OPOMUN 2023

Learn about porto

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The City

Porto, OPOMUN’s host, is a coastal city in the northwestern region of Portugal. The town is mostly known for its wine cellars, food, museums and some of the most beautiful natural sceneries the country has to offer.

Porto has been awarded with Best European Destination in 2012, 2014 and 2017 and is a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage since 1996.

This is one of the country’s oldest cities, dating back to 300BC. This can be seen throughout the downtown due to its narrow-cobbled streets and historical landmarks. The Fernandine Walls are medieval fortifications made in 1336 and are still standing.

Emblematic locations

One of the city’s most emblematic locations is Estação de São Bento (S. Bento station), which has a perfect display of the traditional Portuguese “azulejos”.

Close by is Rua Santa Catarina. A major shopping street in Porto, where you can have a typical Portuguese morning coffee in the Majestic, the most beautiful coffee shop in Porto, occasionally referred to as one of the most beautiful in the world!

Aliados is Porto’s main avenue and where the city hall is located, making this the city’s centre. The square has numerous statues and is surrounded by the most beautiful architecture in the city.

Another emblematic building is Casa da Música. Designed to mark the festive year of 2001, in which the city of Porto was designated European Capital of Culture, Casa da Música is the first building in Portugal aimed from its conception to be exclusively dedicated to music, either in public performances, or in the field of artistic training and creation. It is one of the city’s most emblematic architectural wonders due to its asymmetry and concept.

Clérigos tower was built in the XVIII century and is one of Porto’s most striking attractions.
Near the square and the Clérigos tower is Livraria Lello, a bookstore famous for inspiring J.K Rowlings’ creation of her Harry Potter novels. Lello was built in 1906 and is considered an Art Noveau gem.

The Palácio da Bolsa is a cultural and conference center in the heart of the city. One of its most notable features being the Arabian Room.

The Ribeira is the riverside of the Douro river. From here you can see Gaia and the Port wine caves on the other side of the river, as well as the D. Luis I Bridge (and the other Douro Bridges) connecting the cities.