Portugal was born here.
Afonso shows you the city.

Castelo de Guimarães

Medieval castle built in the 10th century by order of Countess Mumadona Dias to defend the monastery from Norman and Muslim attacks. It's considered the main symbol of Portugal's founding, known as the place "where the nation was born". It has a polygonal layout with seven turrets and a central keep about 27 metres tall.

Paço dos Duques de Bragança

Manor palace built between 1420 and 1433 for D. Afonso, 1st Duke of Bragança. Listed as a National Monument since 1910, it's now one of the most visited museums in Portugal, showcasing collections of tapestries, furniture, paintings, sculpture and weapons from the 17th and 18th centuries. It also includes a wing used as an official residence of the Presidency of the Republic.

Padrão do Salado

Commemorative monument standing next to the Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Oliveira, in Largo da Oliveira, in memory of the victory at the Battle of Salado (1340), in which King D. Afonso IV took part with the support of troops from Guimarães. Listed as a Property of Public Interest, it's part of the classified area of the Historic Centre of Guimarães.

Muralhas de Guimarães

Remains of Guimarães' old medieval town walls, visible mainly near Largo Navarros de Andrade, in the historic centre listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Santuário da Penha

Sanctuary dedicated to Nossa Senhora do Carmo, located at the highest point of Monte da Penha (about 617 m), with panoramic views over Guimarães. You can get there on the Guimarães Cable Car, and it's one of the most popular pilgrimage and leisure spots in the region.

Zona de Couros

The old heart of Guimarães' leather tanning industry, active from the Middle Ages until 2005, listed as a Property of Public Interest in 1977 — the first legislative initiative of its kind in Portugal for industrial archaeology. It's part of the Historic Centre of Guimarães and Zona de Couros, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, preserving tanning pits, wooden drying sheds and restored old factories, now home to the Youth Hostel (Pousada da Juventude), the Centro de Ciência Viva "Curtir Ciência" and branches of the Universidade do Minho.