Porto, visiting the modern city

The Casa da Música

Some buildings are well worth a visit if you want to discover Porto's modern architecture. This is particularly true of La Casa da Música, one of the city's architectural icons. Listening to a concert in its dedicated hall with exceptional acoustics is a must in Porto. It was conceived and designed by Rem Koolhas, the famous architect, when Porto was elected European Capital of Culture in 2001. Four years later, in 2005, this house of music opened its doors to visitors. With its resolutely modern architecture, the immense building forms a chaotic polygon set on a slab of golden pink travertine, a veritable playground for skateboarders in Porto.

Its concert hall is the only one in the world lit solely by natural light, giving a unique dimension to the concerts given during the day. Guided tours take place in English from Monday to Friday at 4pm and at weekends at 11am and 4pm for €10.

📍 Address: Avenida da Boavista 604-610

⭐ Where to sleep near La Casa da Música?

The foundation brings together Porto's Museum of Contemporary Art, an Art Deco villa and an 18-hectare garden. It is located between the districts of Boavista and Foz do Douro. The museum, designed by Álvaro Siza Vieira, was inaugurated in 1999. It is completely adaptable to the transformations required for exhibitions of contemporary art. Each space is particularly flexible. Álvaro Siza Vieira developed the exhibition space in the shape of a "U" to bring the garden into the museum. As for the Casa de Serralves, it invites you to travel back to the 1930s. A tour of the building will tell you more about its neo-classical style.

⭐ Where to sleep near The Serralves Foundation?

Designed by the architect Luís Pedro Silva, the Port de Leixões cruise terminal is a little-known building that is nevertheless so daring, both inside and out. Structured as a 40-metre-high spiral, it is covered in more than a million white tiles. Guided tour every Sunday from 9.30am to 5pm.

⭐ Where to sleep near the Port of Leixões?

Casa de Chá is Portuguese for "tea house", yet it is a Michelin-starred restaurant. It is fully integrated into nature, standing just 2 metres above sea level. Completed in 1963, it is also the work of Álvaro Siza Vieira. It has been listed as a national monument since 2011. To visit the Casa de Chá da Boa Nova, you need to visit Porto's House of Architecture.

⭐ Where to stay near Casa de Chá da Boa Nova?