The City of Aveiro

Known as The Portuguese Venice, Aveiro is on the Northern Portuguese Coast, just bellow the city of Porto. Aveiro is well known for it's beaches and the Aveiro River, which is where it gets the name "Portuguese Venice".

The city centre has several interesting tourist spots which I will share with you.

The River

One of the most well known parts of Aveiro, perhaps the most well known, is the river. It is the mouth of the Vouga river and is verty large, with only a part of it, the centre, crossing the city.

This is one of the most sought after tourist points becuase it is seen as "out of the ordinary", seeing a roaring river passing through a city centre. This is why Aveiro is compared with the famous Venice.

You can take a trip on the river in the moliceiros which are the little boats that travel up and down the Aveiro river. In the past they were used for fishing but nowadays are mainly used for tourism, since they are one of the main attractions in the city. A round trip costs 10€ (for adults) and travels the entire river. I don't know how long the whole trip lasts, but I can say that it's worthwhile. You can see the entire city centre from a different perspective from normal.

The moliceiros have unique decoration and beautiful to see, even if you don't ride in them.

If you want to know more about the Aveiro River, visit their website.

One of the companies which does these tourist trips is called Ecoria and you can visit their website too.

Forúm Averio

If you want to go shopping in Aveiro then the place to go is Forúm Aveiro. It lies right in the centre of the city and is an outdoor shopping centre, that is, it has corridors in the open air (in the style of Freeport Alcochete, for those who know it). It has lots of different shops and is perched on a part of the River, also close to the touristic centre of the city.

Despite the city centre having several "induvidual" shops, Forúm Aveiro holds various shops in the same space, therefore it may be your best option for a "shopping day".

It has underground parking.

Garden, close to Fábrica Jerónimo Pereira Campos

I don't know if this Garden has its own name, I didn't learn it! It's a garden which lies close to Fábrica Jerónimo Pereira Campos and the Centro de Congressos de Aveiro. Its an enormous brick building which you can find without a problem.

The Garden lies in front of a hotel too, the River Mélia Hostel and Spa. It's a very beautiful garden because it has several shadowy spots and lots of lawn space where you can sit and enjoy a picnic for example.

Close by is a Football pitch for younger visitors who want to take their ball with them and play. In the garden there is also the Monumento dos Ovos Moles. This is one of the most well known and iconic sweet treats in Aveiro. You can see one in the photograph.

The shape of the monument is exactly the same as the Ovos Moles de Aveiro (shells and conches normally)

The Garden lies on the shore of the River, in an area where the moliceiro tours start.

"I Love Aveiro" Steps

Close to the Gardem that I just talked about - but more precisely, on the other side of the river - there are some steps. They aren't much more than this, but are normally a intresting place to take one or two photographs to show that you visited the city.

Aveiro's Historical District

Also by the River, Aveiro has a lot of history linked to fishing. This district has some monuments (as you can see on the picture of the map) which you may want to visit. Some of them are religious and not all are linked to fishing but you will understand why I referred to it.

So, as soon as you go to the street just next to the main road you will see nets with fish and other sea decorations:

It's a very funny decoration and gives some very cool photographs. Don't miss it, because they have several monuments to see.

Ponte Laços de Amizade

It isn't a big bridge, and there isn't much to see, but since you are going to see the city you will end up seeing it, so I decided to include it. It's right beside Forúm Aveiro and is somewhere where you can tie a bow to celebrate your friendship with someone.

It's a nice idea and gives some life and colour to the bridge in question.

There are many other things to see in Aveiro, namely the iconic beaches. So if you have a day to spend there, be sure to do so!