Europe 2023

We had arranged with Pedro to do another tour with his company Peter’s Beetle, as we had had great fun n 2019. As the weather was a bit all over the place, we agreed to the tour being in the Passat instead of the Beetle convertible. We were pretty flexible as to what the tour would include as we have done the introduction to Porto tour previously. Pedro suggested we drive up to Braga, about a 35 minute drive north of Porto and we thought this sounded like a plan.

We headed off and out of the city and onto the freeway with Pedro giving a running commentary and, before you knew it, we were there. We first drove up to the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte. It is a Catholic shrine in Tenões, outside the city of Braga. It’s name means Good Jesus of the Mount. This sanctuary is a notable example of a Christian pilgrimage site with a monumental Baroque stairway that climbs 116 metres up from below. Bom pilgrims climb it on their knees. On 7 July 2019 it was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The views were amazing and the inside of the church, particularly the altar, was quite unusual. There are a number of swanky hotels up there and it would be a nice place to just chill for a couple of days. You also get lovely views back over Braga.

On the way out we had a very funny experience. Pedro had driven ‘down’ a hill near the Sanctuary and stopped the car. He then said “Can you hear Jesús calling? He’s calling you back.” As he had just locked the car, we weren’t quite sure what to think. He then put the car in neutral and let go of the steering wheel and the car started to roll ‘up’ the hill with some speed. He did this several times and we were in on the joke. We were all rolling around with laughter. He said he used to go on holidays to Braga when he was a kid and his Dad used to love to do this. Where not sure what it was, but it was all a bit Twilight Zone.

We then drove down to the old historic town of Braga, where we walked around and got a feel for the place. Braga is host to the oldest Portuguese Catholic archdiocese, and it is a seat of the Primacy of the Spain and Portugal. During the Roman Empire, then known as Bracara Augusta, the settlement was the capital of the province of Gallaecia and one of the first to separate from the Roman Empire. Within the city there is a castle tower. Nowadays, Braga is a major hub for inland Northern Portugal and is an important stop on the Portuguese Way of St James.

We also visited the Braga Cathedral. Due to its long history and artistic significance, it is one of the most important buildings in the country. It is the seat of the Archdiocese of Braga and of the Primate Archbishop of Portugal and Spain. The Cathedral has been classified as a National Monument since 1910. It was established in 1089 and the architect was João de Castillo. The Cathedral has Gothic, Moorish, Manueline and Baroque styles throughout. It also has an extremely impressive organ set up.

The old historical city of Braga is beautifully set out, nice and flat and so easy to get around. There are lovely plazas and restaurants and streets with lovely stores. The pace in Braga seemed a bit more relaxed and laid back compared to Porto.Læs mere