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Guimarães Castle with its granite towersDudva · CC BY-SA 4.0

What to do · Guimarães

Guimarães Castle and the church of São Miguel

The castle associated with the birth of Portugal, with walls you can walk and the Romanesque church of Afonso Henriques's baptism. Visit · 1 h · €5

Information€5; with the palace, €13
Price
€5; with the palace, €13
Duration
1 h
Season
All year, 10:00 to 18:00
Who it's for
Everyone; the slope and wall stairs, no pushchairs

On top of Monte Latito, the castle is the monument associated with the origin of the kingdom. You walk the walls, not the keep, which is closed to the public. Beside it, the small Romanesque church of São Miguel, where tradition places the baptism of the first king. Open every day from 10:00 to 18:00 (last entry at 17:30); the ticket office is at the palace. It costs €5, half price for young people aged 13 to 24, over-65s and families.

With young childrenAs a familyWith teenagers

Opening hours and prices can change: check them before you go.

Round off the plan

Where to eat, where to stay and what else to do

To eat nearby

The garden terrace, with wooden tables under parasols© Cor de Tangerina

Cor de Tangerina

Restaurant · Guimarães · €€€€

What to order: the potato mille-feuille with chanterelles and acorn, awarded in the vegan category of the 7 Maravilhas da Nova Gastronomia.

Chef António Loureiro plating up in the kitchen© A Cozinha

A Cozinha by António Loureiro

Restaurant · Guimarães · €€€€

What to order: the Equilíbrio menu, of six or nine courses; on the short à la carte, the beef with cauliflower that the Michelin guide highlights.

To stay nearby

The tower of the Oliveira church and the square with terraces, seen from the hotel© Hotel da OliveiraSmall hotel

Hotel da Oliveira

Oliveira square · Themed rooms · Apartments with terrace · HOOL restaurant

Why we like it: A boutique hotel on the Oliveira square itself, with rooms dedicated to figures and traditions of the city and the HOOL restaurant downstairs.

The hotel's entrance courtyard under a wisteria in bloom© Hotel TouralHotel

Hotel Toural

Largo do Toural · 1886 building · Spacious rooms with bathtub · Bar

Why we like it: A four-star hotel in an 1886 building on Largo do Toural, between the new town and the historic centre, with a breakfast of local produce.

The pousada's stone monastery on the slope of Penha© Pousadas de PortugalHotel

Pousada Mosteiro de Guimarães

12th-century monastery · Views of Guimarães · Pool in summer · Dogs allowed

Dogs welcome

Why we like it: A pousada in a 12th-century Augustinian monastery on the climb to Penha, about 3 km from the centre, with views over the city, a pool and a garden.

Itineraries

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