Featuring winding canals, Art Nouveau architecture and colourful tapered boats, this city has its own unique attractions to offer tourists looking for an alternative to Venice
Steep tourist fees, pickpockets and massive crowds have many looking for alternatives to Venice this summer. Thankfully, with Venice taking the brunt of tourism over the years, another European city famed for its canals has managed to remain relatively under the radar and has maintained its natural beauty.
While often considered the “Venice of Portugal” this charming city boasts its own distinct character. Backdropped by picturesque Art Nouveau architecture, the city’s winding canals are the best way to discover this lagoon-side escape. But instead of Venetian gondolas, visitors will hop aboard traditional, colourfully painted moliceiro boats.
The city in question is Aveiro, just a short train ride from Porto. Aveiro’s location on the edge of the saltwater lagoon, Rai de Aveiro, saw it become reputable for its seafood farming. In fact, the long tapered moliceiro boats were first designed and used to collect seaweed and sargasso before becoming a popular way for tourists to enjoy the city.
Today, Aveira is known as a university town but still maintains the authentic fishing quarter that made it prosperous. The moliceiro boats truly are the best way to explore the city’s three canals, which connect the city to the lagoon. Boat rides typically last around 45 minutes and a guide will provide information about the city and canals. The paintings covering the sides of the moliceiro boats have made them quite notorious, depicting some humorous—and some odd—scenes.
You can take a boat ride to the city’s charming fishing district defined by cobblestone streets and a lively fish market, or use it to explore the lagoon and discover the area’s thriving wildlife. The lagoon is home to herons, storks and flamingos as well as oysters and clams which are regularly farmed. Walk along the 8 kilometre wooden walkway known as the Passadiços Ria de Aveiro to view the various marshes and mudlands or, if you’re feeling a bit more adventurous, you can rent a bike using Aveiro’s BUGA app.
If you’re looking to explore the city’s buzzier side, head to the modern university district. The area is characterised by its contemporary architecture and the Santiago campus of the public University of Aveiro which is known as a ‘city within a city’. Aveiro is known for the Art Nouveau style of its buildings, predominantly situated along the main channel. From here, travellers can discover the Museu de Aveiro within a 15th century Dominican convent which is home to the mausoleum of Princess Saint Joana.
No trip to Aveiro would be complete without tasting one of the city’s most famous delicacies: ovos moles . Made from sweetened egg yokes encased in a candy wafer, these little cakes are often shaped like a barrel or fish and directly translate to “soft eggs.” It is said the dessert was concocted as a result of an overabundance of egg yolks, as nuns historically used egg whites to starch their habits.
Aveiro is certainly more than just an alternative to Venice, it is a culturally and historically rich city in its own right.