A street scene in Vila Nova de Gaia depicts a narrow street and the city of Porto across the Douro River.

Dating back to 1906, Livraria Lello, the Lello Bookstore, boasts unique architecture that blends elements of Neo Gothic, Art Deco, and Art Nouveau styles that comprise intricate woodwork, a large stained glass skylight and a red spiral staircase which starts as one set of stairs and splits into two that join in a circular design. It is this location that may have inspired J.K. Rowling's take on the elaborate Grand Staircase at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, known for changing its configuration without notice, as Rowling was a resident of Porto for two years beginning in 1991. It became so popular with tourists that in July 2015 the store started charging a 5 Euro entrance fee and queues can take over an hour.