Breakfast and departure for Barcelos, capital of ceramics, whose Rooster became the national symbol. Discovery of its 18th century churches decorated with azulejos and Gothic pillories of the 16th century. Discovery of a typical market, friendly and lively (depending on the opening days).
Continue to Braga, a city of historic importance.
The Romans succeeded the Suevi, then the Visigoths and the Muslims, until its reconquest by the Christians in the eleventh century. Its Cathedral, the oldest in the country, was the largest religious reference of Portugal and the popular saying "older than the Cathedral of Braga", to refer to something very old, shows well its seniority. Its ecclesiastical power, so often associated with the medieval era in the power of the sword, extended into the kingdoms of Spain and Portugal.
Thanks to the renown of its Cathedral, Braga has been enriched by monuments. In the sixteenth century, Archbishop D. Diogo de Sousa, fascinated by Rome in the time of Pope Julius II, gave the city the brilliance and charm of the Renaissance style.
Later, the exuberance of baroque art will add other buildings of great magnificence. The city preserves from all ages unexpected footprints, large or small, like a medieval tower in the middle of the street, jealousy windows that hid the faces of women, or a rocky palace reminiscent of a Louis XV chest of drawers.
More recently, the establishment of the University and the quality of its contemporary architecture have brought a renewal of youth that has filled the city with light, color and unexpected modernity. Visit of the church, and Igreja de Bom Jesus de Braga (Rococo style church, famous for its double staircase). Continue to Guimarães, which proudly bears the title of cradle of the nation. This city has preserved from its prestigious past, an air of old nobility, with its majestic facades. Lunch with regional specialty drinks of Duck Rice in a local Restaurant. Visit the palace of the Dukes of Braganza and the castle of the 1st King of Portugal, founded in the 10th century.
Back to your hotel.