Porto, Portugal Photo Diary

I cannot believe these photos of Porto, Portugal are just now making their way to the blog, considering that this picturesque cliffside city was, quite possibly, one of my top five destinations on our entire trip across Europe.

Exactly three years ago the husband and I quit our jobs, packed our belongings and bought two one-way tickets to Europe – Munich, to be exact – for an adventure of a lifetime, so today is quite the appropriate day to (once again) begin sharing previously unseen photos from our trip – starting with Porto, Portugal.

Porto, which is the second largest city of Portugal, doesn't get nearly as much attention as Lisbon, the capital. The entire country in general is very underrated – a pleasant discovery that made us all the happier to have added it to our "must see" list. 

Our journey to this seaside destination was quite exhausting and included sleeping in the car for multiple nights in a row, so the first sights of the rugged beauty of this place were quite welcome. 

The city's crumbling historical center, declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1996, is full of cobblestone streets, decaying yet still occupied buildings and the most charming of European balconies adorned with flowerpots and fresh laundry. My personal favorite way to spend a day in what is often called the Capital of the North, however, is lounging atop the two-level Ponte de Dom Luis, which stretches across the Duoro River. 

Have you ever been to Porto or any city in Portugal? I hope my travel diaries will encourage you to start making plans of your own.

Which EU country would you like me to highlight next? Any exciting traveling plans coming up for you?

To see the rest of my top five European destinations, check out Paris, Dubrovnik, Cinque Terre and Amalfi.