Guimarães

Welcome to the birthplace of Portugal! To visit Guimarães is to understand the foundation of our country. The historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

In the morning, start by visiting the historic city centre, a World Heritage Site. From the Youth Hostel to the hill, where the Paço dos Duques de Bragança is located, it takes about 15 minutes on foot. Here, you must visit the Paço dos Duques, the Castle and the S. Miguel Church. 

Go down Rua de Sta. Maria to Praça de S. Tiago and Largo da Oliveira. Make a brief visit to the N. Sra. da Oliveira Church and take a good look at the Padrão do Salado Monument. You can also see the detail of the granite buildings, wooden balconies and wrought iron decorations. 

Have your lunch here, or choose to eat just a snack. You can try the caldo verde soup or a good cod dish. If you have a sweet tooth, try the torta de Guimarães. Go for a short walk to Largo do Toural and head to the Penha Cable Car. For your afternoon, climb the Penha Mountain and go for a walk among the green areas next to the Sanctuary. 

For a night out, the best bars are in the historic centre. The Vila Flor Cultural Centre also has good concerts. If you like football, you can try watching a match of the city club, Vitória. For a second day or when leaving town, be sure to visit the Citânia de Briteiros archaeological site. It’s 15 km away from the city. 

+ Points of Interest 

• Arts and Creativity Platform 
• University of Minho 
• Cidade Park 
• Alberto Sampaio Museum 

More Information: 
www.guimaraesturismo.com