If you prefer a seaview away from the rush, try the classy, but cozy Hotel Boa Vista in the upscale Foz neighborhood. Oporto offers a wide choice of restaurants ranging from traditional Portuguese cuisine to Brazilian and Indian fare. There are many treasures to explore in the often misty, storied streets of this historic mercantile Atlantic port. Oporto is a World Heritage site designated by the Paris-based U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. That means the city of 330,000 people is one of the world's most precious natural or cultural sites.
Shoppers make their way around men and machines on a street in Oporto, Portugal.
Dozens of construction projects are being carried out to prepare the city to take over as Europe's Culture Capital in 2001 but officials already admit that many projects won't be finished in time. In the background is the 18th century Clerigos tower by Italian architect Nicolai Nasoni, one of Oporto's main landmark. The 15-nation European Union has named Oporto, along with Rotterdam, a yearlong Culture Capital in 2001, an accolade that brings with it a slew of cultural events. But the city's real gems are more permanent. And the people are really friendly,'' he added.