Traveling to … Guimarães :: the Birthplace of the Portuguese Nation

Let’s take a trip together, to the birthplace of Portugal as a nation as we know it…..to the well-loved and vivacious historical city of Guimarães!

This century’s old Portuguese city isn’t just a beautiful spectacle of rich culture and European architecture, it’s the location that played a significant, and historical role in our country’s foundation.  

If you want to immerse yourself and wander through an authentic example of the important evolution of medieval history and modernism, then Guimarães has everything you’re searching for, and more! It’s commonly known as the “birthplace of the Portuguese nation” or “the cradle city {Cidade Berço in Portuguese}” since it’s believed that Portugal’s 1st king, Afonso Henriques was born here. 

For several decades, Guimaraes was in fact the capital city of Portugal, only then consider a county, which then had its kingdom title passed onto Coimbra after war. 

There is no shortage of history, stories from medieval and middle ages, unique culture, architecture and modern intrigue waiting to be discovered and unfolded when you find yourself roaming Guimarães. In fact, you’ll find it amongst most of the northern region in Portugal! History buffs, what are you waiting for, start packing your bags!

I’d say it’s not a bad work day when you find yourself making the slightly 2 hour road trip from Serra da Estrela, up the unique Northern region of Portugal to encounter, finally, this famed and beautiful city.

Charming, bustling, and full of so much amazing architectural details one can only found here. Up close each home and building is its own work of art, a masterpiece in fact. Is it really any wonder the city’s architecture is considered by UNESCO’s World Heritage. Walking around you’ll be entranced by the variety and vastness of details there really are; a true representation and walk into the different periods throughout Portugal’s history. 

Look up, look down, look around, just look as closely as you can wherever you go! Because each tile and stone work spotted is a stunning statement. Stones and tiles go hand in hand, but so do detailed ironwork and woods, faded shutters holding the secrets and scenes these homes have seen, and endured….

Ohh to have been fly on the wall to see and experience these squares’ throughout their lives 

But be prepared and go early if you want to experience Largo da Oliveira and Praça de Santiago, and its beauty without the bustle, because they become as crowded as perhaps medieval days when merchants and locals roamed the city’s cobblestone streets. Still the hustle of tourists and locals blending together is the very reason you should take a seat at the many restaurants and cafes, enjoy a chilled glass of Vinho Verde, or rich espresso, and admire the chaos that makes Guimarães what it is. 

Ah the famed garden lined Igreja e Oratórios de Nossa Senhora da Consolação e Santos Passos. This location, this photo – in different lightings, different seasons, different years, taken throughout a million different situations – is pretty iconic Guimarães.  

You don’t have to go inside the church, but you should, especially if Baroque and Neoclassical architecture catches your eye. It’s a beautiful example of the architectural era, but more importantly is serves as a pretty great marker for getting around the city. You’re nearby the Largo da Oliveira and Praça de Santiago, which leads you directly up to the Palacio dos Duques and Castello de Guimarães, along with several lovely sights, sounds and tastes in every corner! 

Go in the other direction, and you’ll find yourself more into the heart of the city, where the daily life mixes with the leisure. 

Although there has been much on my plate, and I could use to do and take on much less mentally {which in reality I am when it comes to certain work related matters}, I have actually found comfort and clarity in writing. Particularly writing travel posts. It most certainly is the time of year, when I always tend to feel off my game, and this year even more so.

The Autumn gloom makes my already dreamer mind wander, to far off places and adventures, to nature and ideal lifestyles and business. But I’m not going to resist it. Whatever is working to help me get back on track, on a new more efficient track to achieving both personal and career goals, I’ll do it! 

It’s funny, I’ve never quite considered myself a writer, but my fickle summer childhood journals, or my obsessions with quotes and inspiring words that have filled endless phone notes, Pinterest boards, and doodles and markings all over scraps of papers and notebooks — should have given it away. Sometimes the words flow as easily as a river, and that burning spark must always be taken advantage of, because most times I don’t have the calm, or shall we say focused clearness, to sit and write for fun about travels or food or nature or flowers. But these quiet moments, which are indeed very silent since I often write and reflect without any sound, no music, just the stillness needed to finally be with my thoughts. To sort through them, to figure out the why, how and okay what’s next? 

The quietness, this forcefulness to sit, to focus and reflect where I’m at it, where the world is, to face my thoughts – it surprisingly helps to motivate me, to calm me down from the overwhelm that may be mounting. It also helps inspire me to often create my next plan of action. 

So now it has me thinking, how much more in depth, more meaningful and impactful Travel really is. Because here I am simply putting together a fun blog post with pictures of the lovely city of Guimarães I visited during my summer trip to Portugal, just writing about tips of where to go if you happen to, which you must, make your way there. But in turn, just sitting down to write, to think back to this day, to see these lovely images is helping me tackle other things and improving my mindset. Isn’t it such a beautiful thing how full circle it all really is? 

See on the day I really explored Guimarães, and not quickly after a work meeting, which included its famed palaces and castles, I wandered it on my own. While families and friends were out and about, many tourists from all parts of the world, some were my American comrades, some were our neighboring Spanish brothers and then everyone else perfectly blending with all the locals, enjoying a picturesque August Sunday afternoon….I was finding clarity, and joy, and excitement of the exploring, the unknown and the new to me, but old to history. 

I took myself to a favorite spot Deguste, one I only needed two visits to realize it was my spot, ordered the seafood salad and a chilled glass of Vinho Verde of course. With the Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Consolação’s gardens as the idealic backdrop to experience the joy as everyone was experiencing it, watching and embracing all the people around.

People watching, isn’t it the greatest! {People watching isn’t creepy, until, well you make it creepy right haha} But this really is such a lovely spot to do so and interact with everyone roaming around Guimarães too, if you’re into striking up a conversation with whoever is passing by of course. As a warning, if you’re a first timer to Portugal bring out your friendliness, because striking up a random conversation is one of our favorite pastimes 😉

With my camera in hand and sunglasses on my toasty flushed face, from both the sun and wine 😉 I casually strolled along cobblestone alleyways, underneath medieval archways, through bustling squares and up towards historical grandeur. 

And yet I found such comfort and serenity being on my own amongst the noise of life and everyone that surrounded me. Was that the city of Guimarães entrancing me with some historical medieval spell?? 

No. It’s simply the power of what traveling, and experiencing, the world can offer you.