Braga
Braga’s extraordinary cathedral, the oldest in Portugal, was begun when the archdiocese was restored in 1070 and completed in the following century. It’s…
Must-see attractions in The Minho
The Minho
The largest, oldest and most celebrated of the Minho's markets is the Feira de Barcelos, held every Thursday in Barcelos on the banks of Rio Cávado…
The Minho
The city’s pièce de résistance, this elegant 31-arched bridge across the Rio Lima is now limited to foot traffic. Most of it dates from the 14th century,…
Escadaria do Bom Jesus do Monte
Braga
Climbing dramatically to the hilltop pilgrimage site of Bom Jesus do Monte, 5km east of Braga, is this extraordinary staircase, with allegorical fountains…
Parque Nacional da Peneda-Gerês
For spectacular views over the Albufeira de Caniçada reservoir and the southern reaches of Parque Nacional Peneda-Gerês, snake 6km uphill through the…
Centro Interpretativo das Memórias da Misericórdia de Braga
Braga
Braga's newest museum is housed inside Palácio do Raio, whose exuberantly tiled rococo façade (by André Soares) is must-see material for any aficionado of…
Santuário de Nossa Senhora da Peneda
Parque Nacional da Peneda-Gerês
About 10km south of Lamas de Mouro, straddling a deep ravine, Peneda is one of the park’s most stunning mountain villages, and the serra’s namesake. Its…
Mosteiro de Santa Maria das Júnias
Parque Nacional da Peneda-Gerês
Built on the site of a 9th-century pre-Romanesque hermitage, this lovely 12th-century Benedictine monastery in a remote river valley fell under the sway…
The Minho
Valença's fortaleza is in fact two fortresses, bristling with bastions, watchtowers, massive gateways and defensive bulwarks, connected by a single bridge…
The Minho
One of the most evocative archaeological sites in Portugal, Citânia de Briteiros, 15km north of Guimarães, is the largest of a liberal scattering of…
Viana do Castelo
There are two good reasons to visit Viana’s 228m eucalyptus-clad hill. One is the wondrous view down the coast and up the Lima valley. The other is the…
Guimarães
Some 7km southeast up a twisting, cobbled road – or a short ride on an ageing cable car – is the wooded summit of Penha (617m) overlooking Guimarães, the…
The Minho
The best part of Monção’s old town is the utter lack of tourism. It’s almost exclusively a local scene in chestnut-shaded Praça Deu-la-Deu, where a hand…
The Minho
On the N101, 5km south of Monção, this grand early 19th-century neoclassical palace has been open to the public since 2010. Visits are by guided tour only…
Braga
A guided tour grants access to the cathedral’s three most striking chapels: the showpiece Capela dos Reis, home to the tombs of Henri of Burgundy and Dona…
Braga
An 18th-century aristocrat’s palace is home to Braga's enthusiastic municipal museum, with a nice collection of Roman relics and 17th- to 19th-century…
Parque Nacional da Peneda-Gerês
Built during the reign of Afonso III, this 13th-century castle 5km from the Spanish border long served as a key Portuguese military outpost. These days it…
Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Oliveira
Guimarães
Founded by Countess Mumadona in the 12th century and rebuilt four centuries later, the beautiful Largo da Oliveira is dominated by this convent church.
The Minho
In a gorgeous red mansion right after the Roman bridge in Arcozelo is this museum dedicated to Portuguese toys. The focus is on toys made from the late…
The Minho
For panoramic views up and down the Lima valley, climb 6km into the hills northwest of Ponte de Lima to this tiny, bizarre chapel dedicated to Santo…
Plataforma das Artes e Criatividade
Guimarães
For the 2012 European Capital of Culture, the old market square was revamped into a multipurpose cultural centre inside a shimmering three-floor metallic…
Parque Nacional da Peneda-Gerês
This gorgeous waterfall is accessed from a bridge over the Rio Arado, just north of the village of Ermida. To see the falls from above, climb to the…
Viana do Castelo
Demanding attention on the waterfront near Largo 5 de Outubro is a pioneering naval hospital ship, the Gil Eannes (zheel yan-ish). Now restored, the ship…
The Minho
West of the river, this small, intriguing green space with rose bushes and lemon-filled trellises next to a public swimming pool is notable for its annual…
Braga
This spiffy modern cultural centre lives inside an 18th-century building that once housed police headquarters. Enter through the sliding glass doors and…
Guimarães
Built in the 11th century and still in fine form, the seven-towered castle is thought to be the birthplace of the great man himself, Afonso Henriques…
Viana do Castelo
This is one of the Minho’s best beaches: a 1km-long arc of blonde, powdery sand that folds into grassy dunes backed by a grove of wind-blown pines. It’s…
Parque Nacional da Peneda-Gerês
Standing alone on a rocky mountaintop, this whitewashed chapel surrounded by rugged peaks is an important pilgrimage site for the residents of Pitões das…
Guimarães
This slender 18th-century construction, with its 19th-century twin spires and blooming run-up from central Guimarães, has the most striking appeal of all…
Nucleo Museológico de Campo do Gerês
Parque Nacional da Peneda-Gerês
At the main crossroads 1.5km south of Campo do Gerês village, this museum has exhibits on local flora and fauna – but its highlight is the section…
Viana do Castelo
This fine hub of seven narrow laneways is at the heart of the old town’s zone of mansions and monuments. An especially elegant example is the Chafariz, a…
Museu Arqueológico Martins Sarmento
Guimarães
This fantastic collection of mostly Celtiberian artefacts is housed in a former convent and named after the archaeologist who excavated Citânia de…
Guimarães
Looming over the medieval city on Guimarães’ hilltop, with its crenellated towers and cylindrical brick chimneys, Paço dos Duques was first built in 1401…
Braga
Tucked away below street level and concealed by a modern lobby is this evocative ancient spring, one of Braga's unexpected treasures. An essential…
Braga
The archaeological museum houses a nicely displayed collection of fragments from Braga’s earliest days. The four rooms feature pieces from Palaeolithic…
Braga
The cafes and restaurants on this broad plaza are a pleasant place to start or finish your day. An especially mellow atmosphere descends in the evening,…
The Minho
Along with the Torre da Cadeia Velha, this tower constitutes the only standing remains of Ponte de Lima's medieval walls. Note the somewhat bizarre…
The Minho
Downriver from Ponte de Lima's famous bridge, the 18th-century Igreja de São Francisco dos Terceiros houses a variety of ecclesiastical and folk treasures…
Templo do Sagrado Coração de Jesus
Viana do Castelo
This fabulously over-the-top, 20th-century, neo-Byzantine church is one of two reasons to visit Viana’s 228m eucalyptus-clad hill. You can get a little…
Braga
The cathedral's modern treasury museum houses a goldmine of ecclesiastical booty, including the lovely Nossa Senhora do Leite of the Virgin suckling…
