Guimarães in a day

Start early, before the groups. Check the opening hours on the Castle page.

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.

Small Romanesque church between the Paço and the Castle, linked by tradition to the baptism of D. Afonso Henriques.

Small Romanesque church from the early 13th century, right next to Guimarães Castle. It's traditionally associated with the baptism of D. Afonso Henriques, Portugal's first king, although this is disputed since the church dates from after his birth. Together with the Castle and the Paço dos Duques, it's part of the group of national monuments on Monte Latito.

Set aside at least an hour for the interior.

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.

Walk up Rua de Santa Maria, one of the oldest streets in the city, to the former convent.

Former Convento de Santa Clara, founded in the 16th century by the canon Baltasar de Andrade. It features a Baroque façade decorated with a sculpture of Saint Clare in the centre and a classical two-storey cloister. Since 1968 this building has been the seat of the Câmara Municipal de Guimarães.

Right opposite the stone monument. Take a look at the tower and the Gothic doorway.

Former collegiate church on Largo da Oliveira, one of the most iconic spots in Guimarães' historic centre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The church is associated with the tradition of the Battle of Salado (1340), from which it received a silver cross as a token of thanks. The ensemble also includes the Padrão do Salado, a monument standing next to its façade.

You've reached Largo da Oliveira, the medieval heart of Guimarães, with Praça de Santiago right next to it.

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.

Next to the Igreja da Oliveira. Don't miss the cloister.

Museum housed in part of the former Monastery of Nossa Senhora da Oliveira, with a valuable collection of sacred art, silverwork, sculpture and carved woodwork, including pieces from the former Convent of Santa Clara. The combined ticket also gets you into the Paço dos Duques and Guimarães Castle.

On the way to the cable car, walk through the old tanneries area.

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.

Take the cable car up to Penha, with views over the whole city. Check the timetable before you go.

Cable car link between the city centre and Monte da Penha, operated by Turipenha, with panoramic views over Guimarães along the way. It's one of the most popular ways to reach the Santuário da Penha and the surrounding natural area.

Up there you'll find the sanctuary, trails among the boulders and viewpoints. Wear comfortable shoes.

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.

At the Plataforma das Artes, in the old municipal market.

Contemporary art centre housed in the former Municipal Market, opened to hold the collection of the artist José de Guimarães and temporary exhibitions of modern, contemporary and archaeological art in dialogue with art from different cultures around the world.

To get to know the city's history and traditions in an interactive way.

Interpretation centre housed in the former Pátria plastics factory, dedicated to preserving and sharing the history and culture of Guimarães through the permanent exhibition "Território e Comunidade" (Territory and Community), which spans from Prehistory to the industrialisation of the Ave Valley.