The Crystal Palace Gardens (or Palácio de Cristal’s) in Porto is a beautiful garden which overlooks the Douro River running down to the Ribeira district of Porto. From the gardens you get some magnificent views of the river and the city. The gardens were built in 1865 as part of the 1865 International Exhibition and inspired by the Crystal Palace in London.
The gardens result from a project by the architect Émile David, in the 19th century. The name “Crystal Palace” refers to a Palace that was built in the area where nowadays you can see the Rosa Mota pavilion, an oddly shaped building projected in 1956, where events and concerts take place all year.
The gardens include rhododendrons, camellias, araucarias, ginkgoes, and beech trees, in addition to fountains and statues plus several themed gardens including the Garden of Feelings, The Garden of Aromatic Plants and a Rose Garden. The gardens also contain a chapel devoted to the King of Sardinia who died while exiled in Porto in 1849. This small temple predates the Crystal Palace, having been erected by the late King’s sister in 1854.
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