Porto

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The Palácio da Bolsa was built in the nineteenth century for Porto's commercial association, Portugal

Behind its plain Gothic walls, the Church of São Francisco hides an interior covered in gilded carving, Porto, Portugal

The entrance hall of São Bento station is lined with azulejo panels depicting scenes from Portuguese history, Porto, Portugal

Livraria Lello is famous for its neo-Gothic interior and sweeping central staircase, Porto, Portugal

About Porto

Porto, Portugal's second city, climbs the steep north bank of the Douro River near its mouth on the Atlantic. Its historic center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a jumble of granite churches, tiled facades and narrow lanes, and the city gave its name to port wine, aged in cellars across the river in Vila Nova de Gaia.

The riverfront Ribeira district, with colorful houses lining the Cais da Ribeira, is the classic starting point. The double-deck Dom Luís I Bridge spans the Douro, with an upper level for walkers and the metro and a lower one at river height. Up the hill, Porto Cathedral stands on a terrace with city views. The Palácio da Bolsa, a nineteenth-century stock exchange, sits beside the Church of São Francisco and its gilded interior. São Bento Station's entrance hall is covered with azulejo tile panels depicting Portuguese history. The Clérigos Tower can be climbed for panoramas, and nearby Livraria Lello is a famously ornate bookstore. Mercado do Bolhão and Rua de Santa Catarina are central for shopping. Across the river, the port lodges offer tours and tastings.

Porto suits travelers who enjoy walking, wine and food. The Serralves Foundation's modern art museum and gardens are a calm escape, and the Douro Valley wine region is a popular excursion. Spring and fall are particularly pleasant.

Best seasonApril to June and September to October bring mild weather; winters are cool and often rainy.

Ideal stayThree days covers the city and Gaia's cellars; add a day for the Douro Valley.

ArrivingFrancisco Sá Carneiro Airport connects to the center by metro, and trains link Porto with Lisbon.

WiserMap travel guidePorto Portugal Port Wine Cellars and Riverside RibeiraDiscover Porto's Ribeira, Dom Luís I Bridge, Clérigos Tower, São Bento station, port wine cellars, francesinha and Douro Valley day trips in this guide.Read the guide

Why People Love Porto: 12 Things to Discover

Landmarks 4

Dom Luís I Bridge

Spanning the Douro between Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia, this double-deck iron arch opened in 1886 and was designed by Théophile Se...

São Bento Station

Porto's central railway station, completed in the early 20th century on the site of a former Benedictine convent, is famous less f...

Clérigos Church and Tower

Designed by the Italian-born architect Nicolau Nasoni and built in the mid-18th century, the Clérigos Church is a showpiece of Por...

Livraria Lello

Opened in its current building in 1906, Livraria Lello is often called one of the most beautiful bookshops in the world. Behind an...

History 2

Porto Cathedral

Crowning a hilltop above the old town, the Sé is Porto's oldest major monument, begun in the 12th century in a sturdy Romanesque s...

Palácio da Bolsa and the Church of São Francisco

These neighbours tell two very different stories of Porto wealth. The Palácio da Bolsa, built in the 19th century for the city's C...

Neighborhoods 1

Ribeira and Cais da Ribeira

The Ribeira is Porto's oldest riverside quarter and part of the UNESCO-listed historic centre, a tangle of narrow lanes and stairw...

Food and Drink 2

Port wine cellars of Vila Nova de Gaia

Across the river from Porto, the Gaia waterfront is lined with the lodges of famous port houses, where wine from the Douro Valley...

Mercado do Bolhão

Housed in a grand neoclassical building from the early 20th century, the Bolhão market reopened in 2022 after a long restoration t...

Parks and Gardens 2

Serralves

In the leafy west of the city, the Serralves Foundation combines a leading museum of contemporary art with a pink Art Deco villa a...

Jardins do Palácio de Cristal

Laid out in the 19th century by the German landscape gardener Émile David around a now-vanished glass exhibition palace, these hil...

Beaches 1

Foz do Douro and Matosinhos

Where the Douro meets the Atlantic, the elegant district of Foz do Douro offers a seaside side of Porto, with a long promenade, a...

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