48 hours in Aveiro

The eternal "Portuguese Venice", the light-bathed city of Aveiro was recently elected by The Guardian readers as "the most romantic city in Europe". Embraced by the Aveiro Lagoon - Ria de Aveiro - Aveiro can be discovered by boat, on foot or by bike, riding one of the several free bikes of the city, the BUGA. Aveiro bursts with colour and joie de vivre!

Saramago brilliantly described Ria de Aveiro as "a living body that connects the land to the sea like a huge heart." In fact, Aveiro Lagoon is the central element of the city's identity. It defines the pace of the city, filling it with all the colours of the typical "moliceiros", boats that were used in the past to transport sea weed to fertilise the agricultural lands. Nowadays, these boats are a true tourism icon of Aveiro, transporting the city visitors on unforgettable trips.

Just like Paris or Amsterdam, visiting Aveiro can be healthy, sustainable and affordable, in addition to being fun. All you need is a BUGA, a free use bike of Aveiro, made available by the city hall. This way you can enjoy the area’s flat topography, recreating an ancient tradition of the inhabitants of the city, who used to go to the factories or to the fields by bike!

Distinguished as the city-museum of art nouveau in Portugal, Aveiro is a member of the Réseau Art Noveau Network, along with Barcelona, Brussels, Budapest, Glasgow, Helsinki or Havana. Discover the charm of this delicate and seductive art period of the 20^th century by taking a walking tour with a guide through the Art Nouveau route. A true open-air museum !

The prestigious University of Aveiro has given a great dynamic to the city, attracting many foreign students and researchers. The University campus is a true city within the city, design by Portugal's most distinguised architects, such as: Pritzker award-winning Siza Vieira and Souto Moura, along with Gonçalo Byrne, Carrilho da Graça or Alcino Soutinho.

When in Aveiro, it is mandatory to taste the one-and-only "ovos-moles", a sweet that was created by the nuns of the ancient convents of Aveiro. In addition to its deliciously sweet taste, it is the shape of ovos-moles that makes them a truly peculiar pastry. Confectioners were inspired by their closeness to the lagoon and sea elements to transform, with their magic fingers, thin layers of host into shells, whelks, fish or clams and fill them with this golden voluptuous dough. Visitors can buy them on the city's patisseries. It is a sin not to taste them !

Aveiro is a candidate city to European Capital of Culture 2027. This was a highly participated project that has deeply engaged the local community of Aveiro. A city focusing on the future, so proud of its inspiring culture and of its people. And it changes everything!

Distances
From the Portuguese airports
🚗 OPO Airport ➔ Aveiro - 87 km
🚗 LIS Airport ➔ Aveiro - 247 km

From Spain
🚗 Salamanca ➔ Aveiro - 307 km
🚗 Ourense ➔ Aveiro - 283 km
🚗 Vigo ➔ Aveiro - 222 km
🚗 Valladolid ➔ Aveiro - 426 km
🚗 Madrid ➔ Aveiro - 519 km