Guimarães
Discover Guimarães
Guimarães is a city in Minho, northern Portugal. One of the country's most historical cities, it's known as the "Cradle of Portugal" since it was from there the "Condado Portucalense" grew into today's Portugal. The historical centre has a medieval castle and a royal palace open to visitors. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Guimarães (gee-muh-RUHNEESH, /gi.mɐ.ˈɾɐ̃jʃ/) was the European Capital of Culture in 2012. Its castle has been classified as one of the New Portuguese Seven Wonders. The first king, D. Afonso Henriques (aka Afonso I of Portugal), is still idolized by the city. About 50 km (31 mi) from Porto, Guimarães is near Penha, a mountain with wonderful views over the city.
Taste of Guimarães...
An escapade to Largo da Oliveira is always a good choice, cosmopolitan feel with lots of inviting cafes.
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsThe easiest way to go to Guimarães by plane is to fly to Francisco Sa Caneiro airport in Porto then, catch a train or a bus to Guimarães. By bus it's about one hour from Oporto to Guimarães and almost one and a half hours by train. From the Porto Airport, you can catch the following transport to Guimarães. Board the Metro Porto at the Airport Metro station and go to the Campanhã or São Bento railway stations in Porto, from there you will get a train to Guimarães (1 hr 15 min, about €5). There are direct [http://www.getbus.eu inter-city bus connections between Guimarães and Porto Airport everyday (50 min, €7.50 one-way, €12 return). The taxi rank is on the ground level in the street next to Porto's Airport main entrance and exit doors (40 min, about €60). Train is the cheapest and the best way to arrive in Guimarães. The Portuguese Railways Company CP is the service provider. Travelling from Lisbon there are trains, but not many directly going to Guimarães....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
In Guimarães, there is a sightseeing bus that travels through the city centre. But being a small city centre, you probably will want to also walk around to get the feeling of the small old streets and enjoy what the historical center of this medieval city has to offer. If you normally like to purchase a multi trip ticket to travel in bigger cities, in Guimarães, being a small city, it's not worth it. But if you want to travel by bus, the ticket prices are about €1.25. To go to Penha Mountain, the easy option to go up is on the cable car - Teleférico da Penha -. If you want to stroll through the mountain it's very safe. If you decide to walk up the mountain, the roads are alright but it will take about 30 minutes. Renting a car can be a nice solution, because in a small city there isn't much traffic congestion. If you want to stay in a place "far" from the centre, car rental is practical and not too expensive.
Money & Budget
An escapade to Largo da Oliveira is always a good choice, cosmopolitan feel with lots of inviting cafes.