Revealing the Art Nouveau – Arte Nova flavour in Porto (3h)

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During this walking tour, come and discover the Art Nouveau heritage that is kept (almost) secret among colorful azulejos and gray stone buildings in Porto’s city centre. Arte Nova is the name of Art Nouveau in Portugal and an art style that developed the first decades of the 20th Century.

An exclusive and in-depth visit to the Barbot House, probably the best Arte Nova building in Porto, and the opportunity to see from inside an old silversmith artisanal factory which is still operative make this private tour unique and exclusive.

Porto, the most important city in the North of Portugal, owes its development to the trade and commerce of the Douro river. After the 18th century, but especially in the 19th and 20th centuries, the city met an expansion period that made it grow away from the river banks. During most of that time, as can be seen not only in important buildings but also in common architecture, revival and eclectic architecture dominated.

Comparing to the main centres where this style first appeared, Art Nouveau arrived late to Porto, as much as in the rest of Portugal. And it made a discreet entrance: it had to dispute a place among the decorative taste then popular, which took time, meanwhile it absorbed aspects of traditional and old (but strong) aesthetics. Thus, resulted an Art Nouveau with a distinct flavour that has a wide manifestation in Porto, ranging from small decorative details in façades, to complete buildings, some even in a “purer, european style”.

Besides getting to know the Art Nouveau of Porto, this tour will take you on a trip through the history and culture of Porto and its people, as one thing and the other reflect and influence each other. How Art Nouveau opens a broad scope on a very old city is the ultimate discovery we propose you with this tour.

If you and your group love Art Nouveau and travel to Portugal, this tour is a MUST!

Duration: 3 hours.

Departure times: 9am, 9.30am, 10am, 10.30am, 11am, 11.30am.

Prices according to size of your private group (price per price person can be as low as 47€ depending on the size of your group):

1 – 4 PAX = 320€
5 – 8 PAX = 420€
+8 PAX – Please Contact Us

Book your private tour

Tell us your group size and choose the Date and Time of your Art Nouveau experience. Reserve early to guarantee availability.

Having trouble booking online? Don’t hesitate to WhatsApp/Call us at +34 667 823 001 or email us now

Language *

Old silversmith company *

Do you want to visit the inside of the factory?

Starting point of the tour – Where are you staying?

Tour stats at Barbot House. If you would prefer to start the private tour closer to your hotel/accommodation, tell us the name of your hotel or the address of your accomodation while in Porto and we will make our best to suggest you a starting point which is more convenient to you. In this case, the itinerary order may change.

Pay 140  now by Direct Transfer (pref.), Paypal or credit card to confirm booking.
Pay the rest to your guide the day of the tour.

Description

Itinerary

In this 3-hours walking private tour, you will get to know the main highlights of Art Nouveau in Porto and, strolling through the city centre, you will discover several examples of how this style discreetly became present in the architecture, all while learning about the history of Porto at the beginning of the 20th century, and its importance in Portuguese history.

We will begin the tour across the Douro river, in the city centre of Vila Nova de Gaia, where we will visit the Barbot House, one fine example of how Art Nouveau was translated into private architecture of the upper classes. From there, our guide will take you back to Porto’s downtown area, crossing one of the most important icons of Porto, the Luiz I iron bridge. We will do this short route either by foot or by Metro.

This will take us to the São Bento train station to admire the Art Nouveau azulejos that exist among the famous azulejos panels of the station great hall. Afterwards, we will explore the Leões neighbourhood. There, we will discover a couple of Art Nouveau buildings mostly free of local influences, in an area that was urbanized at the end of the 19th century, and we will get a closer look to how azulejos also became a part of the Art Nouveau manifestation in Portugal.

From here, we will go through the streets of what became the commercial and social heart of the city in the 19th century to discover in many buildings an Art Nouveau that is more decoration than architectural structure, especially noticeable in the façades of shops. Time to a pause for coffee or tea in the Café Majestic, an exquisite remnant of the Belle Époque that, with its well-preserved decoration, will take us back in time.

The tour will finish near an old silversmith company. We can organise a visit inside the factory and see laborers working silver in an artisanal way. If is of your interest, tell us when booking (see option below the calendar) and we will arrange a visit for you

The tour ends is next to a Metro station that can take you straight to the city centre, which in any case is within a short and walkable distance. As the visits are depending on third parties, the program may require adjustments on short notice.


Pick up and drop off

The tour starts in front of the Barbot House, in Vila Nova de Gaia, and ends at the Campo 24 de Agosto Metro station.


Inclusions

A professional fully licensed guide is the main active of the tour and will accompany you during all the tour.

During the tour your guide will recommend cafés, restaurants and hotels to fully enjoy your Art Nouveau stay in Porto. We may offer special rates to hotels and restaurants to visitors who book with us.


Exclusions

Metro ticket (1,20€ per person) to go from Casa Barbot to Porto Baixa quarters, in case you prefer not to walk the distance.

Food or additional drinks during the tour.


Additional info

Remember to bring the pending cost of the private tour in cash the day of the private tour (not credit card allowed).

Porto city centre is quite irregular and some streets are quite steep, so comfortable walking shoes is advisable.

This tour will operate in all weather conditions so participants should not forget:

  • It rains a lot in Porto, sometimes even in Summer. Don’t forget to check the forecast and bring appropriate gear.
  • Bring water to drink, especially in summer, as temperature gets very hot sometimes, albeit humid.

This private tour will happen exclusively with the people you’re traveling with. No third parties will take part. Our tours are not just about sightseeing, they are a unique experience of meeting, learning, discovering and understanding different cultures and returning back home richer than when the journey started.

In the event that you have difficulties while booking (not availability for your desired date/time,…) or that you have any additional query please tell us right now visiting the CONTACT section or clicking HERE.

To book this tour start by selecting the group size and the date of your tour on the calendar available in this page. To access detailed information about the provision of the service (process of purchase, payment options, cancellation and date change policy,…) visit the Customer Service section at the bottom of the website or click HERE.


This tour allowed us to get in Barbot House, a great visit and a very informative explanation about its history. Unique experience and fun

Cynthia, Minas Gerais, Brasil

Amazing Art Nouveau in Porto. go with a guide so you don’t miss some interesting details. Our guide was an architect and knew everything about Art Nouveau in Portugal

Jennifer, NYC


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