Aveiro, Portugal
Aveiro, is a town situated between the Atlantic Ocean and mountains, and was, until the 16th century, a large important sea port. It is also known as the Venice of Portugal, due to it’s location on the Aveiro Lagoon, and the network of canals that run across the city. I took to the water in one of the many boats that take tourists along the canals, to see the more of the town.
Wealthy emigrants returning to Aveiro from Brazil brought Art Nouveau to the town. The Aveiro Art Nouveau movement mixed elements of this style with traditional Portuguese styles and there are some beautiful examples of this here.
The Aveiro Salines, salt flats, only produce a small amount of salt now and are more of a tourist attraction today. However, salt production was once a major economic activity and one of the most important factors in the development of the region, references about salt date back to 949. By 1178 Aveiro was providing salt for the whole of Portugal as well as exporting salt abroad. Salt production here is restricted to the summer months.
