Portugal Bolsa Palace Porto

Previously, Bolsa Palace Porto was Porto’s stock exchange. When the EU decreed that Portugal could only have one stock exchange, Lisbon’s was chosen. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site which was finally completed in 1910, after decades of decoration by various artists.

As you enter on the ground floor, there are emblems against a gold background representing the countries that were Portugal’s main trading partners. Up the impressive stairway to the first floor are various rooms such a Tribunal where disputes between merchants were heard, a teletype room, and various other rooms used to conduct business as an exchange. Most impressive of all is the Arab room, richly adorned in Islamic style and using all of 18 Kgs of gold leaf.

Porto is a city for walking around and exploring with a camera. There is parking but there was never space when I passed. Its a central location and St Francis Church, another World Heritage site, is right beside it, around the corner.