{"id":1910,"date":"2014-03-18T14:45:30","date_gmt":"2014-03-18T14:45:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.applelanguages.com\/blog\/?p=1910"},"modified":"2015-05-29T15:00:58","modified_gmt":"2015-05-29T15:00:58","slug":"porto-comes-out-on-top","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.applelanguages.com\/blog\/locations\/portugal\/porto-comes-out-on-top.php","title":{"rendered":"Porto comes out on top!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Porto\"<\/a>We keenly follow anything related to European travel and were very pleased to see one of Europe\u2019s oldest centres,
\nPorto<\/a>, top the results of the online vote for the \u2018Best Destination of 2014\u2019. If you are unfamiliar with this award, and all the locations that were shortlisted, you may wish to visit the link below!<\/p>\n

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For anyone who has sampled the world famous port, photographed the iconic Dom Lu\u00eds Bridge (which majestically straddles the Douro) or wandered through the historic centre (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), Porto coming out on top of this list may not be a huge surprise! It is also a very active and lively university city, youthful and forward thinking despite its ancient, medieval roots.<\/p>\n

Porto certainly knows how to make you feel welcome and is well aware of its appeal to tourists: the medieval district of Ribeira, port cellars and outstanding river scenery are all worthy of any top-ten list. You cannot fail to feel immediately comfortable with the people and in awe of the history, architecture, culture and gastronomy. If you are able to discover more of Porto, avoiding the temptation of overpriced Francesinha<\/a> (a very meaty and tasty Portuguese sandwich) cafes, restaurants and ice creams by the river, it is easy to do so: an opulent 3 course lunch for less than \u20ac15, local favourites such as a fresh espresso coffee for less than \u20ac1.50, or one of the many less obvious attractions that make Porto such a special destination!<\/p>\n