Portugal with its mild climate, beautiful beaches, original monuments and excellent cuisine attracts an increasing number of tourists every year. The most visited places in the country include Lisbon, Porto and the Algarve coast.
At first glance, the capital of the country, Lisbon may seem unattractive, but after getting to know each other, it can be liked. It is extremely diverse and you can find here both the atmospheric Alfama Old Town with narrow streets and great vantage points, as well as modern districts created on the occasion of the Expo exhibition in 1998. The hallmark of Lisbon are the city lifts and funiculars allowing access to the hills.
On the outskirts of Lisbon is the Belem district, which was once an important seaport. You can see here a picturesque tower built on the water and a real pearl of architecture or Jeronimos Monastery. Noteworthy are other churches and monasteries throughout Portugal, especially the UNESCO-listed Batalha monastery, the Alcobaca monastery and the headquarters of the Knights Templar in Tomar.
Porto is the second most important city in Portugal. It lies at the mouth of the Duero River into the sea and is known not only for its Old Town with houses decorated with azulejos tiles, but also as a center of wine production and export. The local wine depots serve the Duero wine region, which can be visited both by car and from the deck of the boat.
Portugal has a long coastline that attracts fans of summer vacation. The best beaches are in the south of the country, in the Algarve. In addition to the beaches themselves, there are also numerous bays and interesting rock formations that diversify the views and are the destination of tourist boats and ships. West coast is well known to lovers of water sports because of the excellent conditions for practicing incl. surfing and kitesurfing.
