Porto is considered the cultural and industrial center of northern Portugal. The city boasts of rich baroque architecture with historic references tracing back to the 4th century. Porto’s location has also let it to enjoy frequent trades with other countries for years. Like many Portuguese towns, Porto is a famous trader of wine.

Visitors of Porto can look forward to dry summers interspersed with mildly rainy winters. The climate here is relatively cooler than southern towns of Portugal. The city is home to sports stadiums which have facilities for tennis, football and cricket games.

What draws tourists to Porto throughout the year is the city’s many architectural and artistic monuments. The culture vulture can freely gaze at the vast art collection sitting inside the National Museum Soares dos Reis. This museum pays tribute to Portugal’s art movements from the 16th to the 20th centuries in particular. More recent art forms, on the other hand, find home in the Serralves Foundation’s Museum of Contemporary Art.

Porto is the perfect nest for performing artists. The city’s bustling theater and music scene is reflected in the architecture of most of its concert halls. The Coliseu du Porto, for instance, bears the thumbprint of famous Portuguese architect Cassiano Branco. It is noted as one of the most elegant concert halls in Europe.

The bookworm at heart can also visit Lello. This bookshop ranked third in The Guardian as the world’s best bookshop in the world. Harry Potter fans will find it interesting that their favorite writer J.K. Rowling lived in Porto for a few years.

Meanwhile, visitors in search of gastronomic may try Porto’s port wine. This drink goes beautifully with any dessert. Porto is also famous for Tripas a Moda do Porto (tripe). This is a popular dish served anywhere in the city.