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Est.reading time: 5 min
Unlikely old stories
Read on to learn more about Porto's relationship with the friendliest and most generous of all white-bearded-red-suited old chaps - and possibly find out more about Santa's origins!
(street name sign in Porto's most touristic district)
STCP Tramcar Museum - here's a sneak peek
Calls to fight climate change have been growing louder around the world, and electric mobility has indisputably come into vogue. However, the silent, charming zero-emission tramcars have actually been running on tracks here in Porto for more than a century!
Let's head down 'memory tracks' and unveil the past to see how people used to move around the Porto urban area when run-commuting wasn't yet popular— is it even popular now?
Jump in and hold on for a glimpse of the STCP Tram Museum & Depot. The museum is housed in a building that was once a coal power plant; this not-so-green facility was responsible for powering the entire tram network!
Remnants of Porto's rich transit history can be found under the feet of joggers and walkers who make their way to the oceanfront or in the city's historic centre: the old tramcar tracks are omnipresent, some still active, others long since decommissioned.
Est. reading time: 6 minutes
When he was only 12, Adriano Telles left Alvarenga, a small village in the north of Portugal. Destination: Brazil.
At the age of 44, he was back and opened his first coffeehouse and coffee import business in Porto. His success, back in 1903, was due mainly to his smart marketing techniques, even though his product was not as popular as it is nowadays! Can these marketing lessons from the past possibly be of any use for the future success of a small running tour outfit, such as Porto Running Tours? 
Tried and tested tips :) Porto may not be the most child-oriented city but there's naturally a few places to take your little ones and have a fun half-day. No matter which one you choose, a bit of creativity will take you a long way when running for the podium in the category of <most fun parent in the world>...!! :) Here's some suggestions that may help you plan a fun day out with kids (prior to that 'boring' wine tasting you have your eyes on) >> 
A symbol of progress
'PROGREDIOR' was deliberately written over the front doors of the first grand Exhibition hall of Porto, the 'PALÁCIO DE CRISTAL' - the word 'progredior' means 'progress' in Latin and it was deeply symbolic. In the mid 1800s, Portugal, and in particular the city of Porto, were trying hard to catch up with Europe and US's industrial revolution and, at the same time, going through a period of intense... romanticism!
The merchants and industrials of Porto were bohemian, wealthy and seeking class and personal affirmation. A small group of Industrials - an association called AIP - decided it was time for Porto to have a grand exhibition hall, one that could host trade shows, large scale festivals, huge banquets, a space worthy of the the rising bourgeoisie of Porto... all of this surrounded by these 'staged' romantic gardens filled with exotic trees and wandering peacocks, fake ruins, fountains and small lakes, classical looking statues: a dignified space for poets and artists looking for inspiration or for those merely looking for romance, during those long lazy Sunday walks... wearing their best Sunday outfits...! Walking up the arch of the Arrábida bridge ✔️ This wan an item on the list for a long, long time...! It took me 3 years, many excited reports of visiting runners who had done it and one kind invitation to make up my mind and do it. All I can say I am really glad I did it! Read on for some (fun) facts about the construction of this bridge and its project's designer, Edgar Cardoso, an inventive engineer way ahead of his time...! Bonus: a short video of the experience, the highest point of my week :)
Est.reading time: 7 min
Why was there never a royal palace in Porto?
This blog post provides you a virtual guided tour to the interiors of Palacio da Bolsa, which was never royal, despite its majestic appearance. In fact, this is somewhat odd for a second largest city of a country that was a monarchy for almost 8 centuries: there was never a royal palace built in Porto, by any of the Portuguese kings of any dynasty (...)
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Autor/Author
Sérgio é o fundador da Porto Running Tours, corre regularmente desde 1999 e desde 2015 que guia visitas em corrida na Invicta enquanto revela algumas das suas mais fascinantes histórias. 
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