Porto, Portugal

Porto is Portugal's second largest city and the capital of the Northern region, and a busy industrial and commercial centre. The city isn't very populous (about 240,000 inhabitants), but the Porto metropolitan area has some 2 million inhabitants in a 50-km radius, with cities like Vila Nova de Gaia, Vila do Conde, Póvoa de Varzim and Espinho.

The city is built at the high ground overlooking the Douro River estuary's northern side, and its historical center was awarded World Heritage status by UNESCO in 1996. It has been continuously inhabited since at least the 4th century BC.