Places to Visit in Guimaraes, Portugal, Europe

Places to Visit in Guimaraes, Portugal, Europe

Guimaraes is one of the important cities of Portugal geographically positioned at 41°27′ N 8°18′ W, covering an area of 23.5 sq. km. It comes under the Braga district in the Ave sub region in the region of Norte.

Because of its notable contribution in the formation of Portugal, Guimaraes is popularly called as the “birthplace of the Portuguese nationality”. Along with Maribor in Slovenia, Guimaraes was honored the European Capital of Culture (2012).

History of Guimaraes:

Guimaraes is a historical city, originally inhabited in the 9th century and called Vimaranes in that time. Guimaraes is especially noted as it was once the administrative centre of Portugal, made by Henry of Burgundy. It is believed that, Guimaraes is the home town of the first Portuguese king, Afonso I of Portugal.

Connectivity to Guimaraes:

Guimaraes is served by Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport or Porto Airport, situated about 55 km away. Including Amsterdam, London, Paris and Rome, Porto Airport covers all the prime European cities.

Guimaraes can be reached from Porto by metro train or coach services. By bus, it takes around 50 minutes and costs 8€, and by taxi, it takes around 40 minutes and costs around 60€ from the Porto Airport to Guimaraes.

Local transportation in Guimaraes is catered by buses and rental vehicles.

Culture, Food and Shopping in Guimaraes:

Guimaraes is home to many colorful events attracting visitors from all around the country and the major events include Festas Gualterianas, Nicolinas, the Big Romaria of São Torcato and the Santa Luzia festivities.

Guimaraes also houses a variety of shops including handicraft products and cotton clothes and the major food corners in Guimaraes are listed below:

Restaurante Cor de Tangerina
Restaurante Florencio
Restaurant Cafe Oriental Guimaraes
Restaurante Art & Gula

Things to do in Guimaraes:

Day tours
Festival celebrations
Hiking

Places to see in Guimaraes:

Guimaraes Castle:

The Guimaraes Castle is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the historical identities of Portugal, dating from the 10^th century. It was resided by Afonso Henriques, the first king of Portugal.

Dukes of Braganza Palace:

The Dukes of Braganza Palace is a historical mansion, constructed in the 1420s. In 1910, it was recognized as a National Monument and this well preserved palace houses a museum as well.

Penha Mountain:

Being the Guimaraes’s only mountain, the Penha Mountain draws a large group of nature and adventure lovers year round. It also offers a great view of entire Guimaraes.

Other places of interests in and around Guimaraes are as follows:

Largo da Oliveira Square
Centro Historico de Guimaraes
Paco dos Duques de Braganca
Citania de Briteiros
Santuario da Penha
Church of St. Francis
Teleferico de Guimaraes
Serra Penha
Alberto Sampaio Museum
Padrao do Salado
Santos Passos Church
Martins Sarmento Museum
Igreja de Sao Miguel do Castelo
Camara Municipal de Guimaraes
Capelas dos Passos da Paixao de Cristo

Best time to visit Guimaraes:

From April to September is the best time to enjoy holidays in Guimaraes.

Accommodation Options in Guimaraes:

Guimaraes is known for its cultural centres, historical and natural sites as well as for its star rated hotels with amazing facilities such as AC, W-Fi, arrangement different recreation activities and vehicles. The reputed hotels in Guimaraes are as follows: