Social programme

THURSDAY, JUNE 25th

Please don’t forget to take your camera with you! There will be plenty of opportunities to take beautiful pictures.Participants of the 24th Euprio Conference will be hosted by the Mayor of Aveiro at the Museum of the City, installed in the old Convent of Jesus dated of the 15th century and recently renewed. Here the Director, Mrs. Ana Margarida, will take the visitors for a short travel through several galleries displaying one of the richest and largest sacred art collections in Portugal, as well as the magnificent tomb of the Princess Santa Joana in polychrome marble.

After the visit the participants will be offered some “Moments of Music” performed by some professors and students of music of the University of Aveiro at the 16th century cloister.

The visit ends with a welcome reception cocktail in the restaurant of the museum.
Schedule:
16:30-18:00 Guided boat trip along the lagoon of Aveiro.
Meeting at the entrance of Rota da Luz tourism information point
Visit to the Museum of Aveiro guided by the Director, Mrs. Ana Margarida Ferreira.
Meeting at the entrance of Rota da Luz tourism information point.

FRIDAY, JUNE 26th
We will take participants for a visit to the surroundings of Aveiro.
About 8kms from Aveiro, near the small town of Ilhavo overlooking the Aveiro estuary, we will visit Vista Alegre Porcelain Factory famous for the beautiful fine hand-painted porcelain ware in its casual, classic and contemporary styles.
Situated in a large area called Quinta da Ermida surrounded by hundred-year old trees, this 19th century Factory still maintains the former Residences for workers, the Barber shop, Crèche, the former Co-operative, the Fountain, the Theatre and the Chapel. In its historical Museum we’ll have the opportunity to see beautiful ancient and modern pieces of tableware, giftware and fine glass products, and in the two stores you’ll be able to buy your preferred ones.
Get to know more.
The Beaches and the Ria (Estuary of Aveiro)
After the visit of the Factory we will travel along the Ria (the estuary or the lagoon) and pass over it to visit two most famous beaches in the region: Costa Nova and Barra, both situated in a framing landscape just between the lagoon and the sea.
Costa Nova is a small village overlooking both the Ria and the sea, very well known for its typical houses and for its long beach with white and thin sand. In its main avenue you’ll find some charming wooden houses painted in strips of vivid colours “the palheiros” that will make good photos to take back home.
The ocean is quite boisterous sometimes, as it is common in the northern beaches of the country, providing good conditions for surf, body board and windsurf.
The lagoon here is also an excellent place for the practice of various nautical sports.

Barra is just two kilometres after Costa Nova. The long strip of land ends here. Its main attraction is its imposing Lighthouse, the highest of Portugal, the 2nd in Europe and the 3rd in the world. Built between 1885 and 1893, the cylinder of its body is more than 60meters high and the flashes of lightning can be seen from 60kms of distance, in the open sea.
But Barra has more than the lighthouse. You may find here many bars and restaurants, two hotels, modern buildings, most of them only for summer time, a pier with about one kilometre long for jogging and fishing, a splendid beach, and many shops. Barra means the true entrance for the harbour. This kind of mouth allows big ships to come to the port of Aveiro. If we are lucky, we can even observe the departure or the entrance of one of those ships passing quite near us.
We will finish the day with a fine dinner at Hotel de Ilhavo located in the town of the same name, only 10 minutes away from Aveiro.

Schedule:
17:15 -19:30 Bus tour to Costa Nova and Vista Alegre. Visit to Vista Alegre Factory and Village
Bus tour continues to Ilhavo.
19:45 Dinner at Hotel de Ilhavo.
Buses will take participants back to their hotels at 23:00

SATURDAY, JUNE 27th
On the last day of our conference we will take participants to a different place, some 33Kms away from Aveiro.
We will have our gala dinner at one of the most beautiful hotels in Portugal, often considered as an European jewel of Art Nouveau and “Golden Twenties” era – the Hotel Curia Palace.
Located mid-way between Lisbon and Oporto, Curia Palace is encircled by a large private park with gardens and vineyards where you can walk for a while.
After dinner you will be offered some moments of “Coimbra fado” also known as Student Fado. This kind of music is performed with the traditional Guitarra de Coimbra (a kind of Portuguese guitar born in Coimbra), a modified version of Lisbon's fado guitar allegedly created by Artur Paredes, and usually accompanied by classic acoustic guitar and male voices.
Schedule:
20:30 Gala Dinner
Hotel Palace, Curia

SUNDAY, JUNE 28th
Optional Tours