Portugal's Golden Triangle

The popular Portuguese refrain “Porto works, Coimbra studies, Lisbon plays” describes not only the defining characteristic of each city in the Portuguese psyche, but also the fact that these are the three cities closest to the Portuguese soul. This itinerary permits exploration by various traditional means of transport; Porto’s medieval centre is navigated by road and river, Lisbon’s old-fashioned trams clamber up its steep hills and all three cities are linked by rail. Lisbon, Porto and Coimbra enjoy spectacular hilltop locations, serving as sentinels to the beautiful Douro, Mondego and Tagus rivers respectively and all three also are affectionately remembered for their roles in establishing Portugal as a nation. Tumbling down the side of a gorge carved from granite by the fastflowing River Douro, the historic centre of Porto presents much the same hillside vista as it has done for the past two or three hundred years.

Coimbra’s command over the Mondego River is similarly aesthetically pleasing. Indeed, so numerous are the sonnets composed on the subject that they almost appear a requirement for graduation from the city’s renowned university. Like both Oxford and Cambridge, Coimbra University makes use of several buildings of exceptional architectural beauty and is undoubtedly the city’s principal monument.

The architectural look of Lisbon is essentially a mosaic of four
contrasting styles. The Alfama area of the city retains the air
of a medieval warren of alleys, the monuments of the suburb of
Belem remind one of the imperial splendour of Lisbon in the 15th and 16th centuries, the downtown Baixa area is an impressive mid-18thcentury attempt at city planning whilst the outer reaches of the city glint with the steel and glass sophistication of prosperous modern commercial cities the world over.