The North's most important city lent its name to the famous wine and to Portugal. One must stroll around its typical quarters (especially the area on the waterside, the 'zona ribeirinha') and its bustling downtown. Visit: the Stock Exchange Palace, the Romanesque-Gothic Cathedral, the church of Cedofeita (Romanesque), the Clérigos tower (Porto's ex-libris of Baroque architecture) and church; the church of São Francisco, of Romanesque origin, with its interior covered in gilded carvings, and the church of Carmo, with tiled façades. Museums: Soares dos Reis, Casa de Serralves (modern art), Casa-Museu de Guerra Junqueiro and the Romantic Style Museum of Quinta da Macieirinha. One should not miss a visit to the Port lodges in Vila Nova de Gaia and free tasting of the famous port wine.

The Douro river is the longest in northern Portugal. It winds its sinuous way past mountains and cliffs until it reaches the Atlantic near the city of Porto. Many dams have been built to make the river navigable, which for the visitor means that plenty of pleasure and cruise boats depart from Porto to the Douro region. Between Mesão Frio and Pinhão lies the stretch where the valley sides are lined with terraced vineyards that produce the famous Port wine. But this region is famous for other things besides the wine that is made nowhere else in the world. Signs of prehistoric men are seen in the ancient cave paintings in Vila Nova de Foz Côa. Elsewhere, medieval castles and convents or Romanesque little churches dot the landscape. History, too, is evoked by the manor houses, such as the Baroque mansion at Mateus, near Vila Real, or in the great 17th century sanctuaries, such as Nossa Senhora dos Remédios in Lamego, which plays such an important role in people's devotions.