Day 4. A day in Braga, Portugal

On By Little Miss TravellerIn Europe, Porto & the north, Portugal

After breakfast in our hotel, it was back to Saō Bento station again with its beautiful blue tiled concourse. Our destination was to be Portugal’s third largest city, Braga, return day tickets €7 each.  The train was reasonably quiet and we enjoyed looking at the passing scenery from the carriage windows during the 75 minute journey which terminated in the city.

Braga old station building
Braga old station building

In complete contrast with Saō Bento in Porto, the station was quite modern and nondescript but it was good to see that the small old station building had still been retained.  Looking at our phone map we followed its suggested route into the centre, taking around ten minutes.

Campo das Hortas gardens, Braga
The Campo das Hortas gardens

Located on a hill between the station and the centre are the Campo das Hortas gardens so we spent a few minutes there before continuing into the historic centre through its triumphal archway, the Arco da Porta Nova which has stood there since the mid 18th century.

The Porto Nova Arch, Braga
The Porto Nova Arch

The archway leads onto Braga’s main thoroughfare, Rua Dom Diogo de Sousa.  The pedestrianised high street is narrow and appealing as it’s lined with medieval buildings and had banners strung out across the road.

The medieval centre of Braga
The medieval centre of Braga

Our walk then took us to the Biscainhos Museum which is set in the 17 & 18th century palace.  The museum takes visitors on a journey through the daily life of a noble family living in the palace and includes collections of furnishings and ceramics.  The central staircase features some magnificent azulejos (blue tiling).

The Biscainhos Museum, Braga
The Biscainhos Museum taken from its gardens

The stable block contains numerous carriages and riding equipment of the period and this leads out into the formal sumptuous gardens.  Its terraced lawns and flower beds are considered one of the best remaining examples of Baroque period gardens with their ornamental sculptures and box hedges.

Grand staircase, Biscainhos Museum
Grand staircase, Biscainhos Museum

Just around the corner from the Biscainhos Museum are the Gardens of Santa Barbara.  This small, but beautiful garden was ablaze with colour as despite the summer bedding plants starting to fade, the dahlia beds were in full bloom.  These formal gardens, again with manicured box hedges, surround the north walls of the imposing medieval wing of the former Archbishop’s palace.

Gardens of Santa Barbara, Braga
Gardens of Santa Barbara

It was then time for some lunch so we sat out on the pavement terrace of one of the bars in the Praça da Republica which is considered to be the heart of the city.  It was a perfect place to sit and watch the world go by whilst enjoying some lunch with splendid views of the Arcada gardens and its fountain.

Praça da Republica, Braga
The Praça da Republica

It was just as well that we had taken a rest as our next activity involved climbing 640 steps!  No visit to Braga can take place without making a visit to the Baroque staircase of Bom Jesus do Monte.  It’s located 5 km out of town but very easy to get there by public transport.  Bus 2 departs every 20 minutes from various points in the city centre and terminates at the monument.  A single fare is €1.65 and only cash payments are accepted (change given).

Raio Palace, Braga
The Raio Palace

In search of the correct bus stop we passed the Raio Palace with its bright blue tiled rococo façade and then conveniently arrived at the stop just as the bus was arriving so we couldn’t have timed it better.

Bottom of the Bom Jesus Monumental Staircase, Braga
The entrance to the monumental staircase near the bus stop

Fifteen minutes later we had reached the foot of the Bom Jesus staircase which is one of Portugal’s finest monuments and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  The monumental staircase has 170 steps but to reach there, its necessary to climb an additional 470 steps first.

 View from the Bom Jesus monument staircase, Braga
Looking back before reaching the monumental staircase

Fortunately, it wasn’t too hot for the climb which has steep slopes and flights of steps leading up to the actual staircase.  The Baroque staircase depicts the ascent to heaven and is adorned with statues and fountains depicting the five senses.  Pausing occasionally to take a rest we turned round and took in the spectacular views across the city and surrounding countryside.

The Bom Jesus Monumental Staircase, Braga
The Bom Jesus Monumental Staircase, Braga

For those less able to walk, the world’s oldest water powered funicular is usually on hand to whisk visitors up to the sanctuary from near the bus stop but it was out of action during our visit.

Bom Jesus Funicular, Braga
The Bom Jesus funicular, Braga

The sanctuary is a pilgrimage site and has been attracting religious devotees since the 14th century.  The church stands at the top of the staircase and to one side is a viewing terrace and cafe next to the upper funicular station.

The Sanctuary of Bom Jesus, Braga
The Bom Jesus Sanctuary

Visitors can even climb a little higher as just above the sanctuary are some woodland trails, a boating lake and cafe.  We enjoyed a pleasant stroll by the lakeside before descending the steps back to the bus stop at the bottom, which was much quicker and easier than going up.

The boating lake above the Bom Jesus Staircase, Braga
The boating lake above the Bom Jesus sanctuary

Visiting the Bom Jesus staircase is free of charge and with easy public transport access, a definite must visit cultural attraction whilst visiting Braga.

Views from the Bom Jesus Staircase viewing terrace
Panoramic views from the viewing terrace

After returning to the city centre we just had time to visit the Cathedral before returning to Porto.  The city’s cathedral has undergone numerous modifications over the years, its internal highlights being the Baroque double organ and its wonderful gilded choir stalls.

Braga Cathedral
Braga Cathedral

It was just as well that our train was terminating in Porto as after such an active day we soon found ourselves nodding off to sleep.

Braga Cathedral in the distance
Braga Cathedral in the distance

 

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A day in Braga, Portugal

 

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41 thoughts on “Day 4. A day in Braga, Portugal”

  1. I’m with you and the train rides. They are a perfect way to get where you are going and take in the scenery. Love the 640 step staircase to the view. Such a beautiful building and view. Thanks for sharing, Marion. Allan

    Liked by 1 person

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  4. jasonlikestotravel

    The Bom Jesus climb looks to be a must! It’s great seeing some photos of Braga. It’s “famous” for having one of the most picturesque football stadiums, certainly in Europe, so I’d quite like to go there for football one day.
    It looks a nice place to visit 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
      1. jasonlikestotravel

        Interesting if you get time to look at some photos of it. The stadium is nicknamed ‘The Quarry’ because it’s built in to the mountain side. Certainly unusual and a bucketlist stadium for many fans to visit.

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  7. Earthwatcher

    Thanks for sharing. I’ve followed you for a long while. I’m not one to visit cultural sites very often. You’ve given me a chance to see that which I might otherwise not see.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    1. Thank you for taking the time to make contact, it’s so nice to hear from you and to learn that you have been a loyal follower of my blog for sometime. I hope you continue to enjoy my posts from the comfort of your armchair and that you might be inspired to visit some of these places at some point.

      Liked by 1 person

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    1. Thank you for taking an interest in my recent visit to northern Portugal. We had a lovely time and found interesting places to visit each day during our week’s stay. Our planned May visit didn’t happen but fortunately we managed to get there a few months later. I do hope you will be able to travel there yourself before too long and in the meantime hope that my series of posts will help with planning your own trip.

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  17. You’ve definitely had an extensive visit of Portugal, more so than I did when I last went over four years ago! The Bom Jesus staircase is absolutely breathtaking, and I’m keen on visiting Braga because of that! Thanks for sharing, and I can’t wait to read more of your adventures in Portugal. 🙂

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    1. Thanks for your kind words Rebecca. The Bom Jesus staircase is definitely worth the short trip out of Braga to visit. Uber’s were cheap there and we tried to get one to take us but due to Covid you couldn’t book three passengers in one car, so that’s why we took the bus instead but it was very easy. So pleased you are finding my Portuguese posts of interest. Marion

      Liked by 2 people

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