Luis I Bridge, Porto

Why Visit Luis I Bridge

One of the major and best-recognized symbols of Porto, Luis I Bridge is among the must-sees of this northern Portuguese city. The impressive construction is an eye-catching double-deck metal arch bridge, crossing the wild Douro River which is one of the main rivers of the Iberian Peninsula.

It spans the mouth of the river by the Atlantic Ocean and connects the two cities of Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia. Named Ponte de Dom Luís I in Portuguese, the landmark is part of the UNESCO World Heritage legacy and is an absolute must-see during a Porto tour.

Does this elegant bridge remind you of another metal construction? A sky-high one? There is a good reason for that… The construction of the Dom Luis I was originally presented as a single-decked bridge but due to heavy traffic changed to its current design.

By the time of construction, the 172-meter span was the longest of its type in the world and was completed in 1886 by a student of Gustave Eiffel who is best known for his Eiffel Tower in Paris.

Previously traffic was on both of the bridge’s decks but in 2003 the top one was closed to regular traffic. Today, pedestrians and a metro-line dominate the Ponte’s top deck, while regular traffic and a narrow sidewalk are on the lower one.