Jardins do Palácio de Cristal

Gardens and Historic Site in Porto

Porto Jardins Palacio Cristal — CC BY-SA 4.0 / wuppertaler

The Crystal Palace Gardens is a delightful park in Porto, designed at the end of the 19th century.

The Palácio de Cristal Gardens are a picturesque green space located in the parish of Massarelos, in the city of Porto, Portugal. The gardens offer breathtaking views of the Douro River and the sea. The gardens were designed in the 1860s by German landscaper Émile David, to surround the Crystal Palace, which was later replaced by the Rosa Mota Pavilion in the 1950s. The gardens include the Jardim Emílio David, which features beautiful specimens of rhododendrons, camellias, araucarias, ginkgos, and beeches, as well as fountains and statues of the seasons. The Avenida das Tílias is the main axis of the park and is flanked by the Almeida Garrett Municipal Library, the Concha Acústica, and the Chapel of Carlos Alberto da Sardenha. There are also several themed gardens, such as the Jardim das Plantas Aromáticas, the Jardim das Medicinais, and the Jardim dos Sentimentos. Contiguous to the Palácio de Cristal Gardens are the Romantic Museum and the Solar do Vinho do Porto, both in Quinta da Macieirinha. Additionally, very close by is Quinta Tait, with gardens filled with collections of roses, camellias, princess earrings, and a majestic Liriodendrum tulipifera that surround Casa Tait.

The park is also home to a domed sports pavilion, the hi-tech Biblioteca Municipal Almeida Garrett and the Museu Romântico.

The Jardins do Palácio de Cristal appears in our Complete Guide to Visiting Porto!

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