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.

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

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!

Born in Lisbon in 1798, Dom Pedro I was the founder and first ruler of the Empire of Brazil. Later…read moreas Petro IV of Portugal, he reigned briefly in 1826 before abdicating his throne to his eldest daughter, Dona Maria II. But then her throne was usurped by Prince Don Miguel, Pedro I's younger brother (and I imagine, Maria's uncle). Pedro I invaded Portugal at the head of an army in July 1832, he ended up involved in a conflict that took over the entire Iberian Peninsula in a struggle between proponents of Liberalism and those seeking a return to Absolutism. Unfortunately, he died of tuberculosis shortly after he and the liberals were victorious. He was hailed by contemporaries and by posterity as a key figure who helped spread the liberal ideals that allowed Brazil and Portugal to move to representative forms of government. This equestrian statue of Dom Pedro IV features him holding a document in his right hand. It symbolizes the new national charter of representative government.

This modern statue of Bishop António Ferreira Gomes sits right near the tower of the Clérigos…read moreChurch and today served as the meeting point for my walking tour of Porto. Bishop Gomes was a Portuguese Roman Catholic bishop, and is considered one of the most notable figures of Portuguese Catholic hierarchy in the 20th century. First appointed by Pope Pius XII as bishop of Portalegre (about 300 kilometers southeast of Porto), from 1949 to 1952. He was appointed bishop of Porto in 1952, a position that he held until 1982. He opposed the regime of Portuguese prime minister António de Oliveira Salazar, writing a letter that was supposed to be private but was made public. In the letter, he criticized the PM and it eventually caused Salazar to exile Gomes abroad until a new President of Portugal allowed his return in 1969. He eventually retired as Bishop of Porto in 1982 and died in 1989. [Review 9841 overall, 1419 of 2018.]

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!

This statue located in the João Chagas Garden / Jardim da Cordoaria remembers Ramalho Ortigão…read more(1836-1915) who was a famous Portuguese writer of the late 19th century and early 20th century. A proponent of the literary trend of Romanticism, he became involved in a struggle with a group opposed to it. It became quite heated, to the point where he even fought a duel with one of those writers, Antero de Quental. He was co-author of "The Mystery of the Sintra Road", widely considered to be the first Portuguese detective story.

Near the restaurant but not actually the restaurant, this historical marker along the Douro…read moreriverside. The caption reads: "From the 18 doors and hatches built in the wall in the 16th century, this is the only one that's been kept until our days. This hatch had a gothic inscription from 1386 and it was used to connect the Fonte Tourina Street and the harbor pier." Yeah, six hundred years. Worth checking out if you're down this way. [Review 9916 overall, 1494 of 2018.]

Located to the right when facing the Centro Portugues de Fotografia (Portuguese Center for…read morePhotography), this is a statue of a man grabbing a naked woman's butt. Yep, that's something worth making a statue for. Amor de Perdição is a 19th-century Portuguese novel by Camilo Castelo Branco. The story has been made into movies, but I don't see them being released outside of Portugal. Amusingly, people have added decals on the lady's bum. It's worth a stop for the Instagram.