Shipbuilding has been in Vila do Conde’s bones since at least the 13th century. This museum on the banks of the Rio Ave, just west of Praça da República, has exhibits on trade and models of hand-built nau (a sort of pot-bellied caravel once used for cargo and naval operations). The real attraction, however, is the replica of a 16th-century nau moored opposite the museum.
Visitors can wander across the various decks of the ship, peeking in rooms that provide a glimpse of ship life during the 1500s.
