THE MINHO © LonelyPlanetPublications all set amid the breathtaking mountain scenery of ’s biggestnature reserve. mountainsceneryofPortugal’s all setamidthebreathtaking Parque NacionaldaPeneda-Gerês, oldstonevillages slumbernotfarfromlively – sparesorts overlooking nearbybeaches. The dualitycontinuesattheeastern endoftheprovince: inside do Castelo hasanoldcentre filledwith16th-centuryarchitecture andsparklingnewcondos and merrimentlate intothenight. saints’days–acauseforsolemnprocessionsfollowedbymusic,dancing,feastingobserved withferventlydays stilldrawcrowdstosmallcountrytowns,andthecalendarispacked a magnificentcathedralthatdates backathousandyears. Braga provides awindowintoecclesiasticalhistory,withdozens ofbaroque churches and sites, thesprawlingCitâniadeBriteiros. ofthere, themajesticandvibrantcityof North medieval centre mostimpressive ofGuimarães. It’salsohometooneofPortugal’s Celtic anideafirstconceived inthebeautifullypreserved kingdom, ofthePortuguese birthplace the banksofanidyllicriver oroverlooking flower-strewn valleysfrommountainousheights. peaks andvirgin forests. intunewiththescenery,whetherstraddling Villages seemparticularly Itsnaturalbeautyencompasseslushriverthe Portuguese. valleys,sparklingbeaches,granite Tucked beneaththeedgeofSpanishGalicia, enjoysanexceptionalreputation Minho among Minho The 424 Rio Minho inthenorth, Minho Rio which stretches Cávadointhesouthtomouthof roughlyfromthemouthofRio „ Yet it’snotallox-drawn andRomanesquechurches. The carts CostaVerde remainsThe Minho oneofEurope’s mosttradition-boundprovinces. Old-fashioned market charmsgobeyondmere theMinho’s aesthetics.For thePortuguese, This is,after all,the

„ „ „ „ „ HIGHLIGHTS POPULATION: 1.4 MILLION Hiking theboulder-strewn Hiking peaksand gorse- Delvinginto medievalhistoryinsidethestrik- Lounging atacafe overlooking themedieval Strollingtheatmosphericstreets of Visiting historicmonuments,followedbydin- Peneda-Gerês clad moorlandsofthe of ing oldquarter de Lima bridge andlushcountrysidebeyondin the beach Castelo ner atatoprestaurant in ( p441 ), thencatchingasunsetover (p450) (p457) Guimarães

has ablendofoldsettlementsandmodern-dayresorts. Lovely Viana Parque Nacionalda Braga (p436) (opposite ) Viana do Ponte „ AREA : 5265 SQKM Viana doCastelo Ponte deLima Braga da Peneda-Gerês Parque Nacional Guimarães

(Green Coast), N206

THE MINHO N312 N103 425 N304 20 miles 30 km Chaves (36km); Astorga (260km) M O N T E S

Bragança (140km); T R Á S - O S -

s Venda Nova

ê Mondim de Basto r e To Montalegre (15km);

N308-4 G

N210

Tâmega

S P A I N o

Cabeceiras de Basto d

Paradela

a

r

Rio

r

e N203 S N206 Celorico N308 de Basto Cabril N205 Castro Laboreiro Vieira do Minho

Gerês Vila do

N202 eiro

0 0 N207 Lindoso Labor

Diver Lanhoso Adventure Park Rio

a

Melgaço d

Fafe

N101 e

N202

n e Soajo

N310 Campo P Penha do Gerês Rio Caldo N103 Parque Nacional

da Peneda-Gerês

Póvoa de Lanhoso a

Felgueiras d But don’t come expecting piety alone: Just outside the city stands the magnificent, Terras de Bouro

Viseu (150km) Guimarães

a Briteiros Salvador To Amarante (9km);

Founded by Celts, Roman attracted Braga first in 250 BC.attention The Romans named it Bracara Augusta their and made it capital of all the way up Gallaecia, stretching province into . Braga’s position at the intersection Roman roads helped it grow fat on trade. five of to the SueviBraga fell around AD 410, and Braga’s old centre is packed with lively cafes cafes with lively is packed Braga’s old centre and trim little boutiques, with some excellent to stu- catering bars and low-key restaurants do Minho. dents from the Universidade and sanctuary of hillside church much-visited ). p431 ( do Monte Bom Jesus History Vizela N202 Caldas de

r N309

N101 r

ho e S Taipas N304

Santa Leocádia

Min Homem

ὈὈὈ ὈὈὈ ὈὈὈ ὈὈὈ Rio Rio Amares N101

Arcos de da Barca

Ponte Valdevez o

do Monte Bom Jesus

d a

Briteiros

v

Citânia de á

Monção C N101

Vila

N201 D O U R O Rio Braga Verde Santo Tirso Cortes Bravâes N308 N14 E1 N203 A7-IC5 Paredes de Coura Laços Lisbon (300km) To (18km); Medieval Bridge E1 Coimbra (141km); N306

Rio Minho

Ecopista a g Calvelo

N101 Fontoura r

Nine Tui A Famalicão N306

Ponte

Feitosa N201 Barcelos e Vila Nova de

de Lima Valença do Minho

Rio Neiva d E1

N204

a r

A3-IP1

r N306 (35km)

To Vigo

e

A3-IP1 o

d

S

a Rio Lima Rio Vila Nova

de Cerveira

SOUTHERN MINHO •• Braga v

á C N202 N103 Rio IC1 Esposende A3-IP1 N203 S P A I N Fão IC1 IC1 IC1 N13 Conde

Vila do Castelo Viana do Ofir Vila Praia de Âncora Varzim Apúlia Afife N13

La Guardia Póvoa de

Norte N A E C O C I T N A L T A Parque Natural THE MINHO THE do Litoral Guilheta

SOUTHERN MINHO BRAGA BRAGA Week) – are famous throughout Portugal. famous Week) – are itual world. Its religious festivals – particularly festivals itual world. Its religious Semana staged the elaborately Santa (Holy mospheric little chapels and intriguing hidden mospheric little chapels is a re- bells The constant of chiming relics. devotion Braga’s age-old to the spir- minder of crown jewel is an extraordinary 12th-century carvedcathedral, with its intricately facade, at- facades looming above the old plazas and facades looming above Braga’s the historic centre. narrow lanes of Portugal’s third-largest city boasts an astound- city boasts an Portugal’s third-largest their splendid baroque churches, ing array of pop 120,000 / elev 200m lonelyplanet.com IC1

C550

Ὀ

Ὀ Ὀ