Serralves Foundation is a must visit ; it concentrates the modern history, innovation, passion and audacity of Porto. No wonder that Serralves attracts more and more visitors from all over the world every year. Serralves is an unspeakable place. it is one of the most protean cultural places in Europe with its museum, exhibitions of famous artists, exhibitions of young artists, gardens, architecture, farmhouse, workshops, bookshops. Admire the beauties of this unique place in the world. Serralves is a work of art, a multidisciplinary space ; it is unique!

Serralves will astonish you and take you out of your comfort zone. Serralves, thinks the world of tomorrow, is interested in ecology, collaborative and participative economy, sociology, climate, the world in general.

Serralves is animated by enthusiasts who want to offer all generations the best in a quiet atmosphere.

The work of an enthusiast: the house

Serralves is now Portugal property, but was previously the work of a singular, atypical man, a visionary, a builder. His name was Carlos Alberto Cabral who inherited a beautiful built up area from his parents in a became Portuguese people’s holiday district by the end of the twentieth century. It is just a few kilometres away from the city centre.

Carlos Alberto Cabral created a unique work inspired by the French art deco architecture that dazzled him during his visit to the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts in Paris. It took him twenty years to build the « house » with the help of three architects. Unfortunately he had to sell it twelve years later and he left the place with his wife, the French Blanche Daubin. Delfim Ferreira who was a rich industrialist in Porto finally bought it.

Carlos Alberto Cabral‘s tastes were not those of a genuine customer. He was audacious and he knew exactly that he wanted to go beyond the norms, the reasonable, the perfect. Carlos Alberto Cabral was also a generous man who offered the inhabitants of the neighbourhood the products of his farm. He was a man who marked the architectural history of Porto and of the whole world.

A green lung in Porto: the gardens

What makes Serralves unique are its wonderful big gardens. They are the fruit of a long successive acquisition work to enlarge the territory inherited from his parents. Carlos Alberto Cabral could not see the gardens as they are now, with wonderful, big trees, migratory birds from all over the world, incredible wildlife and flora. His garden project was carefully respected by the Portuguese State and the Foundation in charge of its maintenance.

The ensemble is very rich and diverse. The French-style garden is adjacent to a Portuguese Quinta which will delight young and old. Art installations by artists from all over the world can be seen in these gardens that are the green lung in the Porto district of Foz. 

This park is the work of the French landscaper Greber. Carlos Alberto Cabral, the owner was surrounded by the best professionals.

The Serralves project is huge and audacious, the places are different ; you will feel at home and enjoy the modernity of the 100 year-old place!

The Museum of Contemporary Art dates from 1999. The place was bought by the Portuguese State thanks to a strong mobilization of numerous inhabitants of Porto, entrepreneurs and intellectuals. The museum was designed by Alvaro Siza Vieira from Porto who had won the Pritzker Prize.  It is discreet and  blends into the decor in a natural way. The place in itself is worth a visit from an arcitectural point of view. Its windows open on the park. The atrium is spacious, its restaurant on the first floor has a panoramic view on the garden. The library with a big collection of artists' books is amazing as well as the galleries for temporary exhibitions.

Do not miss the place. Serralves is a must visit!

The Museum of Contemporary Art is new, fresh and powerful. It is open to the outside world and feels no limit. It is open to very young artists or famous ones ; it plays a fundamental role in the identity of the city of Porto. It has become the DNA of Porto. It feeds visitors’minds.

Visit the Museum of Contemporary Art and get oxygenated !

A farmhouse in Porto

A beautiful, rustic farmhouse , a "Quinta" in Portuguese has been standing in the place since the beginning. It has been completely redesigned by the architect Marques da Silva. It is surrounded by fields and is one of the last agricultural areas of Porto. It has an essential pedagogical role today. A few metres away from the farm is an aromatic garden with medicinal herbs of great pedagogical value. 

A Restaurant that feeds your mind.

There are thousands of reasons for visiting the Serralves Foundation: it is a perfect place for lovers of pictorial art, audiovisual, architecture, gardens but also for travellers looking for good culinary addresses in Porto. The Museum of Contemporary Art houses a restaurant on the first floor. In free access, it offers a generous buffet of Portuguese cuisine in a fresh setting, open to the gardens. We advise you, if the weather permits, to sit on the terrace and enjoy a delicious meal in one of the most beautiful museums in Europe.