Whenever you see pictures of Porto they always include this famous historic bridge. Dating back to 1886 the bridge was completed by Théophile Seyrig, who was a student of Gustavo Eiffel, and connects the city to Vila Nova de Gaia, the neighbouring municipality, where the famous Port Wine cellars are located. It’s iconic status comes from having two spans, the upper deck being for the subway trains and pedestrians and the lower deck primarily for road traffic with a narrower walkway for pedestrians. At the moment the lower deck is undergoing some much needed renovation work to protect it for future generations and is closed to traffic. It is still open for pedestrians but it is true to say the walk across at this level is not particularly pleasant at the moment. The walk across the top deck is quite spectacular and affords some excellent views and even for those with bad vertigo I would recommend it as you can always walk in the middle of the bridge, just keep an eye and ear out for the subway trains.

Ponte Dom de Luis I bridge is a double deck metal arch bridge spanning the Douro river between the Porto Old Town (Ribeira district) and the wine making district of Vila Nova de Gaia, constructed 1881-1886. At the highest level, 60 meters above the water, you have a fantastic view of the city. The lower level is the easiest to use if you are going to the port wine houses in Vila Nova de Gaia. The iron framework of this bridge is a very beautiful sight and it's a true icon of the city of Porto. It has clear similarities with the Eiffel Tower because it was designed by the German architect Teophile Seyring who was a business partner of Gustave Eiffel. This is of course a must in Porto.

Spanning the Douro River between Porto (north bank) and Gia (south bank), Ponte de Dom Luis I is a double deck engineered work of art. The soaring trellised arch elegantly echoes the Maria Pia Bridge slightly upriver. Both bridges were designed or inspired by Gustave Eiffel, the designer and engineer of the Paris Eiffel Tower. Ponte de Dom Luis was the brainchild of Théophile Seyrig, a German engineer and disciple of Eiffel, who had worked on the Maria Pia Bridge. Both reflect Eiffel’s innovative light structural lattice approach that is not only elegant, but also functional: it allowed the total weight of metal need in a structure to be reduced by with 20 to 30% over design practices in the 1800s. With a length of 566 ft, the upper deck handles only metro trams, while the lower deck accommodates cars and trucks, but fortunately both decks have pedestrian passageways. This lends itself to an excellent walking tour of Porto and Gian from both the lower and upper levels. For instance, we spent the night on a boat in Gaia and walked along the waterfront Av. de Diogo Leite to the lower deck, where there is a pedestrian crossing in the center of the span. You come out on the scenic waterfront Cais de Rebiera on the Porto side. Work your way uphill and toward the bridge. There are several possibilities. However, I highly recommend you include the train station in your path for its spectacular blue tiles. When you reach R. da Ribiera Negra, head toward the monument Pilares Ponte Pênsil D. Maria II. There are pedestrian lanes on either side of the upper deck. This crossing is more scenic that the lower crossing. Continue to the south bank to a lovely park, Jardim do Moro. Adjacent to the park is upper terminus of the Gia Cable Car, which you can ride back down to the Gaia waterfront/port warehouse area. Of course, if you wanted to walk downhill instead of uphill, you could reverse our path. Decide your own route depending on where you would start and where you want to end up, but don't miss this beautiful walk. There are tours but this could be easily done on your own with a simple map.