Guimarães Castle

Guimarães Castle: The wonder of northern Portugal

This impressive monument is very popular with the Portuguese and was elected in 2007 as one of the 7 wonders of Portugal. It is the only monument in the northern region to have obtained this distinction.

The visit of the castle

The area around Guimarães Castle is beautifully wooded. You will certainly arrive via the car park (free and very large), located just behind the castle. This access point will allow you to admire the full height of the monument and take some nice pictures. You will then go around it to the right, to arrive in a magnificent shaded park, where it is very pleasant to walk between the olive trees. Below this garden is the Palace of the Dukes (Paço dos Duques), another historical building not to be missed. You will have to go there anyway to buy your tickets for the castle and I strongly advise you to take the opportunity to visit the palace.

Once you have your ticket, the visit of the castle can finally begin. You will enter through the main gate, where the drawbridge used to be. The ramparts have been fitted out so that you can climb up and walk around the parapet walk. From these platforms you can safely admire the view of the city and its surroundings. The visit is relatively quick and allows time to discover the other buildings in the vicinity.

A bit of history

Built between the 10th and 11th centuries, the primary purpose of the castle was to protect the town from Norman and Moorish attacks. This was only the first version of the construction, which then constantly evolved.

Between the 12th and 15th centuries, the castle was home to various Portuguese kings. The first to move in, Dom Henrique and Dona Teresa, started the work on the castle again, in order to enlarge and strengthen it.

From the 16th century onwards, the castle lost its defensive function and was abandoned. This was a period of decline and it fell into partial ruin. It was not until the 19th century that interest in the building was revived and it was finally restored. It was classified as a "National Monument" in 1881, then restored and inaugurated in 1940.

Nowadays, the castle of Guimarães attracts more and more visitors, with more than 370,000 visits in 2019.

The city of Guimarães, birthplace of the nation

Located in the district of Braga, Guimarães is an emblematic city, considered the cradle of the Portuguese Nation. It was also the first city to be named capital of the country.

Not far from the castle, Guimarães has a very charming city centre, composed of small streets and pedestrian squares. You only need to walk about ten minutes to get there. There are many cafes and restaurants to choose from, and you can sample the local specialities.

If you have the opportunity, don't hesitate to visit Guimarães during the Feira Afonsina, in June. This fair allows you to discover the activities of the Middle Ages and to immerse yourself in the medieval atmosphere. A good idea for an outing to help children discover this period or to make older children dream. 

Practical information 

Guimarães Castle opening hours

The castle is open every day from 10am to 6pm (last entrance at 5.30pm). 

It is closed on 1 January, Easter Sunday, 1 May and 25 December.

Prices

The castle ticket office is in the Palace of the Dukes, located right next door.

Individual ticket: €2 

Combined ticket (Château + Palais des Ducs): €6

On presentation of a supporting document :

Free for children under 12, unemployed persons in the European Union, disabled persons, school groups.

Reduced rate (50%) for the over 65s, students and families. 

How to get to the castle

Guimarães is easily accessible by car, via motorways and national roads. As an indication, Porto is 45 minutes away.

You can also arrive by train, via the Guimarães train station, which is 1.5 km from the castle (approximately 20 minutes on foot).

There are also buses and the bus station is 1.2km from the castle.