WOW, The New Cultural District in Portugal’s Porto has launched a range of new experiences that will take place through the rest of summer and into fall. Built from restored and regenerated wine cellars located in the heart of Vila Nova de Gaia’s port warehouse district in Porto, WOW houses a collection of seven museum experiences, nine restaurants from fine dining to casual, as well as bars and cafés, retail outlets and a wine school.
Travelers can add several activities to their itineraries from seasonal festivals and mysterious escape room adventures to dining and immersive art exhibitions. Here are a few highlights.
Barbie-lovers can explore their love of all things pink, and rosé wine at The Pink Palace at WOW. This interactive exhibition has several playful settings and tasting opportunities. Throughout its 11 rooms, visitors will almost feel like they are stepping into Barbie Land as they surround themselves with immersive pink backgrounds, including the Palace’s iconic Pink Cadillac.
The Chocolat Festival Portugal returns to Europe for its second year October 19–22. The event will showcase chocolate brands from several countries, highlighting different origins from the cacao belt across the world. Guests can enjoy shows on the Cacao Stage, enlightening talks at the Cacao Forum, interactive exhibitions, culinary demonstrations and activities for all ages.
Travelers can explore WOW’s newest attraction, an escape room called “Mission: Save The Museum,” taking place within WOW’s museum experience “The Bridge Collection.” Participants have to navigate through an intricate web of puzzles and channel their inner detective to unravel the mystery of a missing artifact.
The Atkinson Museum at WOW is collaborating with The Tate Collection to present “The Dynamic Eye” through September 30. This nonlinear journey explores global centers from 63 international artists who have converged to experiment with optical and kinetic effects across more than 100 works. Between paintings, sculptures, works on paper, films and installations, the exhibition comprises the largest number of works to travel from the Tate to Portugal. The Atkinson Museum is the newest addition to the cultural district, and “The Dynamic Eye” exhibition is the first of many more to come.
The Wine School at WOW offers Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) courses for travelers to enhance their visit to this popular region. Perfect for those looking to start a professional career in the wine sector, those already working in the industry or wine enthusiasts looking to expand their knowledge, these courses also include an exclusive course dedicated to Portuguese wines. The Wine School will also launch day trips to various Portuguese wine regions.
WOW’s complex also offers various wine tastings, workshops and gastronomic experiences, with Mira Mira being one of its standout attractions. Mira Mira offers a relaxed approach to fine dining under the guidance of two-Michelin-starred Chef Ricardo Costa. The menu includes organic produce from regenerative agriculture through two tasting menus and an à la carte menu, while the wine selection highlights several wine producers and port wine houses.
For more information, visit www.wow.pt.
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