Square in Guimaraes
Also known as Praça de São Tiago
FreeCosts nothing to visit.
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. Reach it on foot along Rua de Santa Maria, the old spine of the centre, and it falls naturally into any walk past the Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Oliveira next door. There is nothing to pay and no ticket to buy, so it costs budget travellers only the price of a coffee if they choose to stop.
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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.
Working out what Guimaraes costs?
The whole of Guimaraes