Palace in Guimaraes
Also known as Paco dos Duques de Braganca
Paid entryThere is an entry charge.
A striking 15th-century palace on the Guimaraes castle hill, instantly recognizable by its forest of tall brick chimneys, a Burgundian-style detail you will not see anywhere else in northern Portugal. Built for the first Duke of Braganca, left to ruin, used as an army barracks, then rebuilt in the 20th century into a furnished museum, it is one of the most visited monuments in the region.
The palace charges a modest admission, but the budget play is the combined castle-hill ticket: it bundles the palace with Guimaraes Castle and the little Igreja de Sao Miguel do Castelo next door for less than buying each on its own. If you would rather spend nothing, the exterior is the real photograph anyway. Those tall chimneys against the sky are the shot, and walking the grounds around the palace and castle is free. Pay the entry only if you want the furnished rooms, the tapestries, and the weapons inside.
Practical
Nearby
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.
Working out what Guimaraes costs?
The whole of Guimaraes