It is easy to fall in love with the city. There is this vibrant atmosphere everywhere. The streets are always crowded but the pace of the people is not stressed. There is a balanced amount of modernity and preserved historic buildings.

(City Hall on Allies Avenue)

The heart of Porto is the Aliados (Allies) Avenue. A boulevart where most demonstrations and events take place. It is close to the São Bento train station, considered to be one of the most beautiful stations in the world and it ends at the imponent City Hall building.

(Clérigos Tower)

Another landmark of Porto is the Clérigos (Clergimen) Tower. A famous Baroque church built in the first half of the 18th century. It is well worth it to go up the more than 200 steps, where you can have a breathtaking view of the city and Douro river from the 75 meters (250 ft) high tower.

(Inside Lello Bookstore)

(In front of Lello Bookstore)

Lello Bookstore is probably the most beautiful and original Portuguese library and maybe one of the most beautiful in the world. It dates back to the beginning of the 19th century and is situated near Clérigos Tower. One must pay four euros to get in. The amount paid to go in can be used to buy books. At first it might sound greedy to charge to go into a bookstore but the building is quite small and the amount of people who wants to go in is insane. So, it is more a way of controlling the quantity of people inside. The interior is quite a surprise, presenting a wooden ceiling and stairs and beautiful bookshelves. It has a small cafeteria in the upper floor. It has become more famous than it already was due to Harry Potter. J. K. Rowling lived in Porto and was inspired by the bookstore architecture and idealized Hogwart's stairs based on Lello's.

(Majestic Café)

Majestic Café is a traditional Café situated on Santa Catarina street. Apart from delicious coffee and sweets it has a magnificent architecture which is woth the visit just to see it.

(Porto Cathedral)

Porto Cathedral is a must-visit monument because of its beautiful architecture. It was built in the 12th century in Romanic style. The main chapel was built in the 17th century. It houses the urn with the remains of Holy São Pantaleão, city patron saint.

(The blue tiles of the Carmo Church)

Carmo Church built in the 18th century and is an beautiful example of the baroque architecture. On one of its side you will find a magnificent panel of blue and white tiles designed by Silvestro Silvestri which represents the Brown Scapular imposition on Mount Carmel. An interesting fact is that the building looks like an enormous church but in fact there are two churches separated by a tiny one door house. On the left side of Camo church there is the Carmelitas church. The tiny house was built to make the contact between the nuns and the monks impossible.

(View of the Ribeira from Vila Nova de Gaia)

Vila Nova de Gaia is a town on the opposite bank of Porto's Douro river. There is a cable car that takes you from the upper area just off the Infante Bridge down to the margins of the Douro River. Apart from making going up and down easier it offers an incredible view of both cities and the famous Ribeira in Porto. The price is five euros one way trip or 8 euros a round trip. With the ticket of the cable car you get a courtesy of a wine tasting experience in one of the many wineries. Porto and Vila Nova are filled with wine cellars and wineries with the best Douro and Port wines with unbelievably low prices. If you like high quality wines, that's the place to be.

(I want to take it home!)

There's so much to see and do in Porto that not even a lifetime is enough. So come with a lot of time to spend on its streets, museums, parks and don't forget the typical "Francesinha" a dish made of bread, eggs, ham, meat, sausage, and cheese which reminds a sandwich to be eaten with silverware. Enjoy it with beer or a white wine. Just delicious, cheers!