Guimarães: Practical Information

United Nations University (UNU-EGOV) December 2017 Guimarães: Practical Information

1. About Guimarães Located in the north of the country, about 320 km from Lisbon, Guimarães is one of the oldest cities in and is historically associated with the foundation and identity of the Portuguese nationality. Established in the 9th century, at the time called Vimaranes, it played a major role in the foundation of the country. The city was the main government seat of the , which existed between the years 868-1139 and was, at the time, part of the larger Kingdom of Léon. In this location, in the 12th century, was born D. Afonso Henriques, who was crowned the first King of Portugal. For that reason, Guimarães is known as “the cradle of the Portuguese nationality” (the words “Portugal was born here” can be seen written in one of the old city walls). The nickname of D. Afonso Henriques is “The Conqueror”, due to his battling efforts to gain independence and establish the , which happened in 1139. The premises of the United Nations University Operating Unit on Policy-Driven Electronic Governance (UNU-EGOV) are located at Campus de Couros, part of the University of Minho. The premises are very close to the old city walls and historical city centre, which was classified as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2001 and has been the subject of several projects. Address: Rua de Vila Flor 166, 4810-445 Guimarães, Portugal GPS Coordinates: 41°26'22.0"N 8°17'41.3"W

1.1 How to reach Guimarães The nearest airport is Airport, also known as Airport Francisco Sá Carneiro, is located about 50 km from Guimarães. From the airport to the city, several options are available. • GetBus: https://getbus.eu/en/guimaraes-airport-guimaraes/ • Train: it is possible to take the metro directly from the airport (Line E) to the centre of Porto and, from there, take one of the several daily urban trains between Porto and Guimarães (https://www.cp.pt/passageiros/en). • Taxi: taxis are widely available at the airport and the journey takes about 40 minutes. • Car: take highway A3 and then highway A7 to reach Guimarães in about 40 minutes (highway tolls are in place).

In case you land at Lisbon International Airport, high-speed trains are also available from there directly to Porto (most of them) and then a connection urban train to Guimarães.

1.2 Accommodation A range of hotels and other type of accommodation is available in Guimarães. The list below is not exhaustive. For Hotel Fundador, a special rate is available for UNU-EGOV. If you are interested, please contact us at [email protected].

1 Guimarães: Practical Information

• Hotel Fundador (***): http://www.hotelfundador.com/ • EMAJ Boutique Hotel (****): http://www.guimaraesemajboutiquehotel.com/home • Hotel Guimarães (****): http://www.hotel-guimaraes.com/ • Hotel Toural (****): http://www.hoteltoural.com/hotel-toural.html • Santa Luzia Arthotel (****): http://santaluziaarthotel.com/santa-luzia-arthotel • Stay Hotel Guimarães: http://www.stayhotels.pt/pt/nossos-hoteis/guimaraes-pt.html

1.3 Other practical information Most of the information below applies to Portugal as a whole and not exclusively to the city of Guimarães. • Language: the official language is Portuguese. • Time zone: GMT between October and each year, GMT+1 in the remaining months (daylight saving time or summer time, April, May, June, July, August, September). • Currency: EURO (€). Money can be withdrawn from most international credit cards at an ATM machine (called Caixa Multibanco). Many shops and restaurants allow for credit card payment, however, not all of them do. Therefore, it is advisable to always bring some cash. The vast majority of shops and restaurants will only accept Euros for cash payment. Foreign currency can be exchanged at airports and banks. • Banks: are open Monday to Friday from 8:30 to 15:00 and are closed on official holidays. • Electricity: the standard power supply is 220-240V/50Hz and the power sockets are Type F (two-pins). • Weather: Portugal is defined as having a warm Mediterranean climate, with the north being usually colder and wetter than the south. The annual average temperature in mainland Portugal varies from 12-13 °C (53.6-55.4 °F) in the mountainous interior north to 17-18 °C (62.6-64.4 °F) in the south. Extreme temperatures may reach -10 ºC in winter and 45 ºC in summer. Guimarães follows the typical pattern of a city in the north: dry and hot in the summer, rainy and cold in the winter, with possibility of thunderstorms and heavy winds. Snowfalls are extremely rare. • Security: Portugal is one of the safest countries in the world, with the crime rate being quite low. However, normal precautions should still be taken into consideration, such as not engaging in conversation with strangers, walking through non-illuminated areas at night, etc. • Driving: Portugal is a right-hand traffic country and normal driving rules apply. Traffic signs are international traffic signs. • Smoking: smoking is allowed on the street or open public areas, however, not inside most buildings, unless these buildings have a specific area for smokers. Smoking inside UNU- EGOV premises is also not allowed.

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