Ribeira

Ribeira is Porto's biggest heart-stealer. Its Unesco World Heritage maze of medieval alleys zigzags down to the Douro River and a promenade lined with slender, pastel-hued houses and hole-in-the-wall tascas (taverns), with front-row views of the spectacular Ponte de Dom Luís I and the port-wine lodges across the river in Vila Nova de Gaia. Jam-packed with sights, shops and restaurants (and flocks of tourists), this historic neighbourhood is postcard Porto.