Porto: Echoes of Writers Immersive Experience at the Grande Hotel Paris

In the heart of Porto, step through the doors of a hotel opened in 1877 and let yourself be transported to a time when the city buzzed with cafés, soirées, new ideas and elegance.

The visit begins at reception, beside the marble staircase, where travellers were received with refinement and newspapers from all over the world filled the old reading room. As you go up, the skylight reveals one of the most characteristic features of nineteenth-century Porto architecture.

The most intimate moment awaits you in Writer’s Room 017. Inspired by the room of Camilo Castelo Branco in his own home, this space has been carefully recreated to offer a closer connection to the writer’s world. Put on the virtual reality headset and immerse yourself in a 360º film. Among period settings, you will find echoes of Camilo, Eça de Queirós and other figures linked to the hotel’s history. The narration is available in Portuguese, English, French and Spanish.

The route continues through the bar and the old telephone box, a reminder of a hotel that pioneered the introduction of the telephone in Porto. Then discover the breakfast room, a former restaurant known for its banquets and dinner-concerts, before reaching the garden.

At the end of the experience, let yourself be surprised by a small gift, designed to savour and prolong the memory of this journey to the Belle Époque.

A cultural, calm and personal experience, designed for two people per visit.

If you wish to continue discovering Porto, the GRANDE HOTEL PARIS can provide you with a map of a Belle Époque itinerary, to follow independently and at your own pace. São Bento Station, Avenida dos Aliados, Livraria Lello, Mercado do Bolhão and other iconic places take on a new story.

The virtual reality experience is available to participants aged 10 and over.

• Guided visit inside the Grande Hotel Paris
• Accompaniment by an experience host
• Access to the hotel’s museum spaces
• Entry to the historic Writer’s Room 017
• 360º immersive film with virtual reality headset
• Map of the Belle Époque itinerary around the city of Porto
• A personalised gift at the end of the experience

Only children aged 10 and over are permitted, and they must be accompanied by an adult.