Day tours in Oporto & surroundings
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Program
09:00h - Pick-Up at the Hotel
10:00h - Arrival to Braga - Climingb to Bom Jesus – Water Lift - Visit to the Sanctuary and the Gardens - Visit
Sameiro Sanctuary - Visit Braga’s Historical Center
13:00h - Lunch
15:30h - Arrival at Guimarães - Visit Guimarães
17:30h - Departure to Oporto
18:30h - Expected Arrival to Oporto
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Description
Minho tour offers mountain ranges with breathless views in the land of dense vegetation and profound historic wealth. Stare at manor-houses and mansions
and enjoy the abundant gastronomy, light, acidulous wines (vinhos verdes) and rich wines, and a variety of handicrafts that mingles the shine of the filigree
with the colour of the local embroideries. Throughout the region, the rivers, waterfalls, vineyards and fertile plots combine with the ancestral monuments in
urban centres.
Braga, the Rome of Portugal, is the spiritual home of the country with thirty five churches chiming across the city. There is a rich cultural heritage marked
by impressive religious festivals and architecture. Everywhere in the old town visitors will encounter fine old burghers' houses and noble mansions built of
granite in an imposing style characteristic of this city.
The Cathedral was built in Romanesque style in the 11th century and was enriched with Manueline sculptures in the 14th century.
The city is still Portugal's religious capital. Look around and you soon become aware of the weight of ecclesiastical power. The city's outlying districts also
boast a selection of important religious buildings and sanctuaries, notably Bom Jesus, one of the country's most extravagant Baroque creations.
The Bom Jesus sanctuary is a notable example of pilgrimage site with a monumental, Baroque stairway that climbs 116 metres (381 feet). As the pilgrims
climb the stairs, they encounter a theological programme. The Baroque steps, dotted with chapels, fountains and statues, symbolize the Fourteen Stations
of the Cross. The culmination of the effort is the temple of God, the church on the top of the hill.
Another important pilgrimage place is Monte Sameiro. It is reached by an enormous modern flight of steps, with a statue of Pope Pius IX at the foot. The
mound is crowned with a marriage sanctuary. Inside the church, a staircase with 265 steps leads to the lantern of the cupola (at a height of 613 m) from
which you have a panoramic view over the Minho. To the northwest you will see the Santa Luzia mountain dominating the Viana do Castelo; to the
northeast, the Serra do Gerês; the Serra do Marão to the south east and, lower down, the relics of the historic city of Briteiros.
Guimaraes, is known as the "cradle of the nation", owing to the fact that it was the first capital of Portugal. It has a well preserved old town and profusion
of historic monuments and art treasures. The historic town has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to the examples of architecture
ranging from the 15th to the 19th centuries. Most of the tourist sights are within a demarcated tourist zone that stretches from Guimaraes Castle in the
north on the hill and then south in a cluster of cobbled streets and squares.
The big draw of the city tends to be up on the hill where Guimaraes Castle (Castelo de Guimaraes). The seven towered castle has a fantastic strategic
viewpoint overlooking Guimaraes and the hilly, terraced countryside around.
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...The north and central regions of Portugal is where you'll more often find the real Portugal. In the very north the traditional way of
life is still followed by small communities up in the mountain regions. Minho is Portugal's greenest and most traditional province
and also the country's best-kept secret. It is often called 'Green Minho' because of its green forests and cultivated valleys. Small
houses are dotted around the lush landscape, surrounded by fields. Connecting these fields are granite set tracks which often have
grape vines growing overhead. Liberally scattered around are the great houses of the past, of which nearly all have been beautifully
restored. Spectacular rivers come into this region from Spain. The river valleys of this area of Portugal used to be the favourite
place for the wealthy to build their manor houses. The Minho is undoubtedly a source of water, where green fields and mountains
are in evidence. Besides boasting the great monuments associated with cities, Braga also has deep religious roots and we feel small
in comparison to so much beauty. Another great city is Guimarães, World Heritage and birthplace of the first King of Portugal...
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