Called the birthplace of Portugal, Guimarães also offers interesting modern cuisine and a delicious local pastry.
Humans have roamed this part of present-day Portugal for tens of thousands of years. A permanent settlement in Guimarães dates back about 5,000 years.
Romans, Visigoths, and Moors conquered Guimarães. The Reconquista, where Christian armies battled Islamic forces over the course of hundreds of years, defeated the Moors in the 9th century. By the 10th century, the Guimarães Castle was being built.
In the early 12th century, Afonso Henriques was born in Guimarães. Little Afonso’s mother, Theresa, was a claimant to the throne of Portugal. But, her romantic liaison with Spanish nobility (Portugal’s enemy), made her unpopular in her home country as the Portuguese people questioned her loyalty to her homeland.
Afonso, rose up against his mother, rallied an army, and defeated forces loyal to Theresa in the Battle of São Mamede (June 14, 1128) near Guimarães. This battle is considered pivotal in Portuguese history and is why Guimarães is known as The Birthplace of Portugal.
War hero Afonso Henriques became Afonso I, the first king of Portugal.
Several Medieval buildings still stand in the city and Guimarães is considered one of the best preserved cities in Portugal.
Every city, town, and village in Portugal, it seems, has its own specialty pastry. Searching them out as you travel is a fun and sweet activity.
Many of these unique pastries originated in the convents and monasteries of Portugal. Nuns would often make and sell these treats as a way to supplement the meager income generated by offerings.
The Convento de Santa Clara de Guimarães (Convent of St. Clare) was built in 1548. When the convents and monasteries were abolished by a new Portuguese government in 1834, the nuns who were living there were allowed to remain until they died. In 1891, the last nun at Santa Clara passed away and the building was abandoned. In 1968, the building became the Guimarães city hall, a function it still serves today.
While the nuns were active in Santa Clara, they invented the recipe for Tortas de Guimarães. A flaky puff pastry is filled a jam of egg yolks, sugar, ground almonds, and squash. The dough is folded to make a crescent shape and crimped along the edges.
The pastry is then baked and then, while still hot, dipped in simple syrup, making the dough crispy and crunchy.
Now, if sweetened squash doesn’t sound like something you’d enjoy, you’ll have to trust me. It’s quite delicious.
The other famous pastry in town is the Toucinho de ceu de Guimaraes. It also originated at the Convento de Santa Clara. And, it’s not hard to see why.
The nuns used the same filling of egg yolks, sugar, ground almonds, and squash. Then, the mixture is formed, coated in flour, and baked. After the Toucinho is removed from the oven and allowed to cool, it is sprinkled with powdered sugar.
Any bakery in Guimarães will likely have Tortas de Guimarães and most have the Toucinho de Ceu as well. My favorite is Clarinha, right off Largo do Toural. It’s a classic Portuguese bakery with a great selection of sweets and their Tortas de Guimarães is fantastic.
Padaria das Trinas is another excellent bakery in Guimarães. They’ve been around since 1881 and do a great business.
Eating out as a vegetarian in Portugal can be challenging. It seems every menu is filled with Bifanas (pork sandwiches) and seafood. That’s ironic because the markets are filled with fresh produce grown all over the country.
However, the trend towards eating plant based foods seems to be gaining momentum. Even if there aren’t a lot of strictly vegetarian places to eat (outside of Lisbon and Porto), many restaurants have more dishes aimed at those who eschew meat. Some even have a portion of the menu dedicated to vegetarians and vegans.
For upscale dining in Guimarães, 34 is a Michelin Guide recommendation. They have a few veg options including a terrific vegan poke filled with fresh veggies. Ask to sit upstairs next to the window for a great view of Largo do Toural.
Caju is a more casual spot with brunch items. Their vegan soups are very good as is their Asian noodle dishes.
Of course, you could just head to the Guimarães Municipal Market and grab some veggies for a feast at your self-catered Airbnb. There’s also a Saturday bio market where you can get terrific organic produce.
My favorite place to eat in Guimarães is Cor de Tangerina. They have a great space in a converted residence near the Duke Bragança Palace. It took 2 years of hard work to get the place renovated and in working order before they opening in 2006. Today, they serve up well thought out dishes made with mostly organic produce.
One of my favorites is the Potato pavé with Chanterelle mushrooms. It comes with a side of smoked acorn bites topped with beetroot mayo. Divine!
I’ll admit it, I’m a planner. When we visit a new city, there’s always so many things to see and eat and drink. I always have a list of places to visit and, inevitably, we don’t have time to see them all.
That said, no matter how busy we are trying to get to our next destination, I really try to leave myself open to spontaneous adventures.
Case in point; Taberna Corta.
This place isn’t in any guide, printed or online, for Guimarães. In fact, it’s so under the radar that it’s not even on Google Maps. When we tried to return after our first visit, it took us a half hour of wandering around to find it again!
Karen first spotted it on our way back to dinner. Taberna Corta is so cool and rustic we had to stop in for a drink.
I ordered “uma copo de vinho tinto,” a glass of red wine. What I got was literally a cup, like a teacup filled with a very young red wine.
I think the bartender and patrons were charmed, or at least curious about us. We received inquisitive looks and everyone was happy to talk with us.
Sipping ,my wine outside, we started talking with a local who told us he liked this bar. Then he told us about the local soccer team. He was very proud of his team.
Then I asked about the team from Braga, a club a few miles away. He practically spit his disdain for them, as if I asked a Red Sox fan about the Yankees. At least that’s what I think we were talking about in my very rudimentary Portuguese.
Was it the best wine I’ve ever had? No. But, the charming experience will always be part of our memories of Guimarães.
2,000 years ago, the Romans planted grape vines and made wine in the region where present-day Guimarães is located. Wine is big business in this region called Minho, accounting for almost 10% of the wine production in Portugal.
Vinho Verde is the wine variety here. Literally translating to “Green Wine,” Vinho Verde actually means young wine as it is bottled shortly after harvest. The most popular grapes in Vinho Verde are Alvarinho and Loureiro. Both are white grapes though Vinho Verde can also be red, rose, and even sparkling wine.
The characteristic effervescence in Vinho Verde traditionally came from malolactic fermentation. Today, however, artificial carbonation is usually added.
Travel to other wine making regions around the world like Bordeaux or Tuscany and you’ll see wine bars everywhere. Portugal, in general isn’t like that. Sure, there are plenty of wine bars in Porto and Lisbon, but outside of that, there’s fewer options.
In Guimarães, one spot I like is Pholus Wine Bar & Myths. It’s a very casual spot with a short menu and several cocktails on offer. They have a house wine you can order by the glass of by the liter (that’s almost 7 glasses of wine!). But, what I like is their selection of bottles up front. They have lots of vintages from the nearby Douro Valley as well as local Vinho Verde.
The highest point in Guimarães is Mount Penha (Serra da Penha) aka Monte de Santa Catarina.
All of this area, including Guimarães, is on a bed of granite. Mount Penha has lots and lots of rocky outcroppings forming interesting patterns. Apparently, Bronze Age humans used these rocks for shelter and pagan celebrations over 5,000 years ago.
Of course, since this is Portugal, they built a church on top of this mountain. In fact, they built a few.
The biggest (and least interesting) is the Penha Sanctuary. Built in the mid 1900’s, it’s more functional than beautiful. But, it does have one big thing going for it. Behind the church is a gorgeous miradouro (viewpoint). From the Miradouro Penha you can see into the valley below and the entire city of Guimarães as well as the mountains behind it. And, on a clear day, you can see all the way to the ocean (25 miles).
Even though this lookout is the top attraction on the mountain, there’s lots more to see. 150 acres of green space covers the peak with lots of hilly hiking trails.
There’s a cool bar, Adega do Ermintao, not far from the Penha Sanctuary. Part of it is under a rock formation, making it seem like you’re sipping your beer at the mouth of a cave.
Speaking of caves, the Gruta de Nossa Senhora do Carmo is a small chapel carved from a gap between the rocks. Originally used by the hermit Guilherme Marino, today the chapel is open to anyone who stumbles upon this site dedicated to Saint Elias, Patron Saint of Sleep.
Climbing more granite stairs to the Chapel of São Cristóvão (Chapel of St. Christopher), you’ll be rewarded with what might be even better views than Miradouro Penha (and far fewer crowds).
If you want stay overnight, there’s camping on Mount Penha as well as the Grove Houses.
You could walk up the mountain from Guimarães, but it would be quite the hike, maybe 90 minutes, much of it pretty steep.
Luckily, there’s an easier, and much more scenic way.
The Teleférico de Guimarães (Penha Cable Car) is a funicular that zips you to the top of the mountain in less than 10 minutes. The views going up (and down) are spectacular, as well.
Be aware that if you have a fear of heights or vertigo this might not be for you. But, you can always take a car or rideshare, there’s parking up top.
Also, if you have mobility issues, there are lots of blocky granite stairs and some unsure footing on the mountain. Be forewarned.
Because Guimarães lies so far north, it was an early part of the Reconquista, the centuries’ long military campaigns that expelled Muslims from the Iberian Peninsula.
Shortly after Guimarães was liberated in the 10th century, construction began on the castle. Situated on a hill, the castle afforded a strategic point to help defend the city from further Muslim or Norse invasions. There isn’t much from this original castle, but recent archeological work has uncovered some original pieces.
While the original 10th century castle was designed in the Romanesque style, much of the current castle was reconstructed in the Gothic style.
Legend has it that Portugal’s first king, Afonso Henriques was born in the early 12th century in Guimarães (though scholars debate this) and was baptized in the São Miguel do Castelo, a church very close to the castle, although this is also up for debate. The link to King Afonso Henriques is the main reason Guimarães is called “Aqui Nasceu” or “The Birthplace of Portugal.”
In the 17th century, the castle fell into ruin, so much so that in 1836, the government of Guimarães wanted to demolish the castle and use the stone to repave city roads. Luckily, that plan was never executed and in 1910 the castle was declared a national monument. Much work has been completed to preserve the castle.
As of this writing, the castle is currently under renovation and not open to visitors.
Just a few steps from Guimarães Castle is the Palace of the Dukes of Braganza. The noble palace began construction around 1420 for Afonso, Count of Barcelos, the illegitimate son of King John I. The palace was to mark the Count’s marriage and the couple taking residence in Guimarães.
It appears the castle was habitable in 1433, though construction continued for several decades after that.
The palace stayed in the family as the residence of each successive Duke of Braganza until at least the 16th century. Over time, however, the palace was abandoned and fell into disrepair.
During the Napoleonic Wars, the palace was used as a military barracks. It was still used by the military of the fascist Estado Novo when it was determined in the 1930’s that the structure needed to be fully renovated.
Today, much of the Palace of the Dukes of Braganza has been converted into a museum. Rooms are displayed with artifacts like swords and armor as well as elegant tapestries, ceramics, and dinner settings. There is also a small chapel.
Sometimes you visit historical not for what actually happened there, but for the legend surrounding the place. Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Oliveira is one such place.
Don’t get me wrong, the church itself is pretty interesting with an imposing Medieval façade and interior filled with gilded carvings. But it is the legend of Our Lady of Oliveira that is truly fascinating.
The story goes that a Visigoth king in the 7th century said, after a military victory, that he would plunge his sword into the ground and if an olive tree sprouted he would build a church there. (other versions have him putting an olive twig in the ground)
Of course the olive tree sprouted and a church was built.
Another variation of the story is that the Goth king brought an olive branch from the Garden of Olives in Jerusalem. The tree, unfortunately, did not survive. However, when a cross was placed next to it in 1342, the tree sprouted again.
That tree remained in the square next to the church until about 1870 (over 500 years!). The olive tree that’s in the square today occupies the same spot as that original tree and was planted about 40 years ago and right next to Padrão do Salado, an interesting Medieval monument commemorating the Portuguese victor in the Battle of Rio Salado against Sultan Abu al-Hasan ‘Ali.
Braga is known for its local wine called Vinho Verde. There are also several delicious sweets from the area, notably the eclair-like Tibias.
Braga is considered the cradle of Portuguese Christianity, so there are several interesting churches including the Bom Jesus do Monte with jaw-dropping views of the city.
The bus takes less than an hour to get from Guimarães to Braga.
Porto is Portugal’s second largest city and worth several days to explore. Known for its famous Port wine, Porto also has terrific cuisine including the gut-bomb sandwich, the Francesinha.
Porto also has a terrific market, the Bolhão, and the São Bento Railway Station which is covered in amazing tile murals.
The bus takes less an hour to get to Porto. Or take the train, that’s about 75 minutes.
There is no airport in Guimarães. The closest one is Porto, which has flights all over Europe as well as a few direct flights to North America and Brazil.
To get from the Porto airport to Guimarães, you can take a bus directly from the terminal. The trip is less than an hour. Alternatively, if you’re already in Porto, there is bus and train service to Guimarães.
Guimarães is a relatively small city, especially the city center where you’ll likely be spending most of your time.
The local bus service is operated by Guimabus with several routes covering the city.
Rideshare is also available through Uber and Bolt, however, there are not a lot of drivers and you may have to wait to get a car.
Funicular to mountaintop.
R. Aristides de Sousa Mendes 37, 4810-025 Guimarães, Portugal
Imposing Medieval castle.
R. Conde Dom Henrique, 4800-412 Guimarães, Portugal
15th century palace/residence for the King’s illegitimate son, D. Afonso.
R. Conde Dom Henrique 3, 4800-412 Guimarães, Portugal
Famous church with gardens in front.
Largo de São Brás 42, 4810-531 Guimarães, Portugal
15th century church with a famous olive tree (and legend).
Largo da Oliveira, 4810-438 Guimarães, Portugal
Medieval monument next to the Chapel of Our Lady of the Olive Tree.
Largo da Oliveira, 4810-438 Guimarães, Portugal
Gothic church with fancy interior.
R. Padre Gaspar Roriz 124, 4810-531 Guimarães, Portugal
Museum with Iron Age artifacts.
R. Paio Galvão 2, Guimarães, Portugal
Terrific vegetarian restaurant. Highly recommended.
Largo Martins Sarmento 89, 4800-432 Guimarães, Portugal
Innovative menu recognized by the Michelin Guide.
Largo do Toural nº23, 4810-427 Guimarães, Portugal
Casual vegetarian restaurant.
R. Camilo Castelo Branco 125, 4810-435 Guimarães, Portugal
Cool restaurant with vegan options.
R. Francisco Agra 195, 4800-157 Guimarães, Portugal
Vegan, macrobiotic restaurant.
R. Paulo VI 484, 4810-508 Guimarães, Portugal
Vegan and vegetarian restaurant.
R. Padre Augusto Borges de Sá, 4810-523 Guimarães, Portugal
Restaurant in the Pousada Monastery.
Lugar da Costa, Largo Domingos Leite de Castro, 4810-011 Guimarães, Portugal
Great spot to get Torta de Guimaraes and Toucinho de Ceu.
R. Paio Galvão 87, 4810-445 Guimarães, Portugal
Busy, traditional bakery.
R. das Trinas 23, 4800-168 Guimarães, Portugal
Convent sweets.
R. de Santa Maria 44, 4800-433 Guimarães, Portugal
Rustic tavern, not on Google.
R. de Couros 29, 4810-451 Guimarães, Portugal
Wine bar with terrace.
R. João de Melo 49, 4800-416 Guimarães, Portugal
Bar on Serra da Penha.
R. da Penha, 4810-041 Guimarães, Portugal
Large covered market.
R. do Montinho 5, 4835-065 Guimarães, Portugal
Saturday morning market.
R. Alfredo Guimarães 27, 4810-431 Guimarães, Portugal
Very reasonably priced hotel right in the middle of town.
Largo A L Carvalho, 4800-153 Guimarães, Portugal
Winery and hotel.
R. de Sezim, 4811-909 Guimarães, Portugal
Brent Petersen is the Editor-in-Chief of Destination Eat Drink. He currently resides in Setubal, Portugal. Brent has written the novel “Truffle Hunt” (Eckhartz Press) and the short story collection “That Bird.” He’s also written dozens of foodie travel guides to cities around the world on Destination Eat Drink, including in-depth eating and drinking guides in Portugal to Lisbon, Porto, Sintra, Évora, Braga, Loulé, Almada, Monsaraz, and Batalha. Brent’s podcast, also called Destination Eat Drink, is available on all major podcasting platforms.