5 Best Sights in Vila Nova de Gaia, Porto

If your feet are tired, skip climbing up Vila Nova de Gaia's steep hills on foot and hop on the cable car, which offers sweeping views of the Douro River and the Ribeira.

Steps from the Douro, a network of former cellars have been repurposed as a new cultural district showcasing Porto's importance to the global wine industry. With seven museums, 12 places to eat and drink, art galleries, shops, and a wine school, you could easily spend several days exploring everything that World of Wine has to offer. Highlights include a chocolate factory (think Willy Wonka, but with more advice on pairing chocolate with Port wine), and the Pink Palace: an Instagram-ready museum dedicated to rosé wines. Here, visitors can jump into pink ball pools, visit an Old West saloon bar, and climb inside a vintage Cadillac. 

The former home of the sculptor António Teixeira Lopes (1866–1942) contains some excellent sculpture as well as a varied collection of paintings by Teixeira Lopes's contemporaries. It's worth spending some time perusing the collection of books, coins, and ceramics.

Cálem is one of Portugal's biggest port wine producers, and its name is a landmark on the Vila Nova de Gaia skyline. The grand building on the riverbanks is an attraction in itself, and visitors have the option of enjoying fado shows and food-pairing sessions as well as taking tours of the cellars and tasting the wares.

Sandeman's distinctive logo can be seen from across the river, and the image of cable cars soaring over the black, cloaked figure is an unforgettable one. Scotsman George Sandeman founded the brand in London in 1790, and the cellars in Vila Nova de Gaia have been in use since 1811. A museum here re-creates 19th-century London through photographs and other artifacts, and visitors can also explore the cellars and sample the famous tipple.