Jardim Palacio de Cristal: The garden where stories of the past grow
Aside from being home to Port Wine, Porto, Portugal’s second largest city, boasts of its cultural scene, cobble-stone streets, and interesting structures. One of its fascinating tourist destinations is the Jardim Palacio de Cristal, a skillfully landscaped park that showcase exotic flowers, a domed sports pavilion and also offers a breathtaking view to the Douro river.
Originally, the gardens in Crystal Palace Gardens in Porto were a part of the Crystal Palace, built in 1861 as Portugal’s own version of London’s Crystal Palace. However, in 1950, the edifice was replaced with a Sports Pavilion, a huge structure that can accommodate 10,000 seats for concerting and sporting events.
In addition to being home to a large sports pavilion, Crystal Palace Gardens in Porto also attracts thousands of people each year due to its scenic gardens. The Garden Emilio David, which was named after the landscape architect who designed the gardens, is home to many attractive varieties as rhododendrons, camellias, pines, ginkgos, statues and fountains to the seasons.
Moreover, the Lime Tree Avenue provides tourist the best axis to other landmarks in the Jardim Palacio de Cristal Porto area, including Almeida Garrett Municipal Library, the Acoustic Shell and the Chapel of Charles Albert of Sardinia, as well as the chapel of princess Montleart, King Albert Charles sister.
Also, adjacent to the gardens is the Solar do Vinho do Porto, which is also a garden overlooking the river Douro and the Romantic Museum that shows the interior of the house of a wealthy bourgeoisie of 19th century. The house, which later turned into a museum, was also where Carlos Alberto, the king of Piedmont and Sardinia, spent his last days in exile.
Jardim Palacio de Cristal is indeed a tourist destination that visitors should not miss in Porto. There they will have the opportunity of learning the interesting stories of the people and events that made Porto’s history rich and colorful.
