Introduction to Guimaraes, Portugal Guimarães

First capital of medieval Portucale, GUIMARÃES remains a lively and atmospheric university town. The town's chief attraction is the Castelo (daily 9.30am–noon & 2–5pm; free), whose square keep and seven towers are an enduring symbol of the emergent Portuguese nation. Built by the Countess of Mumadona and extended by Henry of Burgundy, it became the stronghold of his son, Afonso Henriques. From here the Reconquest began along with the creation of a kingdom that, within a century of Afonso's death, was to stretch to its present borders. Afonso is said to have been born in the keep, and may have been baptized in the font of the Romanesque chapel of São Miguel on the grassy slope below. Guimarães' bus station is fifteen minutes' walk west of town in a vast shopping centre. From the train station south of town you'll pass one Turismo (Mon–Fri 9.30am–12.30pm & 2–6.30pm; tel 253 412 450, www.cm-guimaraes.pt) as you walk up Avenida D. Alfonso Henriques to the centre; the other office is in the centre of the old town in Praça de Santiago (Mon–Fri 9.30am–6.30pm, Sat 10am–6pm, Sun 10am–1pm; tel 253 518 790). For accommodation try Casa dos Pombais, Avda. de Londres 40 (tel 253 412 917; £40–50/$64–80 [€58–72]), which has beautiful rooms overlooking attractive gardens. For food, Oriental on Largo do Toural has very good regional specialities. El Rei Dom Alfonso, Praça de Santiago, is worth the moderate rise in price for its location in the heart of the old town. Across the square, Cinecittá does excellent soups and salads.

Information by Rough Guides

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