See The Sites in Picturesque Porto, Porto, Portugal

Set on the tall banks of the Douro River, Porto has a fantastic location. Buildings painted in a variety of colours climb the steep slopes above the river, making good use of the landscape. After seeing its setting, we knew we were in for a great few days of exploring the picturesque city of Porto.

There has been an important harbour on this spot since Roman times. They called it Portus Cale which eventually gave the country its name, Portugal. Porto went through many leaders and dynasties over the centuries, but the 18th century is considered its Golden Age. This is when exports of wine and port brought massive wealth to the area. These riches can be seen in the many baroque and neo-classical buildings and monuments found in its UNESCO World Heritage designated downtown. Porto is sometimes called O’Porto, but apparently this is a mispronunciation by the British and in Portuguese it is called Porto.

There is a lot to see in this fabulous city, so here are some of Porto’s top sites that you won’t want to miss.

One of our favourite things to do in Porto is to stroll along the boardwalk beside the slow moving Douro River. On one side, colourful heritage homes scale the steep riverbanks. On the other side, you can look across the river to the pretty city of Vila Nova de Gaia. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).