Take a three-day tour of Northern Portugal to enjoy works by the leading names in contemporary architecture.

Start in Porto at the Faculty of Architecture designed by Álvaro Siza Vieira, where some of the leading portuguese architects studied. Head to Boavista Roundabout and visit Casa da Música, a building designed by the dutchman Rem Koolhaas. Next, visit the Serralves Foundation Museum of Contemporary Art also by Siza Vieira. In the Park area you can visit the Manoel de Oliveira Cinema Building by architect Eduardo Souto de Moura.

Casa do Cinema Manoel de Oliveira 

Move on to Matosinhos, the birthplace of architect Álvaro Siza Vieira was born. You will find some of his most outstanding works by the sea, such as the Tidal Pool and the Boa Nova Tea House. Learn more about his professional career at the dedicated Documentation Centre, located at the Modern Art Centre. This facility was the result of the restoration of Quinta de Santiago, by another leading portuguese architect, Fernando Távora. Also visit the new Port of Leixões Cruise Terminal, designed by architect Luís Pedro Silva, which opened in 2015. 

The next day, head north to Viana do Castelo. Start the tour at the Tourist Office and while you’re collecting information you can admire this work designed by José Bernardo Távora. Close by is the recently refurbished Marina, ideal for calm days and fun nights and, a little further away, the Municipal Library, another Siza Vieira project. 

In Viana do Castelo, there are several recent buildings of interest. Here we’ll mention just a few, such as the Carrilho da Graça Youth Hostel, the Environmental Monitoring and Interpretation Centre in the old water mills, the Axis Viana Hotel, an example of architectural boldness and the modern reception Centre of Citânia de Santa Luzia, a town dating from the Iron Age. 

On the final day of this itinerary, start by visiting two works by Eduardo Souto de Moura. In Amares, see the Pousada de Santa Maria do Bouro, a hotel housed in a 12th-century monastery, and in Braga you can see the the Municipal Stadium, built in an old quarry and judiciously integrated into the countryside. 

In Guimarães, enjoy two more Fernando Távora projects: the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Minho and the Pousada de Santa Marinha da Costa, a converted baroque convent. The trip comes to an end in Marco de Canavezes, at Santa Maria Church, by Siza Vieira. Go through the imposing 10 metre high door and end your walk surrounded by the special luminosity of this pure space.