Museum in Guimaraes
Paid entryThere is an entry charge.
Museum of sacred and decorative art housed in the medieval cloister of the former Oliveira collegiate church, in the heart of Guimaraes. Its most famous holding is the tunic said to have been worn by King Joao I at the 1385 Battle of Aljubarrota, alongside Gothic sculpture, textiles, and gold and silver work. Entry is paid but cheap, around 3 euros, and as a Portuguese state museum it often offers reduced or free admission on Sunday mornings, so it pays to check before going. It sits one step from the free Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Oliveira and the cafe-lined Largo da Oliveira, with the Palace of the Dukes of Braganza a short walk uphill.
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Other places worth the walk, and what each one costs.
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.
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