City in Portugal
15 things to see10 of them free
The “birthplace of Portugal” with a UNESCO-listed historic center, the castle where the first Portuguese king was born, and the Palace of the Dukes of Braganza. Budget travelers find an affordable medieval city in the Minho region where the whole old town is free to explore on foot. The lanes between Largo da Oliveira and Praca de Santiago cost nothing to wander, the grounds of Guimaraes Castle are free to enter, and pay-what-you-want walking tours leave from the central squares. A big University of Minho student population keeps cafe and restaurant prices low. Guimaraes is a short, cheap regional train ride from Porto and pairs well with nearby Braga, so it works best as a day trip. Spring and autumn give the best value, with mild weather and fewer crowds than the summer peak.
What to see
10 of these cost nothing at all.
Franciscan church and former convent at the southern edge of the historic centre of Guimaraes, a classified heritage monument best known for its Baroque interior. Blue-and-white azulejo panels line the walls with hagiographic scenes from the life of Saint Anthony, set off by carved and gilded woodwork on the altars.
The medieval walls that once ringed the old town of Guimaraes, the city Portugal calls its birthplace. Built to protect the settlement that grew below the castle, the surviving stretches still frame the UNESCO-listed historic centre and connect visually to Guimaraes Castle on the hill above.
Former convent of the Poor Clares whose Baroque facade now fronts the Guimaraes City Hall (Camara Municipal). The exterior, public square, and classical cloister sit free to view on a walk through the UNESCO-listed historic centre, a short stroll from Largo do Toural and on the way up toward Guimaraes Castle and the Palace of the Dukes of Braganza.
Home ground of Vitoria Sport Clube, one of Guimaraes's biggest institutions and a long-running Primeira Liga club. The Estadio D. Afonso Henriques was rebuilt to host Euro 2004 matches and is named after Afonso Henriques, the first King of Portugal, who was a native of this city. Walking up to it and viewing the exterior costs nothing.
The 10th-century hilltop castle where Afonso Henriques, the first king of Portugal, is traditionally said to have been born, which is why Guimaraes calls itself the birthplace of the country.
The Gothic collegiate church on Largo da Oliveira is the historic heart of Guimaraes and one of the most photographed spots in the city, thanks to the Gothic stone canopy, the Padrao do Salado, that stands in front of it. The square outside and that canopy shrine cost nothing to admire, which is where most of the value sits for budget travelers.
Small Romanesque chapel on the castle hill in Guimaraes, traditionally tied to the baptism of Afonso Henriques, the first king of Portugal. It stands on the green between Guimaraes Castle and the Palace of the Dukes of Braganza, so it costs nothing extra to fold into the walk most people already do up the hill.
The principal medieval square of Guimaraes and one of the most atmospheric corners of its UNESCO-listed historic centre. The square is dominated by the Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Oliveira and the small Gothic canopy monument standing in front of it, the Padrao do Salado, which is among the most photographed objects in the city.
Largo do Toural is the grand public square that marks the boundary between the medieval upper town of Guimaraes and the later expansion that grew outside the old walls. The Chafariz do Toural fountain anchors the space, ringed by neoclassical facades, and it serves as the main orientation point for visitors arriving on foot.
Museum of sacred and decorative art set inside the medieval cloister of the former Oliveira collegiate church, in the heart of Guimaraes's UNESCO old town. The collection runs from Gothic sculpture and gold and silver work to textiles, and its headline piece is the tunic said to have been worn by King Joao I at the 1385 Battle of Aljubarrota.
A striking 15th-century palace on the Guimaraes castle hill, instantly recognizable by its forest of tall brick chimneys, a Burgundian-style detail that sets it apart from anything else in northern Portugal.
A small medieval square in the UNESCO-listed historic centre of Guimaraes, opening directly onto Largo da Oliveira and tied by tradition to the apostle Saint James (Santiago). It is free to wander and ringed with cafe terraces, which makes it an easy place to sit between sights.
One of the oldest streets in Guimaraes, connecting the castle hill to Largo da Oliveira. Lined with medieval buildings and iron balconies, it is the spine of the UNESCO-listed historic centre. Walking it costs nothing.
The only surviving tower of the medieval wall that once ringed Guimaraes, the city Portugal calls its birthplace, with the inscription "Aqui Nasceu Portugal" ("Portugal was born here") set into the stone beside it. It is a compact landmark inside the UNESCO-listed historic centre, and it is free to visit.
Zona de Couros is the former leather-tanning quarter of Guimaraes, the low-lying district where the city's tanneries once worked hides for centuries. The stone tanning tanks, the poças, are still set into the ground between the buildings, and they give the area an industrial-heritage character found nowhere else in the city.
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