Top 10 Things to Do in Porto

Porto's neo-Gothic bookshop, with its sinuous crimson staircase and ornate stained-glass ceiling, is one of the most beautiful bookshops in the world and a reputed inspiration for the Hogwarts library. Despite the tourist queues, stepping inside feels like entering a dream.

Across the river from Porto, the hillside of Vila Nova de Gaia is lined with the lodges of every great port wine house — Taylor's, Graham's, Sandeman — where visitors can tour the barrel-stacked cellars and taste vintages going back decades. The views of Porto from these terraces are unmatched.

Gustave Eiffel's engineering firm designed this spectacular double-deck iron arch bridge spanning the Douro, and walking across its upper level 45 meters above the river is an unforgettable experience. The view from both ends — of the Ribeira below and the hillside wine lodges — is Porto in a single frame.

The 18th-century baroque Clérigos Tower is Porto's most recognizable landmark and the tallest tower in Portugal when it was built. Climbing its 225 steps to the top reveals a 360-degree panorama of red-tiled rooftops, the Douro, and the Atlantic coastline.

Porto's legendary sandwich — layers of cured meat, fresh sausage, and steak encased in bread, covered with melted cheese, and drowned in a spiced beer-and-tomato sauce — is one of the most indulgent dishes in European cuisine. Every tasca in the city claims its recipe is the original.

Porto's main railway station is celebrated not for trains but for its entrance hall, whose walls are covered floor to ceiling with 20,000 azulejo tiles depicting scenes from Portuguese history. Arriving here on any train feels like stepping into a museum.

Set in 18 hectares of parkland, the Serralves Estate combines a striking contemporary art museum designed by Álvaro Siza Vieira, a 1930s Art Deco villa, and a formal garden that together constitute Porto's finest cultural afternoon. The sculpture park alone justifies the visit.

Where the Douro meets the Atlantic, the Foz neighborhood is Porto's most elegant and breezy district — a promenade of granite sea walls, Art Nouveau villas, and excellent seafood restaurants. The lighthouse and the rocky Molhe walk at sunset are among the city's most romantic spots.

Porto's contemporary art district is concentrated around Rua Miguel Bombarda, where a cluster of galleries opens simultaneously on the first Saturday of each month for a festive gallery night. Between openings, the street is dotted with design shops and specialty coffee roasters.

Porto's neo-Gothic bookshop, with its sinuous crimson staircase and ornate stained-glass ceiling, is one of the most beautiful bookshops in the world and a reputed inspiration for the Hogwarts library. Despite the tourist queues, stepping inside feels like entering a dream.

Across the river from Porto, the hillside of Vila Nova de Gaia is lined with the lodges of every great port wine house — Taylor's, Graham's, Sandeman — where visitors can tour the barrel-stacked cellars and taste vintages going back decades. The views of Porto from these terraces are unmatched.

Gustave Eiffel's engineering firm designed this spectacular double-deck iron arch bridge spanning the Douro, and walking across its upper level 45 meters above the river is an unforgettable experience. The view from both ends — of the Ribeira below and the hillside wine lodges — is Porto in a single frame.

The 18th-century baroque Clérigos Tower is Porto's most recognizable landmark and the tallest tower in Portugal when it was built. Climbing its 225 steps to the top reveals a 360-degree panorama of red-tiled rooftops, the Douro, and the Atlantic coastline.

Porto's legendary sandwich — layers of cured meat, fresh sausage, and steak encased in bread, covered with melted cheese, and drowned in a spiced beer-and-tomato sauce — is one of the most indulgent dishes in European cuisine. Every tasca in the city claims its recipe is the original.

Porto's main railway station is celebrated not for trains but for its entrance hall, whose walls are covered floor to ceiling with 20,000 azulejo tiles depicting scenes from Portuguese history. Arriving here on any train feels like stepping into a museum.

Set in 18 hectares of parkland, the Serralves Estate combines a striking contemporary art museum designed by Álvaro Siza Vieira, a 1930s Art Deco villa, and a formal garden that together constitute Porto's finest cultural afternoon. The sculpture park alone justifies the visit.

Where the Douro meets the Atlantic, the Foz neighborhood is Porto's most elegant and breezy district — a promenade of granite sea walls, Art Nouveau villas, and excellent seafood restaurants. The lighthouse and the rocky Molhe walk at sunset are among the city's most romantic spots.

Porto's contemporary art district is concentrated around Rua Miguel Bombarda, where a cluster of galleries opens simultaneously on the first Saturday of each month for a festive gallery night. Between openings, the street is dotted with design shops and specialty coffee roasters.