Ye olde castle

Day trip north today to the region where Portugal started as a nation.

First stop was the city of Braga, third largest city in Portugal and one of the wealthiest cities with a strong commercial and industrial base. We visited the Cathedral of Braga, the first Portuguese cathedral, erected several decades before the founding of the country. It began to be built at the end of the 11th century.

After a walk around the old city and spacious town square, we headed to the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus (Good Jesus of the Mount), a Catholic shrine in the hills overlooking the city. We walked the 573 steps up the Staircase of the 5 Senses, and rode down in the cable railway, one of only 3 in the world powered by water (each carriage has a water tank, the top car is filled up, and the weight of the water and gravity pulls the other car up the hill, then the process repeats in reverse).

Our afternoon visit was to Guimarães, the first capital of Portugal. We visited the castle, had lunch in the square and walked the city walls, before heading back to Porto via the coast road.Read more