Porto

Porto is a city that resembles no other in Europe. Stacked on the steep banks of the Douro a few kilometres from the Atlantic, it combines the history of a medieval trading post and the wine trade with a remarkably dense azulejo architecture and a working-class authenticity that its southern neighbour, Lisbon, has partly traded away to mass tourism.

The historic heart of Porto — the Ribeira, the Douro-side quays, the lanes around the cathedral and the Palácio da Bolsa — has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996. On the opposite bank, linked by the spectacular Ponte Dom Luís I (Eiffel school, 1886), the city of Vila Nova de Gaia holds the lodges of the great Port wine houses: Taylor's, Sandeman, Graham's, Ramos Pinto. This is where the tawnies and vintages age in cellars of a unique atmosphere.

The Livraria Lello (1906), with its Art Nouveau spiral staircase and carved wood panelling, is one of the world's most beautiful bookshops — and one of J. K. Rowling's presumed inspirations for Hogwarts. The Cais da Ribeira, with its riverside terraces, is the social heart of the city. And ninety minutes south-east by train, the Douro Valley — the world's oldest demarcated wine region, UNESCO-listed — offers one of Europe's most spectacular day trips.

Porto is two hours from France by plane, no visa required, euros in pocket, and its daily budget is the lowest of any major European city with serious cultural credentials.