The Dom Luís I Bridge, or Luís I Bridge, is a double-deck metal arch bridge that spans the river Douro between the cities of Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia in Portugal. At its construction, its 172 metres (564 ft) span was the longest of its type in the world. It can be confused with the nearby Maria Pia Bridge, a railway bridge that was built 9 years earlier, which is similar in aspect to the Luís I bridge.
Aerial view of Dom Luís I Bridge
An 1883 view of Ponte Pênsil and Luís I, showing the construction of the archway
A turn of the century perspective of the bridge, taken northward from Vila Nova de Gaia
Luís I Bridge over the river Douro, connecting Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia, in the parish of Santa Marinha e São Pedro da Afurada
Porto, also known as Oporto, is the second largest city in Portugal after Lisbon. It is the capital of the Porto District and one of the Iberian Peninsula's major urban areas. Porto city proper, which is the entire municipality of Porto, is small compared to its metropolitan area, with an estimated population of just 237,559 people in a municipality with only 41.42 km2 (16 sq mi). Porto's metropolitan area has around 1.7 million people (2021) in an area of 2,395 km2 (925 sq mi), making it the second-largest urban area in Portugal. It is recognized as a global city with a Gamma + rating from the Globalization and World Cities Research Network.
Image: Puente Don Luis I, Oporto, Portugal, 2012 05 09, DD 13
Image: Casa da Música Porto Portugal
Image: Ayuntamiento de Oporto, Portugal, 2012 05 09, DD 03
Image: Palacio da Bolsa in Porto (2)
