2 Best Sights in Northern Portugal, Portugal

This striking museum was inaugurated a few years after UNESCO named the Alto Douro Wine Region a World Heritage Site in 2001, underscoring its importance in terms of cultural history and tourism. Housed in the imposing former headquarters of Portugal's oldest wine company, the Real Companhia Velha, it also has a contemporary wing that hosts major exhibitions about the region, its history, and its leading figures. The ticket price includes a complimentary glass of port wine, but those with an appetite can stay for lunch or dinner in the restaurant and wine bar, which overlook the river. For a guided tour of the museum in English (€20), book a couple of days in advance.

Housed in a former bishop's palace, the Museu do Abade de Baçal is named after Francisco Manuel Alves (1865–1948), a local abbot with a deep interest in the region's history and art, who contributed to the museum's creation. Its collections includes archaeological discoveries such as boar-shaped fertility symbols, tombstones with pinwheel patterns, and ancient coins.