In the seaport city of Porto, northwestern Portugal

 On the right (north) bank of the Douro River, the opulent city of Porto entices with its historic center and sumptuous food and wine.

====================================================================
(in northwestern Portugal) A seaport city, Porto, was called Portus Cale in Roman times, though an earlier settlement had flourished on the Douro’s south bank. Held successively by the Alani, Visigoths, Moors, and Christians, it became an important port in the 14th century. Henry the Navigator was born here in 1394. It was the site of a British victory over the French in the 1809 Peninsular War. World-famous for its port wine, Porto, Portugal’s second largest city, is the region’s commercial and industrial center. 

+ Porto is one of the oldest European centers, and its core was proclaimed a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1996 (as "Historic Centre of Porto, Luiz I Bridge and Monastery of Serra do Pilar.") The historic area is also a National Monument of Portugal. 

+ Port wine, one of Portugal's most famous exports, is named after Porto, since the metropolitan area, and in particular the cellars of Vila Nova de Gaia, were responsible for the packaging, transport, and export of  wine. (Porto is on the Portuguese Way path of the Camino de Santiago.)

+ In Portugal’s Norte region you could begin with the UNESCO sites in Porto, Guimarães or the Douro Valley. Or you could escape to the unspoiled wilderness of , or the Atlantic Coast and beach after beach of tempting golden sand. And, then there is the wine, grown on the spectacular terraced vineyards on the banks of the Douro in the east and the Minho in the north.

+ In summary, Porto -- stretching along the sinewy curves of the Douro River -- is a city of hilly cobblestone lanes, avant-garde museums, and grand architectural monuments that date back to the Middle Ages. It’s also a top city for culinary adventures amid northern Portugal’s finest restaurants and wine bars. You will find maze-like neighborhoods that are a delight (mostly) to get lost within and vertiginous viewpoints teetering high above the terracotta rooftops. Some of Porto’s best experiences simply have no analog in Portugal (or anywhere else for that matter) -- whether walking Porto’s famed cast-iron bridge above the river as the sun sets beyond the seaside, or hunting down the latest street art carved into the walls in the lanes of Miragaia.

+ While here, be sure to take in the river views from the bustling Ribeira district (shown here): Porto started out as a sleepy fishing village along the Douro River on the site of the modern-day neighborhood of Ribeira. Today, the district buzzes with activity day and night. Although it is very tourist-centric, travelers flock to Ribeira for a reason -- notably its marveous views of the river. You will also find back-to-back restaurants and bars, craft markets, and street performances. Just back from the river, visit Casa do Infante, where Prince Henry the Navigator was born in 1394. Henry is also honored by a statue outside the opulent Palácio da Bolsa.