Guimarães brings together a historic centre shaped by its UNESCO heritage, museums, craftsmanship and experiences that present history in different ways. The historic centre has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2001. Medieval walls, winding streets and welcoming squares create an authentic medieval setting. If, when planning your trip, you want to take in not only individual buildings but also the historic urban landscape, this combination offers a good starting point.
Layers of the city’s history
The UNESCO World Heritage property of Guimarães also includes the Couros Zone, located outside the walls. It is an industrial area whose name refers to the traditional craft of leather tanning. This gives the area its own connection to craftsmanship within the World Heritage property, in addition to the medieval walls and squares of the historic centre.
The castle and palace also represent different periods in history. Castelo de Guimarães was founded in the second half of the 10th century by Countess Mumadona Dias. Paço dos Duques, by contrast, began in the 15th century as a stately residence for D. Afonso and D. Constança, the Dukes of Bragança. If you want to get to know Guimarães through its history, you can explore an early castle foundation and a later ducal residence as distinct highlights.
Compare museums and experiences
Museu de Alberto Sampaio is the only museum in Portugal with a hall dedicated to fresco painting as part of its permanent exhibition. The museum at Paço dos Duques displays rooms that served as the residence of the Dukes of Bragança in the 15th century; its art collection is mainly from the 17th and 18th centuries. Their focuses differ: one centres on a hall for fresco painting in the permanent exhibition, while the other brings together historic residential rooms and an art collection from later centuries. The keep of Castelo de Guimarães also houses an interpretation centre about the building and its history.
Afonso 360 adds a virtual-reality depiction of the Battle of São Mamede. This experience takes place at Castelo de Guimarães or next to Paço dos Duques de Bragança. Another way to explore the historic streets and lanes is the eco-historical bicycle tour. You can choose between a regular bicycle and an electric bicycle. The two experiences have different focuses: one offers a virtual depiction of a historic event, the other a bicycle tour through the city.
Workshop, trails and park
In the ceramics workshop, participants learn the basics of ceramics and make an object of their own. The Bordado de Guimarães workshop introduces participants to the embroidery technique: they make their own piece of embroidery and take it home as a personalised souvenir of Guimarães. Both experiences combine learning a craft with hands-on work, but the finished results are quite different.
If you are looking for something other than exhibitions and workshops, Parque de Lazer da Cidade offers an opportunity to spend time outdoors. The park covers about 20 hectares and has landscaped and restored walking paths. The Caminho de Torres is different: this pilgrimage route passes through the UNESCO World Heritage historic centre of Guimarães. Together, the park trails and pilgrimage route offer two distinct ways to explore on foot, without describing the same kind of outing.
Guimarães as a travel destination
Guimarães is about 30 minutes from Porto via the A3 and A7 motorways; actual travel time may vary depending on traffic. When deciding where to travel, Guimarães is particularly worth considering if you want to combine historic urban spaces and museums with a specific activity. Options include a virtual take on a historic event, a bicycle tour, hands-on craft activities and outdoor trails.
Discover more destinations: Calvos, Guardizela, São Torcato, Briteiros (Santo Estêvão), Caldelas
Return to the main travel overview: Guimaraes.
