Restaurants, bars and museums in Porto · Page 104

Jardins do Palácio de Cristal

Massarelos · Sights & Landmarks

Located in Massarelos, Porto, the Jardins do Palácio de Cristal, or the Crystal Palace Gardens, offer picturesque pathways and flowers on the northern banks of the Douro River. This public garden is a 30-minute walk from the Centro Histórico district of Porto. Admission is free. These gardens are free to the public, and are open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. (October-March). The Palace of Crystal was built for the International Exhibition of Porto of 1865. Other exhibitions at the Palace of Crystal included displays of automobiles (1926), pottery from Caldas da Rainha (1901), and industrial displays (1930). The Palace of Crystal was home to the Colonial Exhibition of Porto in 1934. As Porto was set to host the World Hockey Championship, the Palace of Crystal was ordered to be demolished. The modernist, UFO-like structure replaced the Palace of Crystal. The structure is known as the Pavilhão Rosa Mota or the Super Bock Arena. The landscape contains trails, fountains, sculptures and monuments, flowerbeds, a small lake, and lookout points over the Douro. Some areas of the park have particular themes. These include the Garden of Aromatic Plants and the Garden of Medicinal Plants. The plants of the park include camellias and palm trees, as well as maple trees and linden trees. The park is home to a group of peacocks, which can be seen near the park's library, the Biblioteca Municipal Almeida Garett. A small building in the park was dedicated to Charles Albert of Sardinia, who was exiled and died in 1849. Comfortable walking shoes are suggested.

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