Are you Portuguese and living in Liverpool? Or are you looking for Portuguese culture in Liverpool? Here are several places that can make the capital city of music feel like a little piece of Portugal.

Liverpool, one of the United Kingdom’s most unique cities, attracts over 54 million tourists annually. Being the first-ever English city to be awarded the European Capital of Culture, Liverpool offers diversity. Statistics show that over 51 percent of people in the city speak a language other than English at home, and there are over 60 languages spoken daily. It is clear that Liverpool is combined with different cultures from around the world, and Portuguese culture is one of them. Not only does Portuguese culture play an important part in the city of Liverpool, but the culture has influenced many historical moments.

Here are some of the most prominent places that offer Portuguese culture in Liverpool.

Museums

The International slavery museum - located on the Albert Docs, is a museum that showcases essential historic information. Fully opened in 1984, this museum educates visitors through facts, stories, monuments and art from the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Also known as the Euro-American slave trade, this trade involved the inhumane transportation of enslaved African people - from countries that were colonised by European countries and thus in European control, mainly to American countries. The museum explores the technique of European countries colonising the majority of the world, mainly due to the need for workers. Portuguese significance in the slave trade is also explained thoroughly in the museum. It is estimated that Portuguese vessels carried around 5.8 million Africans into slavery. Liverpool is noted to be the capital of the transatlantic slave trade. By the 1780’s, Liverpool was the European capital of the transatlantic slave trade, with nearly 1.5 million Africans being transported from the city. This museum is free of charge and is open Tuesday till Sunday from 10 am until 6pm.

The World Museum - is also an extremely popular museum that holds scientific and historic collections of over a million specimens from various countries. Located on William Brown Street, one minute away from Lime Street Station, the World Museum covers various topics that have Portuguese influence such as World Cultures. Despite not covering European culture, the exhibit explores African and South American culture – two cultures that influence Portuguese culture due to previous colonisation. Moreover, although currently closed until the end of July, the museum holds an aquarium that has previously held an Octopus from Portugal.

Walker Art Gallery - “If you can’t make it all the way to Portugal, then at least come to Liverpool…” - Discovering Paula Rego / The Walker Art Gallery.

The Walker Art Gallery is a museum that showcases “outstanding” art. According to their website, it has held Liverpool’s art for over 130 years, and that art involves Portuguese pieces. The art gallery has showcased artwork from Paula Rego, a Lisbon-born artist who is particularly known for her abstract paintings and prints that are based on storybooks, and representation such as feminism. The museum has previously held paintings in an exhibition titled ‘the rise of a woman’, perfectly suiting Rego’s passion, and the effort she puts into her work.

Supermarket

They say the people who give you their food give you their heart, and in St. Johns Market, located in the city centre, the Continental Shop gives you their heart. “We offer everything straight from Portugal, whether that is Portuguese fish – fresh or frozen – cheeses, or bread. We have everything” explains the manager. Unique to Liverpool, the supermarket offers a wide variety of food such as Chouriço Corrente, a smoky Portuguese meat sausage, and imported packaged items such as Saborosa Belgas Coberture de Chocolate, authentic Portuguese chocolate biscuits. The Continental Shop is already popular among Portuguese and British people in Liverpool, as it delivers “the best Portuguese items in Liverpool”.