9 things to do when in Porto

Porto is the second largest city of Portugal after Lisbo and is one of the oldest European centres. It is located directly at the Douro river. In Portuguese, the name of the city includes a definite article -> o Porto. Meaning “the port” or “the harbor”.

There is so much to see and do, so it is difficult to find enough time to look at everything you are interested in.

To-Do-List

• Let’s get it straight from the start: If you don’t drink port wine in Porto, you’re doing something very wrong (or you’re probably pregnant 😊). Drinking port wine or at least tasting it is an absolute must. You can do this in one of the countless port wine cellars in Vila Nova de Gaia. Alternatively, you can drive to the Douro Valley and visit a quinta right away.
• «Circuit touristique» by taking a hop-on hop-off tour to gain an overview about great things to see in a short time. While sitting in a hop-on hop-off bus, you get to hear historical and interesting information about all the attractions.
• Strolling along the river Douro (restaurants, cafés, port wine cellars etc.). The historic center convinces with its authentic harbor atmosphere as well as the charm of its old town, which has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996.
• Eat as much Pastéis de Nata as you can.
• Try a Francesinha. It is a Portugal-styled croque-monsieur and is typically served with French fries.
• The super tourist thing: Ride the Teleferico. As Swiss and passionate snowboarder, this was the shortest ride with such a gondola ever. However, you have a great view of the Douro and Porto.
• Deep dive into history in the districts Baixa and Sé. Some extraordinary buildings/architecture you can see there are:
  • Torre dos Clérigos
  • Café Majestic, a historical café from the Art Nouveau/Jugenstil period, reminiscent of Parisian cafés at the time.
  • Livrarira Lello (Library)
  • Neo-Gothic architecture of the Câmara Municipal do Porto (City Hall)
  • The gothic cathedral Sé do Porto
  • The unique, beautiful looking azulejos of the exterior of the Igreja do Carmo (church) and the Sao Bento train station
• Day trip to Braga visiting the various churches. Afterwards you should see a very famous church. The Santuário do Bom Jesus do Monte is a pilgrimage church located 5 km northeast of the city of Braga on a mountain. It is one of the most famous landmarks in entire Portugal.
• Day trip to the vineyards in the Douro valley, the oldest wine-growing region in the world. You can go by car, boat or train. If you want to go by car, consider drinking responsibly and not driving after tasting. It could be best to define a driver in advance. The wines are devilishly good! It’s obvious what you can do on the vineyards: take a guided tour, taste various wines, eat and of course, buy some wine…