City Go

The Coreto garden is the oldest public garden in Tavira. It was created in 1890 and the bandstand (coreto), built in iron, was ordered from Oporto .

The collection originated during the French Revolution, when many works of art were seized by the occupant, especially from religious institutions. The museum was founded in 1801 by Napoleon Bonapart but it was only in 1830, with the independence of Belgium that it became a bigger institution. The remarkable collection of Old Masters covers a period running from the 15th to the 18th centuries, including Roger van der Weyden, Petrus Christus, Dirk Bouts, Hans Memling, Hieronymus Bosch, Lucas Cranach, Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Paul Rubens, Anthony van Dyck, Jack Jordaens, Phillippe de Champaigne, Le Lorrain, Jusepe de Ribera. Opening hours: Tue. to Fri. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; weekends 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Entrance fee: €8 How to go: Central Station or Parc metro stations.

The Alagoa garden was created in 1915 and includes plant species of five continents. In the garden, there's a statue of Bishop D. Marcelino Franco, bishop of the Algarve, born in Tavira; it was erected in 1971 to celebrate the centennial of his birth (1871-1955). 

Despite its Gothic appearance, Saint Catherine church was actually built between 1854 and 1874, over the foundation of a 14th-century church, of which only a tower remains. Its style is inspired by the 16th-century French churches and is a mixture of Gothic in its shapes and Baroque in its decorations. Opening hours: Mon-Sat 9.30 am to 8 pm (7 pm on Sun) How to go: Sainte-Catherine metro station

Tavira's old market was inaugurated in 1887 and was used as a market until 1999. It was then restored and remodelled to house a set of traditional shops and restaurants and to be used as a cultural centre. Opening hours: 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.

The Palace was built in the early 17th century as a hunting lodge, by order of King Louis XIII. It was later radically transformed by King Louis XIV, making it the seat of his government, getting away from the political turmoil in Paris. He also had a more modest palatial structure built 1,6 km (about 1 mile) north-west of the main palace, the Grand Trianon, a private retreat where only the King and those invited could go. Near the Grand Trianon stands the Petit Trianon and the Queen's Hamlet . Despite having been built for King Louis XV's mistress, Madame de Pompadour, the palace has always been associated with Queen Marie Antoinette's excesses, as she would often retire to the state she took for herself. Versailles became a symbol of absolute monarchy so unsurprisingly, in 1789, the revolutionary government forced King Louis XVI to leave the palace and it would never again be a royal residence. In 1837 it became the Museum of the History of France, by order of King...

The Roman bridge of Tavira, also known as the "old bridge" is either a 3rd-century Roman bridge restored in the Middle Ages or a bridge built on the site of a Roman bridge in the same period. For this reason, it is also sometimes called the "romanesque bridge". However, its current appearance results from renovations carried out in the 17th century. It was closed to traffic in 1989 when two pillars were destroyed during a flood and, although it was repaired by 1992, it remains a pedestrian bridge. How to go:   You can take bus  n. 67  from Faro to get to Tavira.

Sainte-Catherine Place is located very close to the Grand Place and is known for the fish restaurants along Quai au Bois à Bruler and Quai aux Briques. Quai means dock or wharf, a reference to the ancient port of Brussels that used to be located here and that left traces not only in the toponomy but also the fish market- the former canal docks were covered in the 1880s and the resulting square housed a large fish market until 1950, now replaced by the appealing seafood restaurants.  Sainte-Catherine is also one of the venues of the "Plaisirs de Hiver" Christmas Market , held every year from November to January. How to go: Sainte-Catherine metro station. In Sainte Catherine: Christmas Market Saint Catherine Church Saint Catherine Tower Tour Noire

The arch was built in 1512 by order of Archbishop D. Diogo de Sousa. Since no wars had occurred in years the arch had no doors to be closed at night, unlike other city gates. It was also the first city gate that didn't lead to a road; it led to a square and a fountain. The arch was renovated in 1722 giving it the appearance that can be seen today. The facade turned to the city displays the image of Our Lady of Nazaré. There's a Portuguese expression related to this arch: since it was the first gate to not have a door, people who don't close the door behind them are said to be from Braga. Back to Braga

The main interest in Place de la Bastille is its historical weight, as today it's just an unappealing square with heavy traffic and a few coffee shops. The eponym of the square was a fortress built between 1370 and 1384 during the reign of king Charles V, as part of the defences of Paris. In 1417 the fortress also became a prison, its only function from the 17th century on. King Louis XIV used it to imprison upper-class members of the French society and there was considerable secrecy over who had been detained and why.  With time it became a symbol of absolute monarchy so naturally on 14th July 1789 a revolutionary crowd stormed the prison- mainly for the valuable gunpowder kept inside- released the 7 prisoners and killed its governor, making this act a symbol of the Revolution. The prison was later demolished, by order of the Committee of the Hôtel de Ville (city hall), and no vestige of it remains.  Nevertheless, the Bastille remained a powerful and evocative symbol f...