Guimarães is a City in the north of Portugal and was the 1st Capital of Portugal with around 158´000 inhabitants. Here was born Dom Afonso I., the 1st King of Portugal in the year 1109, but it is not complete clear if he was born here, also Viseu or Coimbra can be possible cities of his birthplace.

Guimarães was 2012 culture capital of Europe and the center is UNESCO – World heritage. The historical center of Guimarães have a lot of historic buildings and monuments, one of the most important is the old roman Castle which was built in the 10th century from the Countess of Galicia Mumadona Dias. The chapel São Miguel do Castelo from the begin of the 12th century, 1111 where the 1st Portuguese King Dom Afonso I. get his baptism. Palace of the Dukes of Bragança was build around 1420 from Afonso Henrique in french Norman-Burgundian Style and it was one of the most magnificent aristocratic residences of the 15th century. The Monument of Afonso Henrique, which was made from António Soares dos Reis in 1887. At the southeast of the Largo de do Brazil is the baroque church “Igreja dos Santos Passos” from the year 1769. Very interesting are the center with his small ways and hidden places. One other most important building complex in the historic center is the church “Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Oliveira” with his Monastery where the later Pope John XXI. was before the Prior. The Alpend is a open hall and was built in 1343 and is between two places.

Outside of the City is the Sanctuary da Penha on the Mount Penha, this is a catholic Pilgimage church. The Sanctuary is reachable by car, feed or cable train. From the Mount Penha you will have a great few across Guimarães.

Guimarães is reachable by train with direct connections to Porto with the regional train and by InterCity train you have a connection to Lisbon, also Guimarães have a good far Bus net to a lot of places in Portugal, of course it is reachable by car too and also by foot on the Pilgrim way to Santiago.