Porto is the capital and gateway to Northern Portugal. It is the city that provided a nation with a name and a fortified wine known world-wide: port. With its splendid geographical location on the mouth of the Douro River and an architectural heritage of exceptional quality, the historic center of Porto was declared UNESCO World Heritage in 1996.  In addition to its history, any visitor to Porto will be quickly impressed by the forceful character both of the city and its inhabitants. The downtown of Porto is called 'Baixa' where all the rhythms of city life, movement and intense retailing are found. There is a very peculiar expression which bestows a Nordic, mercantile tone onto a city that is both spiritually and intensely baroque. In sharp contrast, in the Serralves Park, there is the sheer modernity of the building housing the Museum of Contemporary Art, and the romantic, soothing surroundings of the surrounding leafy park.