Guimarães Castle

Cultural & Historical Tours

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Have you ever been to Guimarães Castle?

In the tenth century the Countess Mumadona Dias, after having become a widow, orders a monastery to be built in her estate of Vimaranes - now Guimarães. The constant attacks by the Moors and Normans leads to the need to build a fortress for guardianship and defense of the monks and the Christian community that lived around them. Thus appears the primitive Castle of Guimarães.
In the 12th century, with the formation of the Portucalense County, Count D. Henrique and D.Teresa came to Guimarães to have great works at the Castle in order to enlarge and strengthen it. Tradition tells us that it would have been inside the castle that the earls had settled there and probably D. Afonso Henriques was born there. Between the XIII and XV centuries several kings will contribute with works of improvement and restoration of the Castle.
Connected to heroic feats of the period of the foundation of nationality as the Battle of S.Mamede in 1128, reason why it is known as Castle of the Foundation or of S. Mamede, it served throughout its history of stage to several real conflicts. Lost that was its defensive function, the Castle enters a process of abandonment and gradual degradation until the XX century, when it is declared National Monument and restoration works are carried out.

What People Are Saying

★★★★★
"We were very pleased with our trip today, there were four of us, two Spanish speakers and Pedro easily switched between Spanish and English to explain and provide information. We went to Bom Jesus and walked the many steps to the church at the top, then went to Braga Cathedral and had exclusive access to three special chapel (beware of the mummy of the Archbishop if you are squeamish) including a fascinating Moorish chapel. After a tour of the town we had an excellent lunch, soup or salmon salad, mackerel or veal, chocolate mousse or pannecotta, wine and coffee. We then went to Guimaraes and saw the castle and palace then had time to visit the town. All the entrance tickets were included so we did not need to queue to buy these. A very enjoyable trip and we would definitely recommend it."
★★★★★
"I just love these 2 towns. If you have an opportunity to visit, go for it. These company was great and happy to recommend. They were punctual, great lunch included, and Violet was simply amazing. A wealth of knowledge and a magnificent guide. If booking with this company, request her, she will make the trip that much more fun."
★★★★★
"I would like to thank bubbly Violet for the excellent insight and good company 😉 We enjoyed it a lot!!"
★★★★★
"Braga and Guimaraes are cities worth visiting - both are beautiful in their own way. There is a lot of history embedded in the place, as they are connected through their history and how Portugal was founded. The sites visited were really beautiful. Our guide, Bruno, was knowledgeable about both places, and was an entertaining guide."
★★★★★
"Bruno, notre excellent guide, nous a fait découvrir Braga et Guimaraes de manière sympathique, conviviale et professionnelle. C’est la seconde fois que nous participons à des excursions avec Cooltour. Ils sont toujours aussi TOP ! N’hésitez pas à visiter le Portugal avec eux !!! Princes et Princesses, laissez-vous guider et chouchouter..."
★★★★★
"Muy recomendable excursión a Braga y Guimaraes, nuestro guía y conductor (Pedro, un saludo) fue muy ameno y sabía mucho de historia de su país. Buena comida, sin esperas."

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