Raise your eyes to the square embattled walls and towers of Guimarães castle. It was built to defend the region against Normans and Moors. From those battlements, eleven centuries look down on you.

This is the birthplace of Portugal. Guimarães was the seat of the County of Portucale, which separated from Galiza nearly a thousand years ago, and became the Kingdom of Portugal. 

Walk side by side with a local expert through the historic centre. Houses, palaces, squares, churches, chapels…they all tell you their stories. And each story is a piece of Portuguese history.