Porto, Portugal
Porto (or also Oporto) with 1.6 million in the Greater Metropolitan Area is a major financial and economic center in Portugal, with its historic Centre a UNESCO World Heritage Site; it is in the heart of the Green Coast region, where the most ancient civilazions, Celtic and Roman, left traces in dolmens and monuments, a territory of solitary monasteries with seaview and medieval castles as the astounding fortress of Guimaraes.
Among the many and varied monuments, not to miss are the cathedral with its Romanesque choir, the neoclassical Stock Exchange (Palácio da Bolsa) with its Arab Room, the Manueline-style Church of Santa Clara, the Hospital of Saint Anthony, the buildings in the Avenida dos Aliados, the tile-adorned Sao Bento Train Station and the gardens of the Crystal Palace (Palácio de Cristal), as well as other more recent architecture, as the wonderful concert hall space Casa da Música, completed in 2005 on a design by the Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas. Other attractions include the Seafront of the Foz district, a wonderful promenade under the shadow of palm trees.