Praça da Batalha — Attraction in Porto

According to tradition, the name batalha (battle) comes from a 10th-century battle fought between the Moorish forces of Al-Mansur Ibn Abi Aamir and the inhabitants of Porto, which resulted in the defeat of the latter and the destruction of the city.

An important monument of the square is the Batalha Palace, a good example of a late 18th-century urban palace of Porto. The main façade, in a style intermediate between baroque and neoclassical, carries the coat-of-arms of the former owners (Silvas, Guedes, Melos e Pereiras). During the Siege of Porto (1832) the owners left the building and it was used for several purposes, including blood hospital. The interior has been stripped of its decoration still in the 19th century. Nowadays it is used as post office.

The square was urbanised in 1861, when a statue of King Pedro V of Portugal, standing over a pedestal, was erected right in front of Batalha Palace. The statue is a work by sculptor Teixeira Lopes (father) which was inaugurated in 1866.

The Batalha area has been an important cultural spot for centuries. In 1794, it was here that the Oporto's opera house, the Royal Theatre of São João, was built. The theatre still exists, although the original building had to be replaced in 1908 following a fire. Another important cultural venue of the square is the Cinema Batalha, a landmark of Portuguese Art Deco architecture...

This is a wonderful square here in Porto. There are several restaurants with lots of tables outside (we especially enjoyed the Batalha Cafe). The Monumento ao Rei D. Pedro V is here as well as the Teatro Nacional São João. And of course the impressive Igreja Paroquial de Santo Ildefonso, which is just around the corner. From here the way lead to the popular Rua de Santa Catarina with countless shops, restaurants and bakeries.

It's a nice square, we passed it daily coming from or going back to our holiday rental. Many days a week there is also a little arts & crafts market. And some other days a night market. Surely a good starting point to explore pretty Porto. Just beware of the traffic here when crossing the square...

This is a nicely decorated guesthouse (almost like a hotel) full with, as you can guess, modern art. The interior and room are clean. The room was cleaned every day. The breakfast is also good with choice of boiled eggs, bread, toast(er), various sweet cakes & sweet pastries, ham, cheese, cereal, yoghurts, etc.

When we arrived and told we were visiting Porto for the first time the lady explained us on a map the most important areas.

You can walk everything but using Uber or the cheaper Bolt app it is extremely easy to get anywhere. The city center is just 10 - 20 minutes walking away. If you have a rental car you can park for free in the next block (65...