Traveling through Aveiro, the Little "Venice" in Portugal

Yes, yes, yes! Portugal couldn’t be even more beautiful after this outstanding city. Aveiro is trendy and it’s a pocket full of nice things. Join me on this travel through Aveiro, our little Venice, and let’s make your travel to Portugal joyful.

Ria de Aveiro

First things first. Aveiro is famous for its ria, which is a small river that embraces the city and that has been providing all photographers from all over the world to take the coolest pictures ever. When visiting Aveiro you will be enchanted by the moliceiros, the typical boats that you can find in this ria.

Moliceiros are colourful boats that give the city its essence and personality and back in time, in the 19th century, they were used for seaweed harvesting. Thanks to these elegant boats and their fantastic tours, Aveiro has become one of the most famous Portuguese cities among tourists. But don’t think Aveiro starts and finishes here. Throughout this article you will see how vibrant and passionate this little Venice of ours can be.

Candy Striped Houses

Probably the most delicious subtitle I have ever given to an article. These funny and yummy houses are now the apples of Aveiro’s eyes. And why is that? Located in Costa Nova, a beach town quite close to Aveiro, we can find these houses that give a special charm to this neighbourhood, but in the past they used to belong to fishermen. With the pass of the time, these fishermen started to abandon these former haystacks and other people later bought them, who then decided to use them as vacation accommodation. Nowadays Costa Nova is a fancy place where friends meet each other and where tourists have a great time.

Lourenço Peixinho Avenue

The most important avenue of Aveiro is a magic place where you can absorb the whole identity of the city at its best. This is a long avenue that meets all kinds of commerce and where you can find spectacular bakeries selling ovos moles, a typical and irresistible sweet from Aveiro. I would say this is where Aveiro starts.

If you travel by train you will face this avenue when you get out of the train station. While walking down Lourenço Peixinho you will notice some of the most popular restaurants and bars and you will also head towards the oldest part of the city, which is absolutely gorgeous at night with its lights illuminating the river. Before you leave don’t forget to pay a visit to the most peculiar and emblematic bakery Tricana de Aveiro, which is close to the train station that was built in 1861.

Art Nouveau

I obviously couldn’t finish this article without talking about the major style of art that represents Aveiro. Art Nouveau was a style that reached its boom in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. With a style defined by organic shapes that come from Nature, Art Nouveau was born in Paris and then it spread across the European continent. Culturally rich and interesting, the city is considered a live museum after some important and distinguished cities like Barcelona, Glasgow and Havana.

This seductive architecture is present in some buildings that are worth a visit – at least from the outside – and they are: Major Pessoa House; Rossio building; House of Ovos Moles; Museum of Republic; and Parque Municipal Infante D. Pedro bandstand.

Apart from these, there is also a museum that celebrates this wonderful style - The Museum of Art Noveau - and if you have some extra time do not forget to visit Casa de Chá (Tearoom), which is another interesting spot on the first level of the museum.

I am now sure your next visit to Portugal will include this impressive and coloured city. Aveiro is a trendy city full of wonderful people and amazing things to see. When you visit Aveiro, you visit a cooler version of Venice but way cheaper and equally fascinating. You can join our group tour and you can choose a private experience that will transform your day in a memorable journey!