Felicity Long
Portugal's Porto District is synonymous with wine, and travelers looking to take a deep dive into the region's oenological traditions and products might want to put WOW, a new cultural district on their radar.
Located in the heart of Vila Nova de Guia's historic port warehouse district in Porto, WOW features a collection of seven immersive museums, 12 restaurants from fine dining to casual, bars and cafes, retail outlets and a wine school.
But despite being built from restored wine cellars, WOW offers more to visitors than the obligatory wine tastings — although, of course, that is abundantly available as well.
Barbies and bonbons
For example, travelers can jump on the Barbie trend at the 11-room Pink Palace, where they can pose for selfies in the hotel's pink Cadillac, jump into a magenta ball pit and sample a variety of rose wines, including Quinta do Vale do Bragao Rose and Croft Pink Rose Port.
Mira Mira features Portuguese gastronomy under the direction of two-Michelin-starred chef Ricardo Costa. Photo Credit: Mira Mira by Ricardo Costa
Got kids? How about timing your visit to coincide with the second annual Chocolate Festival Portugal, set to take place Oct. 19 to 22?
Taste chocolates from different countries, take in shows on the Cacao Stage and talks at the Cacao Forum and engage in interactive exhibitions and culinary demonstrations.
Work off that sugar energy at the Escape Room "Mission: Save The Museum," part of the Bridge Collection.
Participants navigate a web of puzzles, cryptic clues and mysterious artifacts while racing against the clock to find a missing artifact.
Eye for art
For a dose of culture, take in the Tate Collection at WOW through Sept. 30 at the Atkinson Museum in collaboration with London's Tate Museum.
The Atkinson Museum, in collaboration with London's Tate Museum, will feature 100 rarely exhibited artworks in the "Dynamic Eye" exhibition. Photo Credit: Kenneth Noland/ADAGP, Paris/SPA, Lisboa, 2023
The "The Dynamic Eye" exhibition will showcase more than 100 rarely exhibited artworks from 63 international artists.
Comprising paintings, sculptures, works on paper, films and installations, the immersive exhibition features the largest number of works to travel from the Tate to Portugal.
Going to wine school
For travelers for whom the region's wine culture is top of mind, the Wine School at WOW offers Wine & Spirit Education Trust courses for visitors.
Designed for a range of oenophiles, from those looking for a career in the industry to lay enthusiasts, the courses focus on international as well as Portuguese wines.
Finally, Mira Mira, a fine dining restaurant under the direction of two-Michelin-starred chef Ricardo Costa, features Portuguese gastronomy using organic produce, along with a robust wine selection from major wine producers and port wine houses as well as smaller wine producers.
NOTE: As of press-time, fires in Portugal were confined to Cascais, about 20 miles from Lisbon. As always, stay current about alerts and advisories via the U.S. State Department.
Correction: WOW features 12 restaurants, bars and cafes; an incorrect number appeared in an earlier version of this article.