São Bento Railway Station in Porto

A few steps from the Porto Cathedral and the Clerigos Tower, the Sao Bento Railway Station ( Estação São Bento in Portuguese) is one of the city’s most iconic monuments. Follow the guide!

Brief history of the São Bento Railway Station

The origins of the Sao Bento Station

In the 19^th century, the railway developed throughout Portugal. The city of Porto therefore decided to build a station right in the historic center, on the site of the Benedictine Convent of São Bento de Avé Maria. This convent – which was pretty much abandoned at the end of the 19^th century – was destroyed to make way for the city’s brand new railway station.

São Bento Station started operating in 1896, although the building the hall of the railway station was completed twenty years later, in 1916.

Fun fact:

the Portuguese architect José Marques da Silva, who was in charge of the construction work, intended to build an architectural masterpiece… so much so that he completely lost sight of reality and simply forgot to include counters in the original blueprint of the railway station!

He was withdrawn from the project in 1909…

Visiting the Sao Bento Railway Station in Porto

The facade of the train station

The imposing facade of the Sao Bento Station, flanked by two side towers, stands a few steps from the Cathedral of Porto, at the corner between Praça Almeida Garrett , Rua da Madeira and Rua do Loureiro.

This vast three-story-high u-shaped building is a prime example of architectural rigor and symmetry and was largely inspired by the “Beaux-Arts” style which was in vogue in France in the 19^th century.

The vestibule aka the “Hall of Lost Steps”

The railway station is mainly famous for its sumptuous vestibule. Covered by almost 20,000 polychromatic tiles, the station is a masterpiece of azulejo art.

It took a total of 11 years (from 1905 to 1916) for the Portuguese painter Jorge Colaço to complete this monumental work.

The azulejos of the station represent scenes of daily life in the North of Portugal, as well as major moments in the country’s history. A colored frieze also retraces the history of the different means of transport in Portugal.

The station platforms

Before leaving the station, don’t forget to take a look at the impressive glass roof above the platforms.

Train journeys from Porto’s São Bento Station

São Bento Station is not Porto’s main station – Campanhã station is – but it is nevertheless served by a handful of trains to/from major cities in Minho and Douro (Aveiro, Braga, Bragança, Guimarães…)

The station is therefore quite handy if you’re planning day trips in the surroundings of Porto. You can book your tickets at the counters on site (on the right when you enter the station) or online.

Access

Getting to the São Bento Station in Porto

Sao Bento Station is located right in the center of Porto, a 4-minute walk from the Clerigos Tower and 5 minutes from the Porto Cathedral.

There’s a metro station on site. The nearest tram stop is Praça da Liberdade (line 22). Buses 1M, 11M, 500, 900, 901 and 906 also stop at the Estação São Bento bus stop.

The Batalha funicular is located a 5-minute walk from the station.

Opening hours

The Sao Bento railway station is open all day, but warned as tourists tend to flock in the vestibule in large numbers. If’d rather be able to quietly admire the station’s stunning azulejos, Captain Ulysses recommends going either early in the morning or late at night.

Admission

Visiting the São Bento station is free. Trains to the main cities in Douro and Minho are generally very cheap.

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