Founded by the Romans over 2000 years ago under the name Bracara Augusta, Braga is one of the oldest Christian cities in the world.
It is often called the “Portuguese Rome” due to its Roman legacy, visible in the many beautiful churches that can be found there, and is therefore a destination for religious tourism par excellence.
Braga is a city of traditions that lives hand in hand with entrepreneurship and a young spirit in areas as vital as culture, commerce, gastronomy or industry.
What to visit?
bom-jesus-braga-wtt-portugal
Bom Jesus de Braga
Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2019, the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus de Braga, attracts many pilgrims and tourists every year and is one of Braga’s ex-libris.
The Sanctuary sits high on a hill, surrounded by a magnificent park with several chapels, recessed benches and caves. Visitors can climb the famous staircase on foot or, ride the world’s oldest funicular, which operates by a system of counterweight water.
Sameiro Sanctuary
Not far from the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus, is the Sameiro Sanctuary – the center of greatest Marian devotion in Portugal, after Fátima.
The Sanctuary was built in the nineteenth century although the neoclassical style temple was completed in the twentieth century. Outside the church there is a square with a staircase that provides a privileged view of the city of Braga.
museu-dos-biscainhos-braga-wtt-portugal
Museum of the Biscainhos
The Biscainhos Museum is located in the Biscainhos Palace, founded in the 17th century and converted into a Museum in 1978.
The palace, the baroque gardens and its collections reveal the daily life of the eighteenth-century nobility and the other inhabitants of the space: chaplains, servants and slaves.