A Total Immersion In Portuguese Culture: from Porto to Lisbon

Sharpen your eyes and get ready to unearth all the details of the 20000 azulejos on Porto's most famous wall. I know you have a car but the first stop today is the São Bento train station in Almeida Garret Square.
São Bento Station is open daily from 5:00 AM to 1:00 AM and, as it is still a working station, admission is free. Precisely because of this, however, it is full of people
I recommend visiting it as soon as you wake up so you avoid the crowds and can admire the beauty of its every detail more calmly.
Rising from the ashes of a Benedictine monastery destroyed by fire in 1783, the São Bento station was inaugurated as such in 1916 and took on the appearance for which it is now famous only after 11 years of meticulous work by artist Jorge Colaço, who covered the building's interior walls with 20 thousand tiles painted strictly by hand only in blue and white. The colorful frieze that runs throughout the atrium tells the story of means of transportation in chronological order, from the earliest days to the appearance of the train.At the bottom, large historiated panels depict scenes from the history of Portugal, while other smaller panels show scenes from the life of the region for a total of 550 meters of wall space.
Did you know that in 2017 N&M Lighting Design Studio was commissioned to create a new energy-efficient lighting system that would also improve light levels for passengers and highlight the beauty of this iconic monument? With a careful study to avoid wrong reflections on the tiles, aid passengers and train staff in visibility inside the building, and emphasize the architectural structure of the station, the company pursued a design of different lighting combinations that could blend technical and aesthetic qualities. Schréder's luminaires also reduced energy consumption and CO2 emissions by about 75 percent for both the concourse and platforms.

Are you a Harry Potter lover? Then whip out your wand because you're about to enter the Diagon Alley bookstore! And yes, I'm not kidding, the bookstore you are going to visit today was a source of great inspiration for JK Rowling, the writer of the most beloved saga of all time. She used to frequent it in the 1990s when she taught English in the city of Porto .
Built in 1869 by architect Francisco Xavier Esteves, the original name was Livraria Internacional de Ernesto Chardron. Later, the bookstore changed hands passing to the Lello brothers, and was then renamed on January 13, 1906 to its present name.
Classified in 2013 as a Monument of Public Interest by the Director General of Cultural Heritage, the bookstore features a neo-Gothic style with touches of Art Deco and is world-famous for its marvelous glass skylight, consisting of a panel with a sign written in Latin: "Decus in Labore" (dignity at work), and for its imposing red staircase in the shape of an 8 that dominates the center of the building.
Let's play a game. Take some time to observe all the architectural details of the place and then tell me if you were able to notice that...
(Continue reading only after you have observed) The staircase is not built of wood but has a concrete structure, and the ceiling appears to be made of carved wood but is actually nothing more than painted plaster. Also, on the base of the steps is the signature of engineer Francisco Xavier Esteves. Have you seen it?
Did you also know that in 2021 from Jan. 13 to June 1 in partnership with Pantone the famous red stairs were painted yellow and gray, the elected colors of the year, to give a message of strength and hope?
Renowned for architectural virtuosity, the real treasures, however, are on paper! The library houses as many as 143 authors of all genres, nationalities and years for a total of more than 650 titles available in different languages and stores its most precious jewels in a room called Gemma dedicated to rare books, manuscripts, first editions, luxury items. Humble examples are the first edition of Lolita, by Vladimir Nabokov ( on sale for €5000.00), Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland (€9500.00), the first edition The Whale, by Herman Melville, which belonged to Jim Morrison; a copy of The Little Prince signed by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry and a rare copy of the first edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.
If you wish, you can also join a guided tour that allows you to learn in depth about the history of this fascinating library: There are different kinds: some are free and others charge a fee; some are Harry Potter-themed and some are interactive and include other attractions.
Take a look here and choose the one you like best.
The library is open daily from 9:30 AM to 7:00 PM except on holidays (Dec. 25, Jan. 1, Easter Sunday, May 1, and June 24). Admission costs only a few euros and, for reading enthusiasts, is also valid as a discount code to buy a great book why not to be enjoyed also in the magical atmosphere that the bookstore offers.
Do not arrive without a ticket, buy it on the official website