Portugal

General Info

Last visited

September 2021

Food

A typical dish are Francesinhas. The bread-sausage-melted cheese dish doused with a semi-spicy white sauce tastes better than it looks. In the afternoon, take a coffee break and try the popular Pasteis da Nata. For dinner you might try the caldeirada (a fish and seafood soup). After dinner, a glass of port, a ruby or a tawny to close the day.

Transport

Lisbon and Porto have a metro network. Both connect to their airports. The best way to travel to the vineyards of the Douro is by train. There is a direct connection to Pinhão in the morning and back to Porto in the evening. Cruise ships also operate on the Douro river.

Do

...not only stay in Lisbon or Porto during your city trip. Make an excursion to the countryside. For example the upper Douro region is absolutely worth a visit.

Don't

...try to jump in a popular restaurant in Porto at 8 p.m. without reservation.

Lisbon

Long time no been but I remember the lively upper town and its cobblestone alleys with the tramways of the last century as well as the steel structures having elevators inside which transport people from the lower to the upper town.

Porto

The city with its huge metal bridge, connecting both the upper and the lower city with the other side of the Douro River. Its famous strong wine is stored in the numerous cellars in the southern district of Gaia. Built over several hills, Porto attracts visitors with its charm.
Ribeira
Porto's old town on the northern bank of the river with its colourful houses, the waterfront promenade with its numerous pubs, churches and palaces built into the slopes, panoramic terraces and, of course, the mighty steel bridge over the Douro.
Aliados und Bolhão
The Torre de Clérigos towers over the city. A queue of people forms in front of the Lello bookshop early in the morning.
Lavadores
The coast south of the Douro is wild and dotted with numerous boulders. In between are bathing beaches. A city bus runs every half hour from the roundabout near the Casa de Musica to the beach. In about an hour and a half you can walk back to Gaia along the south bank of the river Douro.

Douro Region

An extremely lovely area with the river Douro meandering through the landscape.

Pinhão

The town is located in the middle of the vineyards of the upper Douro. Get there by train. The track runs along the river. Numerous vineyards rise from the meandering river. Cruise ships operate up and down the river. A path leads from Pinhão through the vineyard up to a viewpoint. The hike is absolutely worthwhile. Excursion boats dock in Pinhão and take tourists on a roundtrip. The region is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Links

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Porto at the banks of river Douro

Vineyard at Pinhão