Guimarães, where Portugal was born

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To be an ancient city, Guimarães , cradle of Portugal, is like new. It was declared world heritage in 2001, it was the Capital of European Culture in 2012 and every day it becomes more cute and interesting. Tourists who arrive by coach - it is a classic excursion from Porto, just 55 kilometers away -, seeing its perfectly clean and cobbled streets, full of flowery balconies, restaurants and cuckoo shops, think that what a small head they have stuck, because this place It looks like France.

enlarge photo The best views of the Portuguese city await at the top (about 30 meters) of the Guimarães Castle Tribute Tower. Alamy

10.00 Sweet morning gluttony

The comfortable thing is to visit Guimarães from top to bottom. At the top are the castle (1) of the 10th century and the church of San Miguel (2) , where in 1109 Afonso Henriques, the first king of Portugal was baptized. For this and many other things that would require more space to explain) it is said that "here Nasceu [was born] Portugal". A little further down is the palace of the Dukes of Bragança (3) . It has tremendous coffered ceilings in the shape of an inverted caravel, a Gothic cloister to dislocate the neck and a chapel of the same style in the upper gallery; a strange place to put a temple, but closer to heaven than at ground level, yes. Then continue down the Rua de Santa Maria (4) , the most typical and photographed street. At number 44 you have to stop at Divina Gula (5) to try the cakes and douradinhas they make with the old recipes of the Poor Clares, nuns who took the confiscation and those that the god of sugar has in his glory.

enlarge photo Cova Fernández

11.00 The jubilee of João I

The Rua de Santa Maria flows into the Largo da Oliveira (6) , the heart of the historic center, the main square presiding over the iconic Padrão do Salado (7) , a temple built in 1342 to celebrate the victory of the Portuguese and the Castilians over Muslims on the banks of the Cadiz River. Beside, attached to the church of Our Lady of Oliveira (8) , is the Alberto Sampaio Museum (9) (R. Alfredo Guimarães, 4800-407), a formidable deposit of sacred, and not so sacred, treasures, such as the padded doublet that João I put on to cushion the blows and friction of the armor in the battle of Aljubarrota. More than six kilos weighed! Saramago said it was one of the most beautiful museums he knew.

'Relicário África', one of the works exhibited at the José de Guimarães International Arts Center. CIAJG

12.00 Between modern art

After the history overdose, you want to visit two modern museums outside the old town: the CIAJG — José de Guimarães International Arts Center— (10) , opened in 2012, and the Casa da Memória (11) , in 2016. The CIAJG is Spectacular on the outside, with its chrome-plated brass cladding, the work of the Pythagoras Architects studio, and let's not say on the inside: just to see the collection of African tribal art that the sculptor and painter José de Guimarães has brought together is worth visiting this city. 200 meters away is the Casa da Memória , which could well be called Fábrica da Memória, because before becoming a colorful and interactive museum that explains the past and present of Guimarães it was a plastics factory.

13.30 Powder to eat

Young and flirtatious, like many of the businesses in the historic center, the restaurant República do Polvo (12) (+351 253 068 326) serves excellent powder (octopus in Portuguese), but the chef's cod exceeds it. Modern fusion cuisine, with varied and rich ceviches, elaborates in the restaurant 34 (13) (+351 934 249 966), which is shouting for a Michelin star like the one already A Cozinha (14) . Who prefers homemade dishes, rich and cheap, will go to Cantinho dos Sabores (15) (+351 253 095 645), a small place and always butt with menu for five euros.

16.00 Jump to the Iron Age

Digestion can be done by climbing by cable car to Monte da Penha (16) , the highest point of the municipality (617 meters). And also the nap, because there is a sanctuary without much interest. Almost better to drive to the Citânia de Briteiros (17) , 15 kilometers from Guimarães. It is a surprisingly well preserved Celtic Iron Age castro, on a mountain of oaks and cork oaks set with mushrooms. Its inhabitants, the Brácaros, had beautiful views, two steam baths and, on top, food tickets. The third option is to stay in Guimarães and see the amazing grid formed by the Couros (18) (Largo do Cidade) tanks : dozens of granite rafts where skins were cured in the past, immersing them in water with lime and with pigeon droppings, such as In a Moorish souk.

enlarge photo One of the works of the Plant Revolution exhibition, exhibited until February 16 at the CIAJG museum. Andrés Campos

18.00 Oils and cheeses

Time to buy a souvenir that is not the ubiquitous and somewhat loaded rooster of Barcelos. In Oliva da Praça (19) (Dr. António Mota Rego, 13) there are excellent oils, free tastings and an exaggerated kindness, very Portuguese. The same, but changing oils for cheeses, can be said of Rota do Queijo (20) (Alameda de São Dâmaso, 63).

20.30 Night spa session

After dinner (add to the list of good restaurants on Résvés (21) , in the heart of Rua de Santa Maria, +351 253 067 491), we will be right if we have a drink at El Rock Bar (22) (Praça de São Tiago, 31 ) or, if we go directly to rest, at the Santa Luzia ArtHotel (23) , which has a colorful summer pool on the roof and another heated in the spa (open until 22.00 Friday and Saturday). This four stars opened in 2015, with a very careful architecture and decoration, is only 300 meters from the historic center (doubles from 76 euros, in low season). Another interesting accommodation is the Stay (24) , a gleaming hotel, with spacious rooms and a five-minute walk from the historic center, of which offers on the Internet for 40 euros. And put to save, nothing like taking out the Guimarães Pass, which gives access to 11 museums, monuments and archaeological sites - all those mentioned on this route - for 15 euros (18 euros if the cable car of Monte da Penha is included). It is obtained at the box office of any of them.

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