Vila Nova de Gaia is a city of wine, vineyards and wine cellars. It is located on the left bank of the Duero, in front of the Old Town of Porto, and is included in the UNESCO list with it. Due to its location, it is an excellent vantage point to Porto and the majestic Louis I.
Walking around Porto and crossing the famous steel bridge of Louis I, most tourists do not realize that they are entering another city. Vila Nova de Gaia is an administratively separate center, though located within the greater Porto area. The village is terraced on the bank of the river. Above the buildings, among which large wine storage stands out, grow vineyards surrounding the stone houses of their owners.
Since the Middle Ages, winemakers and merchants settling in Gaia settled in wine barrels from the Alto Douro wine region lying on the Duero. A large group of them were English, who were engaged in, among others bottling the famous port wine into bottles. To this day, it is visible in the names of wineries and port brands, which are called in English, among others, Taylor and Sandeman.
Today, in many warehouses you can taste noble wines, in many of them there are also restaurants. Along the coast, there is a promenade where cruise boats moor. It is from here and from the monastery above Mosteiro da Serra do Pilar located above the Louvic Bridge I that you can admire the most beautiful panorama of Porto.
