Clerigos is a Roman Catholic, Baroque-style church that was built in the 1700s. According to its…read morewebsite, its bell tower has a height of 75 meters, and visitors may climb 225 narrow steps over 6 floors to reach the top and enjoy a view of the surrounding city and river. Clerigos is an active church with a mass schedule, but visitors may purchase tickets either on-site or online for self-tours and guided tours. Admission fees vary based on age. Furthermore, behind the church is a museum that was former housing for the clerics and showcases artwork and furniture. During my husband's and my vacation in Porto, our tour guide dropped us off near this church. The building had a narrow footprint and prominently stood taller than the surrounding buildings. The tall tower and the ornate stone carvings looked beautiful.

We didn't climb the 200+ steps for a view of all of Porto's charming chaos, tiled roofs, crooked…read morealleys, and the Douro just flexing below but she was still the central marking and beautiful there she stood. The church is baroque on baroque. Gold leaf for days. The clock tower is consistent and dramatic. Some towns just need one.

Tragedy at Sea is a life-size bronze sculpture (2005) that was designed by artist Jose Joao de…read moreBrito based on a painting by Augusto Gomes. The sculpture honors the 152 fishermen who died in December 1947 when a storm at sea caused their four boats to sink off the coast of Matosinhos. The sculpture shows their widows and orphans mourning them. My husband and I saw this sculpture when we were visiting the beach. I imagined the challenges and dangers that fishermen decades ago experienced, and I felt empathy for their survivors. The sculpture is worth a visit if you are already in the area.

Avenida dos Aliados is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Porto. This large avenue…read morefeatures the local government's city hall and other buildings and statues that were built in the 19th and 20th centuries, and it has a central square where locals meet and hold events. My tour guide took my husband and me on a drive down this avenue. We liked seeing the architecture of the city hall and the statue of King Dom Pedro IV.

Monument of Pedro, short history of how Porto was named. Near central bank. It is said body of king…read morein in Brazil but heart remains in Porto

Fonte dos Leões (Fountain of the Lions) is a 19th century fountain in the Praça de Parada Leitão…read morenear the famous Igreja dos Clérigos. According to sources, it is a copy of the fountain in the Town Hall Square of Leicester, England. The central fountain has a cruciform layout with the group of sculptures of winged lions at the base. The water flows from each of their mounts into the fountain. It's a great meeting spot!

This 'Fountain of the Lions' located in the downtown of Porto, is a gorgeous centerpiece for the…read morecity with interesting stories surrounding it. For instance, JK Rowling lived here for awhile after writing the first Harry Potter and it's said that she based the Gryffindor icon off of the fierce lions in this fountain. There is a gorgeous book store (Livraria Lello) close by this fountain that she took inspiration from for the Diagon Alley bookstore with the crazy staircase. It's also been named one of the most beautiful bookstores in the country. Definitely come explore this area, as EVERYTHING around it is gorgeous. This fountain is also in front of of a university where the students literally do where capes around as if Harry Potter has come to life. It's awesome!

The Felgueiras Lighthouse is situated where the Douro River finds the Atlantic. Although no longer…read morein operation, the mariners' beacon continues to command respect more than 200 years after its construction. Giant ocean waves are known to slam the lighthouse's jetty, making it a (careful!) must-see for photographers. The lighthouse's historic neighborhood, Foz do Douro, one of Portugal's most affluent enclaves, is well worth exploring: wave-washed granite at Ourigo Beach and the weathered walls of the Fort São João de Foz contextualize the lighthouse's genesis.

Iconic bridge in the heart of Porto…read more Dom Luís I Bridge is a 19th century double-deck iron bridge spanning 172m across the Douro River between downtown Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia. It was designed by a student of Gustave Eiffel who incorporated a metal arch reminiscent of the Eiffel Tower that blends modern design with versatility to this day. The upper level is used by metro streetcars while the lower level 45m below it for cars. Each offers a unique perspective to those of us who walk across it. From Gaia, many locals and tourists alike come for the sunset view next to this UNESCO world heritage landmark. At golden hour, the view of the bridge was picturesque with Porto's historic backdrop and drifting boats under the bridge. While huge crowds gathered at Jardim do Morro with a tree obstructed view, we found the best view to be on the other side above it at Miradouro da Serra do Pilar by the monastery. Don't try climbing Pedra dos Gatinhos, as it was fenced off along the path underneath the monastery. While bridge viewpoints at golden hour are busy, we felt the energy of local musicians playing relaxing tunes. This bridge can also be viewed from the Teleférico de Gaia cable car including during sunset. After dinner the bridge is brightly illuminated and we observed locals gathering merrily at Jardim do Morro. Conveniently there's a metro station nearby for the streetcar which crosses Dom Luís I Bridge back to Porto. Skip it or hit it? Walk it twice if you can for both upper & lower bridge crossings experiences.

The Dom Luis Bridge is one of the iconic sights in Porto, and one of the biggest bridges I have…read moreever seen that pedestrians can walk on! Aside from its giant stature, it's also quite famous because the architect behind the Dom Luis Bridge was a student of Gustave Eiffel, the mastermind behind the Eiffel Tower. When you keep that in mind, you can definitely see his influence in the structure of this bridge. It's almost like the bridge version of the Eiffel Tower! The Dom Luis Bridge goes over the Duoro River, which is gorgeous in its own right as well, but extra cool to see from this bridge. It spans the two sides of Porto - which are the town of Porto proper and then the district of Vila Nova de Gaia on the other side. Seeing the Duoro River splitting the two sides of Porto was really cool from the top of the bridge. I think lots of folks work or live on either side so there were lots of folks coming and going on the bridge whenever we would walk on it. I will say, if you have a fear of heights, this may not be the best bridge for you to traverse, because it is very high up and you can see through the metal grating straight down, which can be disconcerting if you have that fear already. Dom Luis is an amazing architectural wonder that also serves as a great commuter bridge for pedestrians - and throw in the beautiful sights from atop the bridge and you have the best of both worlds!

We loved Aveiro. This was my favorite stop in all of Portugal. I was in Lisbon, Sintra, Evora and…read moreenvirons in November, and then I came back in June- to travel from Porto to the Algarve- and Aveiro was by far my favorite place. It's quiet and lovely with plenty to see. Great restaurants, beautiful churches, and nice people. I wish I could have stayed here much longer. I'm not sure there's anywhere else I want to return to in Portugal- except this place. I'm a super fan. It reminded me of Utrecht- which I also love. The pace is quieter than it is in the major cities (just as Utrecht is more peaceful than Amsterdam).

A beautiful place to take family and friends. Lots of steps though, so be prepared to walk to enjoy…read morethe attractions and sides. At the very top, there is a small gift shop with lots of souvenirs you can purchase. I've been on the pricey side, but the free admission makes up for it. There's about 8 to 10 stairs to climb down or up depending on where you start. In the middle of each stair, there's something to look at her to get a picture of. At the top, you can also see the little carriage that was used back then to transport people between the levels. The bathroom nearby is not free, unfortunately.

The church is beautiful from what I hear but nothing special. My tour guide didn't feel it…read morenecessary for me to go inside. So, I chose not to. Based on the other reviews here and my long day, I don't regret that decision one bit! The incline, known as a funicular, is here, Porto, and Lisbon. Lisbon and Porto are not must do/see funiculars but okay to do sort of thing. This funicular is worth the effort because it is run by water. There are two workers who coordinate with each other to determine how much water needs to be put from the top so that the water will naturally balance the number of people to go up or down the incline simultaneously. Most people, if they take this funicular, they take it up, both ways, or not at all. I didn't take it at all as time was short but long enough to appreciate this gem of a place. Portugal is very hilly in many places and you can get a decent workout if you are capable to walk around. This place reminds me of the Pittsburgh incline a bit because there are two inclines you can take. However, they are run by electric like in Porto or Lisbon and do not run on water. Braga will always run on water because Portugal wants to preserve its unique history in the 3rd biggest city in the country. The funicular is out of the way enough that it doesn't affect the fast pace that has affected Porto and Lisbon to understandably switch from water to electric.