Better known as the ‘Portuguese Rome’ Braga in Portugal is probably one of the most charming, picturesque cities you will come across anywhere in the world. It is found in the northwest of Portugal, and is admittedly one of the oldest Christian cities to be found in the world. It is also the oldest archdiocese of Portugal, and has a large concentration of religious buildings within its boundaries.
The history of Braga stretches as far back as prehistoric times, although its main role of importance only came with the advent of Christianity. As such, (and to deserve the name of the ‘Portugese Rome’) you will find that Braga is a haven for cultural fiends intent on exploring every nook and cranny a city has to offer in search of great historical finds.
In no particular order, you will find the Braga Cathedral, one of the most important monuments in Braga; the Populo Church, which is a 16th century church of neo classical design; and the Renaissance based Misericordia Church. Not to mention Braga’s number of museums, starting with the Biscainhos Museum, a museum with collections of the decorative arts such as glass, ceramics, and porcelain; the Pius XII Museum which houses bronze age, Paleolithic and Neolithic implements; the Cathedral Treasure, which aptly houses treasure, statuary, and carvings to name a few; and the Museum Medina which houses oil paintings and drawings by the artist Henrique Medina.
Of course, this is not all that you will find within the city walls. You will also find the Idol’s Fountain, a Roman fountain from the 1st century, with inscriptions and Bear reliefs depicted on it; the New City Gate, which is an 18th century baroque style gate, built to substitute an Gothic gate from earlier times; and the 14th century Tower of Braga Castle, the only remaining tower left from an Gothic castle; not to mention the Raio Palace, an 18th century palace decorated in a Baroque Rococo style.
Outside the city walls you will come across such places as the Bom Jesus do Monte Sanctuary, a Neo classic church; the Monastery of Tibăes, a Benedictine church with inner gilt work; the Sameiro Sanctuary, a point of pilgrimage of the 19th and 20th centuries dedicated to the Virgin Mary; Chamor Hill, which holds a 20 meter high monument to the Sacred Heart; and the romantic Dona Chica Castle in Palmeira.
So, where do you start? In a city teeming with so many sights to see, you will be hard pressed to see them all, and more to the point, to do justice to them. A good suggestion would be to take in maybe one or two sights for a day, giving yourself plenty of time to take in and appreciate the finer points of each place, then move on to the next one. In this way, you will be able to cover the city of Braga bit by bit. Just keep in mind that you might want to book another holiday to come here, as a week, or even two weeks, might not be enough time for you to fully appreciate all that Braga has to offer you.
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