Porto, a World Heritage city, is the gateway and departure point for a journey across the natural and cultural diversity of the region. It is known for the Port wine which is shipped from here all over the world, but also for a heritage which combines ancient churches and monuments, such as the Cathedral and the Church of São Francisco, and modern buildings, such as Casa da Música and the Serralves Museum. And also for its School of Architecture which bred names like Álvaro Siza Vieira and Eduardo Souto de Moura, both winners of the Pritzker Prize.

Coimbra is formal capital of Portugal, but more famous for it’s academic tradition. The university founded in the XIIIth Century and which UNESCO has placed on its list of World Heritage sites. It’s well worth climbing its tower, which houses the bells that signal the start and end of classes, in order to appreciate the superb 360º view of Coimbra. But there is much to see at ground level, too: the Sala dos Capelos hall where the most important ceremonies are held, the Chapel of São Miguel with an imposing Baroque organ and the Joanine Library, which has more than 300,000 works dating from the 16th to the 18th centuries arranged in beautiful gilt-covered bookcases. The buildings occupy the place of the Palace where the first Kings of Portugal lived, when they made the city the capital of the kingdom.

Aveiro, next to the sea and the ria (estuary), is crossed by a network of channels through which moliceiros (local boats) meander. These slim, colourful vessels used to be used to collect algae and seaweed, and today are for sightseeing trips.

Aveiro has a number of buildings in Art Nouveau style that are worth seeing. Many are situated along the main channel, but there are some off the beaten track and in other locations.