1
Douro River
The 2-hour route, between the mouth of the Douro River and the Freixo Palace, allows you to observe and pass by the bridges that connect the shores of Vila Nova de Gaia to Porto, Ponte da Arrábida, Ponte D. Luís I, Ponte do Infante D. Henrique, D. Maria Pia Bridge, S. João Bridge and Freixo Bridge.
Duration: 2 hours
2
Ponte da Arrabida
Ponte da Arrábida is an arch bridge over the Douro River that connects Porto (through the Arrábida area) to Vila Nova de Gaia (through the Candal junction), in Portugal.
Since the 1930s, it was necessary to create alternative connections to the old bridges (D. Maria Pia and D. Luís bridges) in order to respond to the growing flow of road traffic.
At the time of its construction in 1963, the bridge had the largest reinforced concrete arch of any bridge in the world.
3
Luis I Bridge
The mythical bridge! Transport and communications architecture, 19th century. 19. Iron bridge, for road, rail and pedestrian traffic, made up of two metallic decks, supported by a large iron arch and five pillars. The decks located at different levels, and with different dimensions, adapting to the riverbanks, allow access to different points in the cities of Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia. The entire structure is made up of straight and parabolic beams, filled with other vertical beams supported by others that are crossed or perpendicular. The construction of the bridge played with the deep valley in which it is inserted, through two decks, placed at different heights and lengths.
4
Ponte Infante Dom Henrique
The Infante D. Henrique Bridge was inaugurated on March 30, 2003.
Ponte Infante Dom Henrique, also known as Ponte do Infante, is a road bridge that connects Vila Nova de Gaia to Porto, over the Douro River, in Portugal. Named in honor of Infante D. Henrique, born in Porto, it is the most recent bridge connecting Porto and Gaia.
5
Ponte D. Maria Pia
Consisting of a parabolic arch with a large opening where it supports a 354,375m deck. It rests on three pillars on the Gaia side and two pillars on the Porto side. Two other shorter pillars support the arch itself. The 5 support pillars with a reticulated structure and pyramidal shape are based on granite masonry, with the first 14,980m high, the second and fifth 35,980m and the third and fourth that are at the source of the arch with 42,980m. It thus has six spans, three of which are 37,390m on the Gaia side and two of 37,400m on the Porto side, the span being 167,000m, considered the axis to axis of the main pillars.
6
Ponte de Sao Joao
Named after the popular saint of Porto, the São João Bridge,
designed by Edgar Cardoso as a railway alternative to the Maria Pia congener,
it remains today a "daring work" that few would dare to do.
