Sé Catedral

Porto’s Cathedral (“Sé”) is the city’s most important church. Built in the 12th and 13th centuries, it is classified as a national monument. Even if you’re not particularly interested in religious architecture, it is an imposing building. Notice the Gothic cloister, the main chapel’s frescoes, the Teixeira Lopes sculpture at the baptistery, and the medieval portrait of Our Lady of Vandoma (the city’s patron saint; she also lends her name to the Feira da Vandoma, an antiques market that takes place every Saturday morning in the Campanhã district). But when the locals talk about the “Sé”, they don’t just mean the cathedral: the name also applies to an historic district which is generally considered Porto’s heart. Go for a walk through its streets, leave the GPS device at home, and you won’t be sorry. Along the way you’ll find many lookout points, unexpected curiosities and Porto’s famous medieval walls (“muralhas fernandinas”).