Travel with You, Me, Away

Guimarães travel guide: medieval castle hill, Largo da Oliveira and Porto rail access

Known as the birthplace of Portugal, Guimarães links the tenth-century battlements of Guimarães Castle on the northern Monte Latito hill down through medieval stone lanes to the timber-balconied squares of Largo da Oliveira and Praça de São Tiago. Direct suburban trains from Porto make it effortless to arrive without a car and explore the entire UNESCO centre on foot.

Reviewed

Explore the map

Destinations on the map

The map shows selected approximate city locations. Individual hotels and restaurants are not mapped.

Dot: one place · Number: multiple places

On the mapApproximate locationGuimarãesApproximate city locationView itinerary

Map data: Natural Earth · Place data: GeoNames, CC BY 4.0, modified

Map markers are for orientation.

1 place

All places
  1. Guimarães (Approximate city location)

Location coordinates: Guimarães.

Arrival and getting around in Guimarães

Comboios de Portugal (CP) urban trains depart hourly from Porto São Bento and Campanhã, reaching Guimarães railway station in about 75 minutes.

  • Walk ten minutes slightly uphill from Guimarães train station along Avenida D. Afonso Henriques to reach the iconic 'Aqui Nasceu Portugal' inscription at Torre da Alfândega and city wall.
  • Wear sturdy flat shoes for the granite flagstones connecting Praça de São Tiago up to the Palace of the Dukes of Bragança and Guimarães Castle.
  • Use the Penha cable car (Teleférico de Guimarães) on the eastern edge of town if you want to ascend Monte da Penha without a car.

Sources: Turismo de Guimarães, places not to miss, Turismo de Guimarães, city history and landmarks

Where to stay in Guimarães

Because the UNESCO historic zone is compact and restricted to resident vehicles, staying right on or just outside the medieval perimeter keeps every landmark within a ten-minute walk.

  • Historic core around Largo da Oliveira and Praça de São Tiago: medieval granite plazas, traditional Minho dining terraces and evening atmosphere.
  • Largo do Toural and Torre da Alfândega edge: flat, elegant squares just outside the medieval wall with easy taxi drop-off and a straight walk to the train station.
  • On summer Friday and Saturday nights, ask for an upper-floor or courtyard room if staying directly above the outdoor bars on Praça de São Tiago.

Sources: Turismo de Guimarães, city history and landmarks, Turismo de Guimarães, Torre da Alfândega and city walls

Two-day route for Guimarães

Devote day one to the northern castle park and medieval palace hill, then spend day two in the interconnected historic plazas, city wall walk and Penha mountain.

  • Day 1: climb Monte Latito in the morning to explore the stone keep of Guimarães Castle, the tiny Romanesque Church of São Miguel do Castelo and the brick chimneys and tapestries of the Palace of the Dukes of Bragança.
  • Day 2: start at Torre da Alfândega and city wall, walk through Rua de Santa Maria into the connected squares of Praça de São Tiago and Largo da Oliveira, then ride the cable car up to the granite boulders of Penha.
  • Rainy-day option: spend extra time inside the vast vaulted rooms of the Palace of the Dukes of Bragança and the Alberto Sampaio Museum beside Largo da Oliveira.

Sources: Turismo de Guimarães, places not to miss, Turismo de Guimarães, city history and landmarks, Turismo de Guimarães, Torre da Alfândega and city walls, Turismo de Guimarães, visitor map

Seasonal timing and practical rhythm

Situated in the green Minho region of northern Portugal, Guimarães sees lush, mild springs, warm summers and wetter Atlantic autumn and winter months.

  • May, June and September offer warm sunshine across the granite towers of Guimarães Castle and comfortable outdoor dining on Largo da Oliveira.
  • Visit Guimarães Castle and the Church of São Miguel do Castelo before 10:00 for quiet paths across the grassy hillside park.

Sources