Visitors’ first impression upon arriving in Portugal’s second-largest city is of the broad avenues and Beaux Arts buildings in the plazas near São Bento train station. But a descent into the oldest part of the city toward the river is a clear reminder: this ain’t Paris. Crumbling buildings hang over tiny and confusing streets covered with hanging laundry and echoing with the conversations of residents. Though the historic center of Porto is a UNESCO World Heritage site and the area right by the river is lined with shops and restaurants aimed at visitors, there’s no question that the old city is not a pristine, Disney-esque tourist town but a living bairro. Porto has the gritty beauty of a true city, built and currently thriving on commerce, not tourism—and it’s got the history (and port wine) to go along with it.