taste the world.
About 15 kilometers southeast of Braga is the city of Guimarães: UNESCO World Cultural Heritage, European Capital of Culture 2012 and also the birthplace of Portugal. It is widely believed that the first king of Portugal (Afonso Henriques or Alfonso I) was born here, which is why Guimarães was the first capital of the country and is considered the “cradle of the nation”. Continue reading “Guimarães: Birthplace of Portugal”
After the border town of Valença, Braga is our first major city in Portugal. The European Youth Capital of 2012 is the second largest city of Região Norte after Porto. Particularly worth seeing is, besides the city center, the pilgrimage church Bom Jesus do Monte with its famous staircase Via Sacra. Continue reading “Braga: The Most Beautiful Stairway in Portugal?”
Yay, a new country! After the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Spain, Portugal joins our European tour as the fifth state. The border crossing consists of the special two-storey iron bridge Ponte Internacional. Continue reading “Tui & Valença: Let’s Go to Portugal!”