Miradouro da Vitória

This guide to Miradouro da Vitória in Porto puts you where Arthur Wellesley, the future Duke of Wellington, positioned artillery in 1809 to cover a surprise crossing of the Douro against French troops occupying the city. You'll hear how his soldiers used borrowed wine barges to slip across the river, and learn that this terrace, technically private land, has long been unofficially open to visitors who climb through its gate. The street below once marked the edge of Porto's Jewish quarter.