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Deposits from only £25 per booking
Vila Nova de Famalicao is a handy base for exploring the Minho region of Portugal. Vila Nova de Famaliciao is 16 miles west of Guimaraes and only 20 miles from Porto Airport.
This is a burgeoning tourist destination with attractions based around its industrial heritage. The legacy of the local population having gone to Brazil to find their fortune is reflected in the Brazilian style of architecture of buildings that were built when the emigrants returned investing in local businesses.
Vila Nova de Famalicao, or Famalicao as it's shortened, was founded in the thirteenth century by the king Dom Afonso III. However, it is believed to have existed much earlier than that as the regional seat of the Terras de Vermoim. Today it is renowned for its handicrafts and high-quality leather goods.
It is a busy market town, town that provides a perfect base from which to explore the rural Minho region as well as the historic sights of Braga and Guimaraes nearby. Being only 20 kilometres west of the coast, a day trip to the Costa Verde beach resorts and excellent seafood restaurants at Povoa de Varzim, Vila do Conde is well within reach of a day trip. Even Esposende and Viana do Castelo aren't out of reach.
The town's development took off in the 19th century when various workshops and factories were set up. This same period also witnessed the appearance of a number of small palaces and luxurious buildings financed by the emigrants who had lived in Brazil. On a hill outside the town, the 13th century Romanesque Sao Tiago de Antas church has a fine doorway of the period. It features a pointed chancel, square Renaissance windows inserted into the original apse and walls lined with yellow azulejos.
Tourist Information Office: Praca D. Maria II, Topo Sul, 4760-111 Vila Nova de Famalicao. Tel: 351 252 312 564. Fax: 351 252 312 564. Email: postodeturismo@vilanovadefamalicao.org.
The town has a multitude of museums ranging from trains to former writers houses displaying items from the 19th century.
Camilo Castelo Branco, one of the most prolific nineteenth-century Portuguese writers, lived in the village of So Miguel de Seide near Familiciao. His work included novels, plays, verse, and essays. His house has now been converted into a museum: Casa-Museu Camilo Castelo Branco, Ceide-S.Miguel, 4760 Vila Nova de Famalicao. Tel: 351 252 327 186. Fax: 351 252 311 004. Email: cmcamilo@um.geira.pt
Museu Bernardino Machado, Rua Adriano Pinto Basto, 75, 4760-114 Vila Nova de Famalicao. Tel: 351 252 377733. Email: bernardinomachado@vilanovadefamalicao.org
Casa-Museu Soledade Malvar, Avenida 25 de Abril, 104, 4760-101 Vila Nova de Famalicao. Tel: 351 252 318091. Email: soledademalvar@vilanovadefamalicao.org Admission free. Tues-Fri 10 am-1 pm and 2-5.30pm. First weekend of each month: 2.30-5.30 pm.
Museu Do Caminho-De-Ferro De Lousado (Railway Museum). Largo da Estacao - Lousado, 4760-623 Vila Nova de Famalicao. Tel: 351 221 052403. Open Sun-Fri 2-5pm.
Museu Da Fundacao Cupertino De Miranda, Praca D. Maria II, 4760-111 Vila Nova de Famalicao. Tel: 351 252 301650. Email: geral@fcm.org.pt. Admission free. Open Mon-Fri 10 am-12.30 pm and 2-6pm, Sat 2-6 pm. Closed Sundays.
Museu Da Guerra Colonial, Centro Coordenador de Transportes, Sala 1, Rua Henriques Nogueira, 4760-038 Vila Nova de Famalicao. Tel. 351 252 322848 and 351 252 376323. Email: info@adfa-famalicao.rcts.pt. Admission free. Mon-Fri 9.30 am-12.00 pm and 2-6pm, Sat 2-7 pm.
Museu De Arte Sacra, Capela da Lapa - Largo Tinoco de Sousa, 4760-108 Vila Nova de Famalicao. Tel: 351 252 314279. Admission free. Saturdays 2-5 pm. Check notices for additional opening hours for the rest of the week.
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