I visited walkable European city with terracotta buildings that's a foodie paradise

This beauteous Portuguese metropolis is simply a haven for food, vino and culture.

When I was a kid I was instructed to overgarment my favourite spot arsenic portion of an creation class. In agleam lipid crayons I painted the depository successful which I spent astir weekends, with its sculptures and artworks successful gilded frames. I’ve ever loved museums and that's wherefore erstwhile I was offered the accidental to research Porto’s newest taste territory which is packed with them, I leapt astatine it.

World of Wine Porto (WOW for short) is simply a postulation of 7 museums, six of which are imperishable and 1 which rotates. There’s 12 restaurants, a vino schoolhouse and respective shops which merchantability everything from section creation to rubber ducks. The territory lone opened successful 2020, objectively a unspeakable clip to effort and motorboat specified an ambitious project, but it’s already proving popular.

The museums each research portion of Portugal’s past and civilization from the finest chocolate, done to the accumulation of cork, and the ritual of drinking vino done the ages, WOW offers thing for each ages.

When we visited connected Saturday the territory was buzzing with tourists and locals, arsenic radical young and aged checked retired what WOW has to offer. We started our circuit successful The Chocolate Story which dives heavy into the origins and taste value of cocoa from the Aztecs and Mayans each the mode done to now. The depository has been expertly enactment unneurotic with English and Portuguese plaques that explicate each the information. Once you’ve traced the past of cocoa you tin caput downstairs to the WOW Chocolate Factory wherever agleam yellowish clad workers temper and determination the cocoa which you tin past acquisition successful the acquisition store oregon the café.

After the astir delicious cocoa tasting I’ve ever experienced, wherever we learned however to genuinely admit the luxury of cocoa with each sense, it was clip to caput to the Wine Experience.

This was different incredibly well-researched and good enactment unneurotic depository which traced the past of wine, arsenic good arsenic the galore antithetic regions of Portugal producing gorgeous grapes and delicious wines. The depository is simply a large premix of acquisition and experience, from interactive exhibits to gorgeous documentaries.

I indispensable admit that I really don’t similar wine, but this depository went a decent mode to changing my mind. If there’s 1 happening that volition marque you crave a crisp solid of white, it’s learning precisely however overmuch effort goes into procuring it. Luckily, the Wine Experience offers a tasting astatine its culmination wherever an adept volition instrumentality you done 3 antithetic wines and however to decently admit them.

One of my favourite things astir WOW was however adjacent everything is. All the museums are located little than 5 minutes from each other. We managed to spot 5 of them successful a azygous day, and the territory itself is located successful the historical centre of Vila Nova de Gaia, which is an casual fractional an hr locomotion from the metropolis of Porto. As WOW is nestled into the hillside connected the southbound broadside of the Douro River which cuts the metropolis successful half, it besides offers stunning views of the city.

Red terracotta roofs are stacked ramshackle into the hillside and the tiny ants of tourists tin beryllium seen wandering done the winding streets of the city. At nighttime the scenery genuinely comes live arsenic the lights of the metropolis glitter and the Dom Luís I Bridge which spans the stream illuminates the dark.

After gathering up an awesome hunger from a agelong time of exploring museums and tasting wines, we were fortunate capable to beryllium invited to 1 of WOW's galore restaurants.

Mira Mira by Ricardo Costa is the chef's archetypal effort astatine good eating extracurricular his edifice astatine the Yeatman Hotel which gained 2 Michelin stars. As soon arsenic you locomotion in, it feels luxurious. The lights are dim, there’s a stunning terrace with views retired implicit the metropolis and the unit are good dressed, knowledgeable and astir of each - friendly.

Mira Mira boasts a much relaxed attack to good eating with an accent connected Portuguese cuisine. The Harvest Menu which we sampled was 9 courses of immoderate of the astir absorbing and beauteous nutrient I person ever tasted.

From spider crab to pork and everything successful betwixt this was an acquisition similar nary other. The talented sommelier besides showcased immoderate of the astir decadent and absorbing Portuguese wines which paired perfectly with our meals.

This was the archetypal clip I person ever enjoyed reddish wine, and I enactment it up to the expertise of the unit astatine Mira Mira.

WOW Porto is genuinely a vino lover's imagination - and coming from an historical vino hater, that is something. Even I near WOW with a newfound appreciation for vino successful each its forms, beryllium that red, white, roseate oregon Port.

With Porto conscionable a 2 hr formation from London and flights leaving daily, there’s nary crushed not to travel and acquisition this fabulous portion of culture.

WOW offers respective summons packages wherever you tin prime from 1 to 5 museums to research connected a azygous ticket.