring its location in front of Douro River. Although provided with physical elements that let us learn about its evolution and transformation, it has been forgotten throughout time. After its deactivation, it became the headquarters of the Centro Desportivo da Universidade do Porto (CDUP, University Sports Center) where nautical sports, rowing and canoeing took place. In a near future, it will be target of a full requalification, transforming it into a hotel. The S. Nicolau Pier is located down at the base of the Serra do Pilar Cliff, in front of the Tinturaria da Beira Warehouse. Currently, it has been completely transformed and serves as a pier for touristic vessels.
8. INFANTE D. HENRIQUE BRIDGE Santa Marinha Infante D. Henrique Bridge, designed by Adão da Fonseca (Engineer) and José António Ordóñez (Architect), was named after Infante D. Henrique. Connecting Bairro das Fontainhas in Porto and Serra do Pilar in Vila Nova de Gaia, it is exclusively used for vehicles, having substituted the use of the upper platform of Luiz I Bridge (which is now entirely and exclusively used by the metro). Photo: Rui Marques
Photo: Vítor Oliveira
Inaugurated in 2003, this bridge is 371 meters long and 20 meters wide and consists of a 4,5 meter high box girder supported by a flexible arch, 1,5 meters thick. This bridge is an example of technique, and constitutes a world record in this bridge typology, serving as a reference for countless other bridges built later.
9. QUINTA DO VALE DA GLÓRIA Santa Marinha This Quinta stands out for its overlooking position upon Douro River and for the presence of an extensive mine dug into the granite, which is divided into two branches, called Fonte da Gruta. In the past, the water from this Quinta was sold throughout the country as Água da Gruta. Outside, one can find diverse hardwoods and a group of Canary Palmtrees.
Photo: Fernando Bagnola
10. MARIA PIA BRIDGE Oliveira do Douro
Photo: Rui Marques
Maria Pia Bridge, named after Maria Pia de Sabóia, Queen of Portugal, was built in 1877 and is a National Monument constructed by Gustave Eiffel. It was the first railway bridge to unite the two cities, Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia, designed with revolutionary methods, making it the largest of its time. Its platform is about 352 meters and 61 meters above the water level. The bridge, currently deactivated, operated for 114 years until it was replaced by S. João Bridge in 1991.
Photo: Rui Marques
Photo: Rui Marques
11. CASA DO REGISTO Oliveira do Douro Casa do Registo or Barreira de Quebrantões consists in an old construction that is quite tampered. Nevertheless, it still retains constructive elements that relates to a recent past. One of these elements is the Brasão Português Real (Royal Portuguese Coat of Arms) that symbolizes the end of the Monarchy (1834–1910). Until the end of the 19th century, this place had an important role in the economic sphere, in terms of taxes due to the large commercial flow that circulated in the Douro River. It also generated one of the greatest sources of revenue in Portugal.
Photo: Fernando Bagnola
12. S. JOÃO BRIDGE Oliveira do Douro S. João Bridge was Engineer’s Edgar Cardoso last project. This bridge replaced the use of D. Maria Pia’s. It is named in honour of the Patron Saint of Porto, having been inaugurated on June 24th of 2001. The construction of this railway bridge proved to be innovative and technically very advanced. The arch system is very different from the one used on previous bridges of the same tipology. The solution adopted consisted on building a portico, supported by two pillars inserted on the riverbed. This currently constitutes a standard worldwide of innovative construction. Photo: Rui Marques
Photo: António Borges
13. QUEBRANTÕES PIER Oliveira do Douro The name of Quebrantões comes from the word “quebrada” which means broken slope or sharp break in the terrain. It then evolved to the term Quebrantões, a toponym that appeared in the Inquisition period proposed by King D. Dinis in 1284. The Quebrantões pier is located approximately 7 km from Foz do Douro, near the S. João Bridge. Currently it is filled with floating platforms that ensure docking. This pier is owned by a french maritime touristic vessel operator (Croisi Europe), whose cruises go up the Douro River until Spain.
Photo: Fernando Bagnola
Photo: António Borges
14. EDGAR CARDOSO LABORATORY Oliveira do Douro The Edgar Cardoso Laboratory was created shortly before the start of the construction of the S. João Bridge. It served as a laboratory for material testing and experimentation, resulting in different structural solutions for the bridge. This building is a strategic equipment for the urban regeneration of this area of the city. The Municipality signed a contract with Federação Portuguesa de Canoagem which shows the intention to preserve and rehabilitate the building, dynamizing activities associated with the river and its navigation. This canoeing federation headquarters is nowadays installed at Edgar Cardoso Laboratory.
Photo: Fernando Bagnola
15. QUINTA DE S. SALVADOR Oliveira do Douro This Quinta is located halfway up the slope, benefiting from excellent views over the Douro River. It is a “Nineteenth-century manor house, formed by a complex group of buildings adjoining each other and deployed horizontally forming a house with a chapel of simple but elegant size”. The origins go back to the 15th century associated to the Pintos’ family. (Gaiurb EEM, 2007). Nowadays the Quinta has been transformed into a hotel.
16. QUINTA DE SANTO ANTÓNIO Oliveira do Douro The proximity to the center of Vila Nova de Gaia, to the center of Porto, and to major roads, contribute to strong urban pressure and end up threatening the preservation of the rural and agricultural nature of the entire valley where this Quinta is located. The total area of the property is 7.7 acres constitute an ecological value with preservation interests, reflected by a stream to the north and the riparian vegetation. The Quinta is divided into 3 levels: the lowest level (a flat area with risk of flooding characterized by its agricultural parcels); the highest level (where the uncharacterized building is located, a set of granaries part of the cultural heritage); and the steeper areas, with higher elevation (deteriorated forest areas).
17. QUINTA DA BAJANCA Oliveira do Douro Quinta da Bajanca is located in Oliveira do Douro and is bordered by granite walls. Currently, part of the remaining buildings harbor a dog training camp. Its entrance is flanked by large poplars. Close by the restored old house, you can see a beautiful landscape that overlooks Porto and Douro River.
18. QUINTA NA TRAVESSA DE AZEVEDO MAGALHÃES Oliveira do Douro This Quinta is an urban farm inserted in Vale de Quebrantões. The entrance is done through a gate that leads to a path shaded by beautiful trees and branches that lead up to the stone buildings. Two of the houses stand out as well as the threshing floor and a granary. In terms of landscape, this place is characterized by the presence of cultivated fields, olive trees and some hardwoods.
19. QUINTA DE QUEBRANTÕES AND ROMANIC CHAPEL Oliveira do Douro Its existence dates back to the 14th century. The current landmarks are the Leites Pereira family coat of arms, later linked to the Conde Campo Bello‘s family, and the Romanic Chapel dedicated to Imaculada Conceição (Virgin Mary), that was also considered as heritage of architectural interest. The property seems to have been the union of two Quintas. It has a total of 275 meters of river front, and the land covers an area of 26.35 acres. The Quinta’s limits are marked at east and crossed at north by waterlines which are important as riverside corridors for the local ecological value.
20. OLIVEIRA DO DOURO PIER Oliveira do Douro This pier is situated next to Areinho de Oliveira do Douro (riverbank beach), before reaching Freixo Bridge. It has a serie of platforms for recreational boats and a ramp that permits access to the Oliveira do Douro Garden. From the pier you can see the beautiful Quinta da China on the other side of the river, the trees of Jardins Nova Sintra in Bonfim, Porto. Photo: Rui Marques
Photo: Rui Marques
21. OLIVEIRA DO DOURO GARDEN Oliveira do Douro This space is majorly used as a picnic area for visitors as it has some tables and benches. The garden also has an old fountain and an extensive area of large plane trees, which shade the space overlooking the Douro River.
Photo: Rui Marques
22. AREINHO DE OLIVEIRA DO DOURO Oliveira do Douro Over the centuries this riverbank beach has become a pleasant space where people can interact and meet with the river. It is here that the river meanders and generates a sharp inflection point. The riverbed widens, forming a wide basin of smoothness, suitable for fishing and bathing. This Areinho has become one of the favourite places for artists inspired by its natural beauty and its people. Today, it is mainly used for bathing and for sports like football. In 2015, the Municipality dynamized a landscaping and environmental rehabilitation providing the riverbank beach with all the necessary infrastructure.
23. QUINTA DA ALEGRIA Oliveira do Douro Located in front of Areinho de Oliveira do Douro this farm occupies a river front of 240 meters. In this Quinta, the high agricultural aptitude of the land and the built heritage stand out. Despite being in “ruins”, the farm is seen as an important heritage with the possibility of restoration. The large building has two floors. The main access used to be through the river, a determining factor for the location of the house, which develops along an axis that enhances the contemplation of the watercourse. The project foresees its requalification and preservation integrating some single-family units that will be part of the Quinta’s complex. Photo: António Conde
24. FREIXO BRIDGE Oliveira do Douro Freixo Bridge was designed by Professor António Reis and Engineer Daniel de Sousa. It was inaugurated in September 1995. It is the most upstream bridge of the Douro River estuary and it is structurally distinguished by two twin beams located 10 cm apart, and 8 spans reaching a total length of 750 meters. It was built with the aim to be an alternative to the high traffic congestion on the Arrábida Bridge, making a connection to the north of Portugal throughout the highways to Viana do Castelo, Braga and Amarante; and to the centre and south of the country, connecting to Aveiro, Coimbra and Lisboa.