Guimaraes, Birthplace of Portugal
Just a half hour north of Porto lies the city of Guimarães, considered to be the birthplace of Portugal ever since Afonso Henriques defeated his own mother in battle and her Galician allies and proclaimed himself Portugal’s first king. Since it was so close to Porto, we decided to take a daytrip to this historic city which has been deemed a UNESCO World Heritage Site and it was well worth the visit.
Places of Interest
This national monument serves as an official residence for the president of Portugal and is notable for its collection of tapestries, furniture, ceramics, paintings and weapons. It is also the original residence of the first duke of Braganza, a title which was historically used to identify the heir to the Portuguese throne. It only costs 5 Euro ($6 USD) to enter and you can find more information at: https://pacodosduques.gov.pt/planear-visita/bilhetica-horarios/?lang=en
Dating back almost 1,000 years ago, this church is said to have been the site of baptism for the first king of Portugal, Afonso Henriques.
This fairytale castle was built over 1,000 years ago and was even the site of a siege during Portugal’s war of independence led by Afonso Henriques. For only 2 Euro ($2.40 USD) you can enter the castle and climb its towers. In doing so, you get a breathtaking 360 degrees view of the city, which is especially nice at sunset.
Also known as Largo do Toural, this is the main plaza in the city and it is lined with shops and restaurants which make for some fun afternoon strolling.
Just a short walk from the Dukes of Braganza Palace you will find this hidden gem serving up very generous portions of authentic Portuguese cuisine for reasonable prices. For us, this was our favorite part of visiting Guimaraes because apart from the mouth watering food, this is also where we were introduced to the amazing Portuguese dessert queijinho do ceu, which translates to “little cheese from heaven.”
Day Trip Ideas
Braga
Porto
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