Guimarães
Piero: for the third day, the plan includes two stops: Guimarães and Braga.
Angela: 45 minutes by car and we’re in Guimarães, a UNESCO World Heritage city. We start our walk from the square in front of the Church of Nossa Senhora da Consolação.
Piero: now we head toward the historic center and reach Largo da Oliveira, named after the centuries-old olive tree in the middle and the distinctive, curious Gothic chapel.
Angela: the square is dominated by the Church of Nossa Senhora de Oliveira with its bell tower. the town hall building is also notable.
Piero: we continue our route through the historic center, a charming labyrinth of cobbled streets and squares, adorned with towers, cloisters, and stunning palaces made even more beautiful by granite terraces and loggias, as well as wrought-iron balconies.
Angela: at this point we head toward the most emblematic monuments of Guimarães: the Palace of the Dukes of Bragança and the castle.
Piero: the imposing Paço dos Duques de Bragança is a beautiful example of 15th-century noble architecture; it’s a gothic-style palace featuring unusual characteristics for Portugal due to Norman influence.
Angela: in front of the palace stands the statue of Don Alfonso Henrique, the first king of Portugal, credited with freeing the north of the country from Galician rule and the south from Arab domination.
Piero: now we reach the castle for a short but interesting visit inside the ruins. the interior is less striking than the exterior façade with its magnificent seven towers, but it’s worth visiting both for the views from the towers and for its symbolic value as the cradle of Portugal.
Angela: we walk back along the beautiful streets of the historic center to get the car. a quick lunch and then we set off for Braga.
