Palácio da Bolsa

The Palácio da Bolsa was built from 1842 by Porto's commercial association on the site of the burned Franciscan convent, and its purpose was explicit: to convince foreign merchants that Porto was a serious place to do business. The Pátio das Nações is a glass-roofed courtyard with the coats of arms of the nations Portugal traded with painted around the dome. The showpiece is the Salão Árabe, an Arab Room in a Moorish revival manner modelled loosely on the Alhambra, worked on between 1862 and 1880 - eighteen years of carved and gilded arabesque covering every surface, with stained glass and Arabic inscriptions that, translated, praise Maria II rather than saying anything religious. It is still the association's headquarters and is used for receptions, which is why access is by guided tour only, at set times and in fixed languages.

What you actually see

• The Arab Room - eighteen years of Moorish-revival gilding and carving to 1880.
• The Pátio das Nações - a glass-domed courtyard with trading nations' arms.
• The staircase and halls - the granite and stucco rooms of the commercial association.
• The purpose - a building designed to impress foreign merchants into trading here.

When to go

Year-round. One hour. Guided tours only, at fixed times in Portuguese, English, French and Spanish - book ahead in season.

Honest expectations

No independent wandering; the tour is the only access and it moves quickly. Tours fill and slots sell out. The building is in active use, so rooms can be closed for events. Tickets are relatively expensive.

Nearby

São Francisco is next door; the Ribeira waterfront is a minute below.