Coming in at #5 on Travel & Leisure’s “Top Cities in Europe to Visit” readers’ survey for 2019, Porto is a travel destination on the rise. If you visit Porto, the Praca da Ribeira is the must-see location and this is where I’ll start my series of posts on Portugal.
Nestled in along the river front of the Rio Douro, Ribeira is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Porto’s historic city center. It is filled with vibrant architecture, winding cobblestone medieval streets, cafes, and restaurants.
As you can already see in the photos above, Porto is not built on flat terrain. And, if you enjoy exploring on foot, you’ll need to wear very comfortable shoes and be prepared for a leg workout. I began my journey north of Ribeira and take in a few other landmarks before walking down towards the Rio Douro.
Once in Ribeira by the river, there are a few things that are going to command your attention. One is the massive steel bridge – the Ponte de D. Luis. This bridge was designed and constructed by a former student of Gustave Eiffel (designer of the Eiffel Tower).
I am drawn in for a closer look. The bridge has a pedestrian walkway on the lower level and this level is also used by cars. The top level is for a train but also has a pedestrian walkway. I cross on the bottom level with plans to return on the top level.
In the images below, I have crossed the river and we are now looking at Ribeira from the other side of the river.
My main reason for crossing the Douro river, in addition to wanting to experience the bridge up close, was to have a glass of port wine. Porto is where port wine originated and a large part of the riverfront across from Ribeira is lined with port cellars. The area (a separate city) is called Vila Nova de Gaia. You can arrange for tastings (on land or boat cruises) or sample the varieties in one of the many restaurants along the waterfront.
Ribeira is breathtaking and every turn is filled with architectural eye candy. But, be sure to cross the Ponte de D Luis and look at Ribeira from across the river with a glass of port. It is a view you don’t want to miss.
I hope you enjoyed this visual stroll. In my next post, we’ll get a view from the top level of the Ponte de D. Luis and take in some of Porto’s other landmarks in Ribeira and beyond.
Porto, Portugal
Great photos of Oporto!
Thank you, I absolutely loved my visit and hope to return again one day.
Great photos! How long did you spend in Porto? Any recommendations of what are to stay in?
Glad you liked the photos. As you probably do, I typically try to stay as close to the historic city center as possible when I travel. Unfortunately, I was using some hotel loyalty points which put me on the edge of the city. The metro is great though and you can easily get to the historic area from everywhere around Porto. But, if you have time to plan it out, I would work on finding a place in the Ribeira area or close to it. You’ll be right in the middle of all the key spots and close to the waterfront. I was there for four days but spent one day in Lisbon – a two hour train ride as I recall.
Great! We have been looking at staying around Ribeira. We’re taking the train to Lisbon after spending a couple days in Porto.
So sorry for the delayed reply. I really appreciate your feedback and so glad you enjoyed the photos! ☺️✨I’ll have more up from this trip soon. I know there are so many wonderful places to visit in Europe but you won’t regret a trip to Porto. I added some time to visit Lisbon as well. The high-speed train is about 2 hours between the two cities.
I love what you have done with your photos!
Thank you Jill, really appreciate it. Working with the images is almost as fun for me as the travel. 😊
Wow, I’ve been hearing a lot about Portugal lately and have been thinking it’s worth a look. Now I know it is. Maybe we’ll just use your series as a how to guide. Wonderful photos. Thanks for the follow.
So sorry for the delayed reply. I really appreciate your feedback and so glad you enjoyed the photos! ☺️✨I’ll have more up from this trip soon. I know there are so many wonderful places to visit in Europe but you won’t regret a trip to Porto. I added some time to visit Lisbon as well. The high-speed train is about 2 hours between the two cities.