The Best European Destinations to See This Fall. Make summer last a bit longer with a trip to Porto, Portugal’s second-largest city, and one of the oldest in Europe.
Set along the Douro River, at the gateway to wine country, Porto boasts a UNESCO World Heritage Site old town that’s lined with colorfully-tiled, often-crumbling facades, and is full of both historic sites (like the Cathedral de Porto, San Bento Railway Station, and the Torre dos Clerigos tower), and independent shops, bars, and restaurants. Pay homage to back-to-school season at hangouts set in former bookstores: Restaurante Book presents its menus of flavorful dishes and Portuguese wines in old paperbacks, with literary quotes above each daily special, while Livraria da Baixa, occupying a nearly-century-old shop, is great for tea, tapas, and well-crafted cocktails (try the Porto Tonico.)