All the Reasons to Go to Oporto (Porto), Portugal's Second City, at GoOporto.com

PR Log (Press Release) – Oct 05, 2007 – Portugal’s second city (Oporto in English, and Porto for everyone else) is guaranteed to be one of the most charming and charismatic cities you’ll encounter in Europe.  It has a stunning location, with colourful houses descending a hilltop overlooking the grand Douro River where picturesque boats float by a series of imposing bridges, and some spectacular decorations inside several outstanding monuments.  It also maintains charming turn-of-the-century shops, and grabs your attention with some gigantic tiled panels, not to mention one of the world’s most famous wines.
It is therefore quite a mystery why this majestic city is only now emerging as a popular tourist destination – but is growing quite fast.  For the first time ever there are regular flights from the United States, and several European cities are directly linked by an increasing number of low-cost airlines.  
And not only is it easier than ever to get to Oporto, but a new state-of-the-art metro system also makes it easier than ever to get around the city.  

This renaissance came as a result of the city’s role as European Capital of Culture in 2001, and the opening of a striking new architectural marvel in 2005, Rem Koolhaas’ Casa da Musica.  This new cultural attraction follows the opening of Serralves Museum a few years before, which placed Oporto under the international art spotlight.  That is a modern art museum holding major international exhibitions in a sleek building by another Pritzker Prize architect, Siza Vieira.

With so many distinct attractions, both historical and modern, it is therefore surprising that no major travel publications dedicate a guidebook exclusively to Oporto (not Lonely Planet, not Fodor’s, not Rough Guides, not Frommer’s...).  And after a Google search, you’ll come across a few personal sites mixed with some articles from periodical’s websites and travelogues, but no major website with Oporto travel information (with the obvious exception of the city’s official tourism site).

It was for that reason that the team behind GoLisbon.com (now one of the web’s most popular sites for Lisbon and everything related to the Portuguese capital) created GoOporto.com, containing comprehensive sightseeing information, listings of hotels, hostels, restaurants, bars, maps, and much more.  It is all illustrated by colourful photos, and it’s quite helpful with any trip planning, including the possibility of hotel or city tour bookings.

GoOporto.com is therefore an essential source for anyone visiting Oporto or for those who simply want to know this increasingly attractive tourist destination.