Do you want to visit the World Heritage in Northern Portugal? Search no further, as I’ve rounded up a complete list of the World Heritage in Northern Portugal. From Porto to the Côa Valley – not to mention the Alto Douro Wine Region and Guimarães – get ready to discover unique, beautiful, and jaw-dropping sites!

The North Region or Northern Portugal (in Portuguese, Região do Norte or Região Norte) is a region located in northern Portugal and its capital is the city of Porto. In addition, it’s the most populous region in the country and the third largest, encompassing the Braga, Bragança, Porto, Viana do Castelo, and Vila Real districts, and part of the Aveiro, Guarda, and Viseu districts!

So, do you want to know more about the World Heritage In Northern Portugal (2024)? Keep reading!

This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I earn a small commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you. Please read my disclosure & privacy policy for more information.

No time to read now? Pin it for later!

World Heritage in Portugal

These are the 17 sites currently listed as World Heritage in Portugal:

1. Alto Douro Wine Region (North)
2. Central Zone of the Town of Angra do Heroismo in the Azores (Azores)
3. Convent of Christ in Tomar (Center)
4. Cultural Landscape of Sintra – Chalet of the Countess of Edla, Convent of the Capuchos, Moorish Castle, National Palace of Pena, National Palace of Sintra, Palace of Monserrate, Quinta da Regaleira, Villa Sassetti (Lisbon Metropolitan Area)
5. Garrison Border Town of Elvas and its Fortifications (Alentejo)
6. Historic Center of Évora (Alentejo)
7. Historic Center of Guimarães and Couros Zone (North)
8. Historic Center of Oporto, Luiz I Bridge and Monastery of Serra do Pilar (North)
9. Landscape of the Pico Island Vineyard Culture (Azores)
10. Laurisilva of Madeira (Madeira)
11. Monastery of Alcobaça (Center)
12. Monastery of Batalha (Center)
13. Monastery of the Hieronymites and Tower of Belém in Lisbon (Lisbon Metropolitan Area)
14. Prehistoric Rock Art Sites in the Côa Valley (North)
15. Royal Building of Mafra – Palace, Basilica, Convent, Cerco Garden and Hunting Park (Tapada) (Lisbon Metropolitan Area)
16. Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte in Braga (North)
17. University of Coimbra – Alta and Sofia (Center)

As you can see, these seventeen sites listed as World Heritage in Portugal are distributed as follows:

• 5 in the North
• 4 in the Center
• 3 in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area
• 2 in Alentejo
• 2 in the Azores
• 1 in Madeira

World Heritage in Northern Portugal

1. Historic Centre of Oporto, Luiz I Bridge and Monastery of Serra do Pilar (1996)

The Historic Centre of Oporto, Luiz I Bridge and Monastery of Serra do Pilar (or Historic Center of Porto, Luiz I Bridge, and Monastery of Serra do Pilar) were inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1996, the fifth year in which the country had nominations approved. Of the five sites listed as World Heritage in Northern Portugal, this is the only one situated in the Porto municipality and district.

The Historic Centre of Oporto is a considerable area of the old city, which encompasses more than 50 buildings and structures. The Luiz I Bridge is one of the best-known postcards of Porto and was elected one of the “Most Beautiful Bridges in Europe” by the European Best Destinations, in 2019. Finally, the Monastery of the Serra do Pilar is the perfect viewpoint for admiring this entire UNESCO World Heritage Site!

2. Prehistoric Rock Art Sites in the Côa Valley (1998)

The Prehistoric Rock Art Sites in the Côa Valley were inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1998, the sixth year in which the country had nominations approved. Of the five sites listed as World Heritage in Northern Portugal, this is the only one situated in in the Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo, Mêda, Pinhel, and Vila Nova de Foz Côa municipalities, and in the Guarda district.

Interestingly, this is also the only Portuguese property shared with another country, Spain, because UNESCO extended the classification in 2010 to include the Archaeological Site of the Siega Verde. Located on the banks of the Águeda and Côa rivers, this set of outdoor cave paintings is proof of human occupation in the Iberian Peninsula since the late Upper Paleolithic (22 000-10 000 BC)!

3. Alto Douro Wine Region (2001)

The Alto Douro Wine Region was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2001, the eighth year in which the country had nominations approved. Of the five sites listed as World Heritage in Northern Portugal, this is the only one situated in ten different municipalities and four different districts:

• Alijó, Mesão Frio, Murça, Peso da Régua, Sabrosa, Santa Marta de Penaguião, and Vila Real municipalities, in the Vila Real district
• Armamar, Lamego, São João da Pesqueira, and Tabuaço municipalities, in the Viseu district
• Carrazeda de Ansiães and Torre de Moncorvo municipalities, in the Bragança district
• Vila Nova de Foz Côa municipality, in the Guarda district

Everyone knows that the Port Wine is one of the most appreciated worldwide, but many don’t know that this wine has been produced on the slopes of the Douro River for 2000 years! Over an extension of almost 30,000 hectares, the award-winning Alto Douro Wine Region has become an important international wine tourism center, with numerous estates and wineries increasingly investing in this tourism sector.

4. Historic Centre of Guimarães (2001)

The Historic Centre of Guimarães (or Historic Center of Guimarães) was together on the World Heritage List in 2001, the eighth year in which the country had nominations approved. Of the five sites listed as World Heritage in Northern Portugal, this is the only one situated in the Guimarães municipality, in the Braga district.

In the Historic Centre of Guimarães, the many buildings which still preserve typical Portuguese architecture from the 15th to the 19th centuries stand out. And it’s practically impossible to mention Guimarães without referring to the foundation of Portugal, achieve with the victories of King Afonso Henriques over the Castilians!

5. Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte in Braga (2019)

The Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte in Braga was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2019, the twelfth year in which the country had nominations approved. Of the five sites listed as World Heritage in Northern Portugal, this is the only one situated in the Braga municipality and district.

Inspired by Mount Calvary in Jerusalem, the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte has chapels alluding to the Steps of the Passion of Christ, statues of biblical figures, fountains with allegorical and astral meanings, the oldest hydraulic funicular in the world (in-service), a natural park, and a church raised to the category of Basilica in 2015!

Read my complete guide to the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte in Braga, one of the sites listed as World Heritage in Northern Portugal!

Map of the World Heritage in Northern Portugal

Share this blog post on your social media!

More Posts about Portugal

More Posts about World Heritage

What Photography Gear Do I Use?

• Camera Body: Fujifilm X-T4 Mirrorless
• Camera Lens: Fujinon XF 18-55 mm F2.8-4 R LM OIS
• Tripod: Manfrotto Compact Action
• Small Tripod: Manfrotto PIXI Mini
• Smartphone Adaptor: Manfrotto PIXI Clamp
• Memory Card: SanDisk 128GB Extreme PRO SDXC

This blog post uses stock photographs (Getty Images)