Top Things to do in Northern Portugal
5 Military Museums in Northern Portugal That You Shouldn't Miss
Brimming with both history and natural wonder, Northern Portugal is home to Porto, the city that gave the country its name, as well as the important ancient town of Braga. Also here is Peneda-Gerês, Portugal’s only national park, a gorgeous wilderness area of mountains, gorges, water features and wildlife. Many picturesque villages and manor houses dot the countryside. Two areas are UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the Alto Douro Wine Region, and the Paleolithic rock art in the Côa Valley.
Restaurants in Northern Portugal
1. Museu Militar Do Porto
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 35 reviews
Reviewed By bfltd0 - London, United Kingdom
This is a small but perfectly formed museum. It does not cover all areas of history of the Portuguese Armed Forces but it is informative about a country that didn't really hit the headlines militarily. The top floor toy soldier collection is impressive and encompasses several people's collections. The other two periods of history covered on the ground floor are short but sweet, and the main area of interest is in the pavilion in the back garden. This is where the bigger exhibits are and more modern conflicts are covered. Would have cost 3 euro each but we got 50% discount with the Porto card. The guy on the desk was fluent in English but the English translations on the exhibits could do with amending/improving. We arrived mid-morning and were so absorbed by the place that we finished looking around the pavilion after the museum had closed for lunch and the side door we had used to get into the garden was locked. We went into what we thought was a cafe and it turned out to be the staff room where they were tucking into their lunch! We simply walked out of the side gate.
2. Nau Quinhentista
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 124 reviews
Reviewed By hans-jaguar - Santa Comba Dao, Portugal
The Nau Quinhentista is located just across the street in front of the museu “Alfandega Régia”, it is a replica from a Portuguese vessel from the North Atlantic career of the beginning of the 16th century, the vessel was designed by Admiral Rogério d'Oliveira and built at the Samuel & Filhos shipyards, which until 1993 were located in this same place. With a length of 27.50 meters, a width of 7.70 meters, a height of 4.75 meters, and a weight of around 300 tons. On the inside, you can see various reproductions of life on board that time, such as the crew members' quarters, places and ways of storing goods, disposal of cartographic material and instruments to aid navigation, artillery pieces, ballast, among others , in order to represent the complexity faced by navigators on their voyages on the high seas. O location not to be missed.
3. Alfandega Regia – Museu da Construcao Naval
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 51 reviews
4. Centro de Interpretacao da Historia Militar de Ponte de Lima
5. Museu Municipal Martim Goncalves de Macedo
Museu dedicado ao cavaleiro Martim Gonçalves de Macedo, que salvou a vida ao Rei D. João I na Batalha de Aljubarrota. Apresenta uma importante coleção de armamento medieval incluindo peças originais descobertas no campo de batalha de S. Jorge.
