When it comes to green spaces in Porto, the Crystal Palace Gardens are the top-of-the-range choice for tourists who want to search out in depth the green heart of the city. The name of this park comes from a former structure made of glass and iron, the Crystal Palace, which was brought down in 1956 and replaced with a domed pavilion, the so-called Pavilhao Rosa Mota (often referred to as Pavilhao dos Desportos, meaning the Sports Pavilion), which is chiefly used to entertainment, cultural and sports-related purposes.

Besides this pavilion which, from an architectural point of view, is the most massive landmark which pegs out the park, one can also spot the Romantic Museum of Quinta da Macieirinha, a multimedia library and, of course, the inviting Solar do Vinho do Porto, one of the most celebrated wineries in the city. But visitors frequent the Crystal Palace Gardens not necessarily due to these landmarks, but also because of the fact the park, by its location, provides excellent sweeping views of the Duoro River.

On top of that, the joy of spending moments in this park is enhanced by the fact sundry exotic plant and animal species populate the venue, providing visitors with the feeling of a delightful nature encounter. The park is also pegged out by elegant fountains and allegorical statues which bring a touch of artistic beauty to the venue. By following the meandering alleys of the park (of which the most stunning is generally deemed the so-called Avenida das Tilias, the alley from which the river can be admired), visitors can stumble across themed gardens, such as Jardim dos Sentimentos (Garden of Feelings), Jardim das Plantas Aromaticas (Garden of Aromatic Plants) and Jardim do Roseiral (Garden of Roses). All these splendid sights are the work of Emilio David, the landscape gardener who designed the park (for a short period of time, the park actually bore his name).

Name:
Crystal Palace Gardens (Jardins do Palacio de Cristal)
Address:
Rua Dom Manuel II, Porto, Portugal
Go to top