Salazar: Portuguese Dictator. The 27th of July marks the 47th anniversary of the death of António de Oliveira Salazar. Arguably the most influential man in Portugal’s long history. He ruled as dictator from 1933 to 1968. This was the length of his official duties, though he was still treated as the Head of State by his...Read More
Portugal and Castille – a long fraternal fight. Or how the black plague saved the day. Often times we, guides, are asked: “When did Portugal get its independence from Spain?”; “How did the Portuguese language evolve from the Spanish?”. Now, no resentment or offense is taken here… Don’t get us wrong, both Iberian nations have suffered...Read More
The amazing Portuguese Gastronomy: Even though Portuguese gastronomy is confined to a small geographic area, it is influenced by the Atlantic – we have 850 km of Atlantic coastline – and by the Mediterranean – with the famous trilogy bread, wine, and olive oil. There are many reasons to visit Portugal and food might just be one of the best ones!...Read More
Myths and Legends of Portugal: Today marks the Restoration of the Portuguese Monarchy, an important day in the Portuguese calendar. The 60 years of Spanish domination, before D. João IV won back independence, was caused by the impetuous actions of Portugal’s young king, D. Sebastião. D. Sebastião: In 1578 the king set sail for Morocco...Read More
Independence Day of Portugal: Did you know that Portugal lost its independence and had been under Spanish rule for six decades? That’s right!… and we are about to explain to you why it happened and how we gained our freedom back! How Portugal lost its Independence: First of all, we need to travel back in...Read More
National Sea Day: Porto has a beautiful ocean line. If you’re visiting Porto now, City Lovers Tours has the perfect plan for you to see it. Portugal and the Ocean: The sea has historically been vital for the Portuguese, situated as it is, on the Eastern coast of Europe buffeted by the Atlantic Ocean. Indeed,...Read More
Bifanas, one of the most popular dishes in Portugal. A delicacy that’s widely eaten in Porto, which somewhat specific to the city, is the fabled Bifanas à Moda do Porto. Itself meaning ‘Porto-style Bifanas’ they are different here from much of the rest of the country where it is simply a pork steak grilled in bread....Read More
Dragon Stadium Porto: 16th of November 2003 will go down in history as the day in which the greatest player in football’s history, Lionel Messi, made his debut (Editor’s note: treasonous comments to make here in Portugal; Cristiano Ronaldo is clearly the best). However, here in Porto, it was also an important milestone for the city....Read More
St. Martin’s Day – what to know about this day: The legends tell us that in the year 337 a.c., very rigorous and cold autumn took place all over Europe. St. Martin was a Gallic knight who became a Christian preacher and on that day, he was returning home after a battle, riding his horse...Read More
Lello’s Bookstore: If you’re in Porto you should know that Lello’s Bookstore is not only one of the most emblematic bookstores in Portugal, but also in the world. so naturally, going there is a must to enrichen your trip! With City Lovers Tours it’s possible to join the Free Walking Tour Porto and get to know more about this hidden treasure in...Read More