Perched in Portugal’s northern coastal reaches along the Douro River estuary, Porto is rich with Old World charm and new-century energy. Once an outpost of the Roman Empire, this breezy and bustling port town has thrived for nearly two millennia, becoming the country’s second largest city. It’s also the birthplace of port wine, a world-class dining destination, a showcase for magnificent baroque and gothic architecture, as well as a slice of living history since its center was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1996.
 

Here’s how visitors can best explore and enjoy what is fast becoming one of Europe’s must-visit destinations.

Museums & Art

Museum hopping is practically a sport in Porto. Top of the itinerary should be the Serralves Museum of Contemporary Art, which celebrates established and emerging artists in an ever-rotating series of exhibits, performances and educational programming. After walking around the indoor galleries, explore the museum’s surrounding park, which is punctuated by art installations and crisscrossed with scenic trails. Afterwards, stop by the Soares dos Reis National Museum. Housed in a majestic castle, the Soares dos Reis is Portugal’s oldest public museum and boasts an impressive collection of paintings and sculptures from some of the country’s most revered artists. For more niche experiences, check out the House of Filigree, the Porto Puppet Museum and stained glass art at the Museo do Vitral.

 

Dining

A market visit is a must on any food excursion in Porto. The best option is the recently renovated, two-century-old Mercado do Bolhão, which features stalls selling fresh produce, just-caught seafood and an array of gourmet goods.

 

One item to check out on your Porto culinary bucket list is a francesinha. The open-faced sandwich arrives piled high with a mélange of meats — ham, Portuguese linguiça sausage, steak and mortadella — draped with melted cheese and beer-spiked tomato sauce. Top spots to enjoy it include Café Santiago, A Regaleira and Lado B Café.

 

For more refined fare, head to The Yeatman Gastronomic Restaurant, a two-star Michelin offering that features a 14-course tasting menu. Another worthy splurge is the Michelin-starred Euskalduna Studio, whose 16-seat counter overlooks the kitchen where chef Vasco Coelho Santos crafts a tasting menu owing to Spain’s Basque region and Japan, in addition to his Portuguese homeland. And to satisfy your sweet tooth, there’s Florbela Pâtisserie, a charming French-accented pastry shop named for Portuguese poet Florbela Espanca that is located in the Torel Palace.

 

Hotels
Tourists have a myriad of options for lodging that are as inspiring as they are luxurious. The Torel Avantgarde features 60 rooms and suites, each decorated in the spirit of the Portuguese Avantgarde art movement of the early 20th century. Literary-minded sister spot Torel Palace offers two dozen well-appointed rooms and suites, while the Porto A.S. 1829 Hotel makes its home in one of Europe’s oldest stationery shops. The hotel is so vintage that typewriters are prominently displayed as design accents throughout its red-carpeted hallways, with rotary dial telephones located in the well-appointed rooms. Music lovers will especially sing the praises of M.Ou.Co., which is also home to a concert hall, a lending library of 600 long play records (or LPs) and a music therapy room. Guests who want to jam out during their stay can avail themselves of a complimentary record player, guitar or keyboard.

 

Neighborhoods
Getting around Porto means crossing historic bridges topping off hillsides, the Douro River and the Atlantic Ocean’s crashing surf. It’s easy to navigate on foot, though it’s just as fun to hop aboard one of the vintage trams traversing town.

 

Most visitors are first drawn to the Ribeira neighborhood. The waterfront area of Ribeira (which means riverbank) features cobblestone lanes winding their way past slender townhouses with bright pastel paints or blue and white ceramic tiles.

 

Just to the north of Ribeira is Baixa, the buzzy central district arrayed around Avenida dos Aliados. Brimming with nightlife options, the neighborhood is also home to the 18th century Torre dos Clérigos, which has a 225-step spiral staircase that at the top offers a stunning panorama of the city.

 

If you want to browse art galleries, do some shopping or savor some of the city’s best dining options, make a beeline northwest to the Cedofeita neighborhood. And if you’re more in the mood for long walks along picturesque promenades and rugged beaches, the Foz do Douro district in the western part of Porto will be your happy place.