Porto São Bento

São Bento Station by day is a battlefield of suitcases, tour groups, and people pretending they know where Platform Four actually is. But we came at night, slipped past the chaos, and suddenly the entire hall felt like our own private gallery. Built in the early nineteen hundreds on the former grounds of a monastery, it carries a quiet, almost sacred weight once the crowds vanish. The grand murals, painted across twenty thousand azulejo tiles, glow softly under the dim lights. Epic battles, royal weddings, and dramatic agricultural triumphs all whisper their stories without interruption. No queues, no elbows, no one staging a photoshoot in front of the same tile you’re trying to admire. And honestly, this is one of the most beautiful train stations I have ever been to. No exaggeration needed. At night, it is even better. No pushing, no elbows, no selfie battalions blocking strategic tile formations. Just pure, uninterrupted beauty. Visit São Bento after dark if you want to experience a national monument pretending to be a train station, but finally willing to share its glory in peace. Here, history sleeps lightly, the tiles shine brighter, and for a brief moment, the entire place feels like it belongs only to you.

Despite ongoing reconstruction, it is possible to see unique interiors of still functioning train station, does not look impressive from outside but great to come in and enjoy walls full of art. Located on busy crossroad of Porto’s downtown

Busy railway station in the heart of Porto. It's a bit of a building site at the moment, the whole area is being redeveloped. If you are not intending to travel on the trains, there is plenty to see in the old station main hall, and there are several restaurants / bars in the newer parts of the station.

If you enjoy hustle and bustle, but also artistic craftsmanship, you should definitely visit the São Bento train station. The Estação de São Bento is one of the most important terminus stations in the center of Porto. The railway line between Campanhã and São Bento stations opened on November 7, 1896, initially with a temporary wooden station building. In 1904, plans for a permanent station building were approved, which finally opened in 1916. The station is named after the São Bento de Ave-Maria Monastery, which previously stood on this site. The station is particularly famous for its concourse, clad in approximately 20,000 azulejos. These depict well-known scenes from Northern Portugal and wars, and they attract quite a crowd. Nevertheless, I would definitely recommend taking a look!

It is one of the most beautiful train stations in the world. The blue and white tiles that depict various moments from Portuguese history are splendid.

Such an impressive building inside, at the moment (October 2025) the front and access is undergoing works, so the side access must by used. Inside there is a long queue for tickets, but you can walk past this and still see the blue tiled main entrance in its entirety. Then if you need a ticket, ignore the queues and go towards the platforms - there are plenty of multilingual ticket machines there.

It is a 20th-century railway terminal in the municipality of Porto. The large panels of around twenty thousand azulejo tiles were designed and painted by Jorge Colaço. The murals represent moments in the country's history and the multicolored panels depict rural scenes showing the people of various regions. Restoration work is in progress to restore the tile colours. It's popular place with tourists. Lovely architecture and frescos. Area is level and easy to walk. Station is a hub and locals use to travel to regional areas.

This railway terminal with beautiful blue tilework is a living piece of history -- painted and designed over 2 years by one insanely talented artist according to my guide.