Oporto - Vila Nova de Gaia

West of the Ponte de Dom Luis are the long, low armázens, or lodges, often sunk deep in the granite, of Oporto's merchants, many of them British in origin. Almost all the producers offer tours daily (except Sun.) of their lodges.

On a hill east of the Ponte de Dom Luis is the former Augustinian monastery of Serra do Pilar (17th C.). Adjoining the round church with its splendid dome is a cloister, also circular, its barrel vaulting borne on 36 Ionic columns. From the terrace there is what is probably the very best view over Oporto and the Douro Valley with its bridges.

The bridge further west of the Ponte de Dona Maria Pia, outside the center, is the Ponte da Arrábida which was opened in 1963 and carries the expressway. There is now a new expressway bridge to the east beyond the city center.

Ponte de Dona Maria Pia, east of the center, is a railroad bridge, operational since 1877 and designed by Alexandre Gustave Eiffel. Its iron structure is 344m/1,128ft long and about 60m/197ft above the river. To cope with the increasing volume a new railroad bridge has been built close by.