Things to do in Porto & the North

In Porto's Baixa, the neo-Gothic Livraria Lello Bookshop, open since 1906, is famous for its crimson staircase and stained-glass ceiling, the Clérigos Tower by Nicolau Nasoni gives a 360º view over the UNESCO-listed historic centre, and the entrance hall of São Bento Station is lined with more than 20,000 blue-and-white azulejo tiles by Jorge Colaço. Browse the fresh produce stalls of the historic Bolhão Market, then board a traditional rabelo boat at Cais da Ribeira for the roughly 50-minute Douro Six Bridges Cruise under the bridges linking Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia. Across the river, the WOW district pairs The Chocolate Experience, with tastings and chocolate-making workshops for children, with Porto Region Across the Ages, an immersive journey through 1,000 years of history, while the Serralves Museum & Park in Boavista combines contemporary art, the pink Art Deco Casa de Serralves and a Treetop Walk. Day trips lead to Braga, where a water-powered funicular opened in 1882 climbs beside a grand Baroque stairway to the sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte, and to the University of Coimbra, home to the Baroque Joanina Library.

Good to knowEntry to Livraria Lello is by ticket, which also works as a voucher toward buying a book, and Bolhão Market is closed on Sundays, so go on a weekday or Saturday morning. Six Bridges cruises leave from Cais da Ribeira or the Gaia quay, with winter departures between 10:30 and 16:30. At the University of Coimbra, Joanina Library entry is for a set time chosen when you buy the ticket and the university tower is currently closed, and at Bom Jesus the classic plan is to ride the funicular up and walk down the stairs.