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Car Rental Porto
About Oporto, Portugal
Porto (also known as Oporto) is the Portugal's second-biggest city after Lisbon. Located at the mouth of the River Douro in northern Portugal, it is one of the oldest settlements in Europe and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Porto dates back centuries and was an outpost of the Roman Empire. Nowadays, Porto has a population of about 1.3 million people spread across an area of 389km2.
Car rental in Porto puts you 316km north of Lisbon and 553km north of Faro. Porto itself is famous the world over for the export of port wine, with the adegas of Vila Nova de Gaia particularly involved in its production. The region also has a significant cork industry. The Latin name for Porto, "Portus Cale," is believed to be the origin of the name "Portugal."
The city has many architectural landmarks, the oldest being Porto Cathedral. Other highlights include the little Romanesque Church of Cedofeita, the Gothic Igreja de São Francisco (Church of Saint Francis), the ruined city walls, and several Renaissance houses. More recent beauties include the spectacular Stock Exchange Palace (Palácio da Bolsa), the Hospital of Saint Anthony, and the gardens of the Crystal Palace (Palácio de Cristal).