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Braga, the Rome of Portugal, is the spiritual home of Portugal and with thirty five churches chiming across the city it's no wonder. There is a rich cultural heritage marked by impressive religious festivals and architecture. However, this religious heritage is combined with Braga's modern cosmopolitan way of life where students from the nearby University of Minho and busy business people liven up the squares and cafes at all hours of the day and night.
There is a wealth of shops, restaurants and cafes along with the whole range of hotels both close to the town or its modern suburbs. It's a great base from which to explore Portugal's only National Park, Parque Nacional de Peneda-Geres which can be reached in a day trip.
A good place to start exploring the centre of Braga is the Praca da Republica in the centre of the old town. The square itself is a modern, light, open square with adjoining gardens with modern sculptures that is a relaxing place to watch passers by from the benches dotted around or from one of the cafes that face onto the square with outdoor seating. The square is dominated by the fabulous fountain that has a changing display but don't become too entranced and forget the rest of the city! At night it all comes alive with coloured uplighting complemented by the kitsch neon lighting of the nearby cafes.
The tourist office is the art deco looking building on the corner of Praca da Liberdad and Avenida da Liberdade open Mon-Fri 9 am-7 pm, Sat 9 am-12.30 pm and 2-5.30 pm and in August 9 am-12.30 pm and 2-5.30 pm form which you can get a helpful town map. Avenida da Liberdade, 1 - 4700-251 Braga. Tel: 351 253 262 550. Fax: 351 253 613 387. Email: rtvm@mail.telepac.pt.
Check the town's excellent visitor guide that has lots of photos of the town and its sights. Weblink right.
There are plenty of hotels in Braga many of them being contemporary airy hotels in the more modern parts of the town. Parking can be difficult so hotels often offer underground parking which can be handy.
Braga is a good shopping centre with Bragashopping, just to the north of Praca da Republica, being the main retail centre. There are also lots of interesting independent shops, restaurants with a wide range of styles of cuisine (including vegetarian restaurants) and cafes around the cobbled streets of the old town particularly along the streets behind the Torre de Menagem. Bragashopping also has a cinema within it with a good range of films including international films.
Although the religious centre of Portugal shifted to Lisbon, Braga is still very much the centre for religious festivals. One week before Easter the town comes alive with festivals associated with Holy Week Celebrations, Semana Santa. The whole city is transformed being decorated and taken over by impressive processions such as the Penitence, the torch-lit Solenissima Procissao do Senhor Ecce-Homo of numerous bare footed, hooded penitents that starts and ends at the Cathedral. The Teoforica do Enterro Procession that passes down the aisles of the Cathedral with the Blessed Sacrament and the impressive Lord's Burial Procession that closes the cycle of processions.
Like the rest of Portugal the week around 24 June Festas de Sao Joao is celebrated. This lively, and originally pagan holy celebration, includes dancing and singing, medieval folk plays, processions, bonfires and illuminations. A fun fair is also held in he city park around which little pots of basil appear which is a tradition where people write poems to loved ones then hide them in little pots of basil, the symbol of Sao Joao.
More modern festivals include "BragaJazz" an annual festival of contemporary jazz music which is usually staged at the auditorium of the Braga Exhibition Centre (PEB) for three days in March. In May The Image Meetings are a series of exhibitions, workshops and events in Braga and nearby towns, showcasing creative photography. In July street theatre from plays to juggling, mime, Punch and Judy shows, burlesque farce, circus and contemporary dance make up the Braga Theatre Festival. It is staged at different venues around Braga including the Roman spas and the Cathedral which evokes a very special atmosphere. Braga International Folklore Festival is a three-day event in the last weekend of August. This festival celebrates local, regional, national and international music and dance of folk dance groups.
Braga's football team, Sporting Clube de Braga's home ground is the relatively new Estadio Municipal de Braga 30,000 seat stadium. It was built to host the 2004 European Football Championships (Euro 2004) designed by Portuguese architect Eduardo Souto de Moura. Address: Estadio Municipal de Braga, Parque Norte, - Dume - 4710 Braga. Tel: 351 253 206 860. Fax: 351 253 612 929. Email: mail@scbraga.pt.
It has to be one of the most unusual stadiums in the world as it was carved out of a quarry that overlooks the city of Braga. It only has seating down the sides of the pitch and at one end is the huge rock face from which is was carved. At the other end is a view down over Braga city itself. Gives you something else to look at if the match isn t up to scratch!
The stadium is two kilometres from the centre of Braga off the northbound EN101. Match tickets are available from the team shop in the Centro Comercial Galeries do Bingo on Avenida da Liberdade. Tel: 351 253 271 320. Mon-Fri 10 am-1 pm and 2.30 -7 pm.
Braga is 50 kilometres from Francisco Sa Carneiro Airport in Porto so is within easy travelling distance either straight up the main motorways from Porto or as Braga is within the Porto suburbano network trains travel every hour or two from Porto.
Braga is within easy driving distance of the southern part of Portugal's only national park, Parque Nacional da Peneda-Geres which stretches all the way up to the Spanish border. Beautiful blue lakes amongst steep forested mountains greet you as you enter the park from the N304 north east of Braga. The park is a fantastic area of wilderness (well outside of weekends and peak holiday season) with huge granite boulders strewn across rocky mountains. There are a series of drives through conifer forests to viewpoints and picnic areas that are well used by the local at weekends. This is one of few natural parks in Portugal with waymarked walks so if you're feeling more energetic you can tramp off and discover more of its beauty not visible from the road. Check our page on natural parks for more information about the wildlife and landscape of Peneda-Geres.
Just outside the old town of Braga on Avenida Antonio Macedo is the park headquarters office which has some information and maps about the National Park. Not all staff speak English but they are very helpful and do have some clear maps and English language leaflets. Open Mon-Fri 9 am-12.50 pm and 2-5.30 pm. Tel: 351 253 203 480. Email: pnpg@icn.pt. It is not the easiest place to find but if you head down Rua dos Biscainhos taking a left down Rua da Boavista you will come to a subway taking you under the main road, Avenida Antonio Macedo N104. Once on the other side head right until you come to a fenced and gated complex where and you will see a one storey white building at the end of a short path. This is it, but as seems to be the Portuguese way, many of the natural park offices are not signed!
Other National Park offices and interpretation centres are found within the Natural Park at: Arcos de Valdevez: Rua Pde. Manuel Himalaia, 4970-462 Arcos de Valdevez. Tel.: 351 258 515 338. Fax: 351 258 522 707.
Terras de Bouro: Centro de Educacao Ambiental do Vidoeiro, Lugar do Vidoeiro, no: 99- 4845-081 Geres. Tel: 351 253 390 110. Fax: 351 253 391 496. Montalegre: Rue do Reigoso, 5470-236 Montalegre. Tel: 351 276 518 320/1. Fax: 351 276 518 322.
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