Porto

Porto suits travelers who want a compact, hilly, working city rather than a showcase. The old riverside center climbs steeply above the Douro, and the double-deck iron Dom Luís I Bridge carries you across to the port lodges of Vila Nova de Gaia, where the wine has long been aged and tasted. UNESCO listed the historic center in 1996, yet it still feels lived in, with laundry strung over the alleys and small tascas serving francesinha to locals. Lisbon has more grand set pieces and a bigger nightlife scene. Porto packs its best sights into a walkable core, and it is the pick for food, wine and a weekend that needs no tram queue.