Fly to Porto

If you are in the center and walk from the river and up the slopes, you will get the day's exercise if you set the pace. It is really steep and the climbs are long. Although large parts of the city center have been refurbished, you can still see old and dilapidated 18th and 19th century apartment buildings full of life.

With Portugal's past as a colonial power, there are many inhabitants with backgrounds from Mozambique, Brazil and Angola in Porto as well as in the rest of Portugal. This is visible on beautiful and colorful facades in many places. Portugal was for many years the poorest country in Western Europe. It was not possible to afford to renovate dilapidated districts. This benefits the country to a certain extent today by preserving old buildings instead of demolishing and building modern blocks.

The famous wine comes from windows grown in the Douro Valley, which stretches all the way from a lake a few miles west of Zaragoza and all the way to the Atlantic coast. In earlier times, the grapes were transported by boat down dangerous river rapids, at times with life as an effort to transport the fruit to Porto. Today, the transport takes place by truck or train, the Douro River is tamed with dams and locks and the lower parts of the river are left to popular river cruises.

Port wine is wine that is "fortified" by adding grape spirits. This is done to interrupt the fermentation process. The wine becomes sweeter and has a higher alcohol content (15–19 percent) and is put on casks to mature, preferably for a longer time. Good port wine is among the types of wine that can withstand storage best.

The port wine houses look good on the south side of the Douro river in Porto. Here you will find many of the famous British brands, and sightseeing and tasting are offered. There are also many nice outdoor cafes and small restaurants in the area, and if you are in Porto 3-4 days you should set aside a day to explore the area.

It's not necessarily easy to be in Porto without being lured on a "free trip" on the Douro river. But instead of joining a short trip where you are spoiled for bad wine and obligatory tips, find yourself a slightly better boat trip. Several companies offer boat trips with dinner included, which is a super cozy way to start a night in Porto.

Hop on, hop off buses are not always the best way to experience a city, but in Porto this is actually a great way to see many parts of the city. With all the slopes, heights and the beautiful bridges, a tour by bus is a great way to experience Porto and maybe see some places you want to explore more later. A little tip: If you join a round trip that takes you out to the coast, bring extra clothes. In Porto city it can quickly get 30 degrees on a nice summer day, but the cold Atlantic Ocean draws cold air towards the coast and the temperature drops quickly 10 degrees.

Porto has a very good restaurant selection. The whole of Portugal is a country that uses fish a lot in food, and in many places you can get bachalao made with Norwegian stockfish. If you do not think bachalao tasted so good once in 1995, fear not. There are hundreds of variations of this national dish.

In the narrow pedestrian streets right behind the river promenade in the center there are many outdoor restaurants with a nice price level. Here you can easily get a meal with a drink for a few hundred bucks. Here there is also lots of life in the evening with many bars. Porto also has a pretty hectic nightlife, but the clubs are located all over the city. Ask at the hotel or check with the waitress at the restaurant if they have any tips.