Once the fertile land on the left bank of the Duero River was part of the Portuguese city of Porto and was called Vila Nova de Gaia. Back in the 13th century, this place was occupied by the best Portuguese vineyards, and the famous local drink attracted huge trade caravels to its port. Today, Vila Nova de Gaia is considered a separate city, famous for the best wine cellars. It is connected to Porto by one of the main attractions of the country, the famous Arrabida Bridge.

Built in 1963, the unique arch bridge over the Douro River is the sixth one after such unique structures as the legendary multi-tiered King Louis Bridge and the Maria Pia Bridge (the beautiful creation of Gustave Eiffel), as well as the Freixo Bridge, the St. Johns Bridge and, of course, the Infante Dom Henrique Bridge (named in honor of Henry the Navigator). The Arrabida Bridge is a pedestrian and automobile bridge with a length of about 500 meters and a width of more than 25 meters.

The grandiose project of the famous Portuguese civil engineer Edgar Cardoso required more than 20 thousand tons of cement and more than 2 thousand tons of stainless steel. At the time of its construction, it was the longest concrete arch bridge in the world. According to locals, some citizens doubted its structural strength so much that they spent day and night on the banks of the river waiting for its collapse at the beginning of its construction.

The fact that all the residents and foreign tourists really liked the magnificent configuration of the bridge helped it to get the honorary status of the national monument in 2013. Today, the bridge is a tourist attraction: there are frequent tours, and its pedestrian part can only be reached as part of an organized group. Besides, the center of the bridge is occupied by the observation tower, which offers stunning views of the entire city of Porto, and the Casa Ponte de Arrabida restaurant, which serves the best varieties of traditional Portuguese Port.