Porto - Mercado do Bolhão

Porto is with a population of about 250.000 the largest city in Northern Portugal. In "Greater Porto", the metropolitan area, live even more than 1.7 million people.

The historical center of Porto was proclaimed a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1996. Port wine is named after Porto, since the cellars of Vila Nova de Gaia on the southern banks of the river Douro are the centers for packaging, transport and export of the fortified wine. Some years ago I had been here for a couple of days before I started the "Camino Portugues" here.

The current "Mercado do Bolhão" was errected in 1914, when this was a very modern structore with two floors. Since then it underwent numerous alterations and restaurations. After 2007 a wide civic protest and a petition with 50.000 signatures saved the market, as it was planned to demolish the market. Since 2015 restoration and modernization is now under way.

A fishmonger's on the ground floor.