Ponte Maria Pia

Porto


Ponte Dom Luís I might hog the limelight, but it is this railway bridge, slightly further east, that bears the hallmark of Gustave Eiffel. Built when the Eiffel Tower was but a twinkle in his eye, the bridge was a remarkable feat of engineering and the longest single-arch span in the world when it was completed in 1877.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Porto attractions

1. Cemitério do Prado Repouso

0.45 MILES

This was Porto’s first public cemetery when it was inaugurated in 1839. It is considered an important landmark for its neo-Gothic architecture and…

2. Mosteiro da Serra do Pilar

0.68 MILES

Watching over Gaia is this 17th-century hilltop monastery, with its striking circular cloister, church with gilded altar, and stellar river views from its…

3. Jardim do Morro

0.75 MILES

The cable car swings up to this hilltop park, which can also be reached by crossing the upper level of Ponte de Dom Luís I. Shaded by palms, these gardens…

4. Teleférico de Gaia

0.76 MILES

Don't miss a ride on this aerial gondola that provides fine views over the Douro and Porto on its short, five-minute jaunt. It runs between the southern…

5. Ponte de Dom Luís I

0.78 MILES

Completed in 1886 by a student of Gustave Eiffel, the bridge’s top deck is now reserved for pedestrians, as well as one of the city’s metro lines; the…

6. Igreja de Santo Ildefonso

0.78 MILES

This gracefully baroque, early 18th-century, twin-towered church sits on the Praça da Batalha, stopping you dead in your tracks with its resplendent…

7. Praça da Batalha

0.78 MILES

At the southern end of Rua de Santa Catarina is the lovely, eclectic Praça da Batalha, framed by Nasoni’s gracefully baroque Igreja de Santo Ildefonso…

8. Igreja de Santa Clara

0.78 MILES

Once part of a Franciscan convent, this church hides an opulent interior behind its unassuming facade. Gothic in shape, with a fine Renaissance portal,…