The Minho
In a gorgeous red mansion right after the Roman bridge in Arcozelo is this museum dedicated to Portuguese toys. The focus is on toys made from the late 19th century through to 1986. Displays in different rooms include raw materials and manufacturing techniques, and toys arranged by decade, from brightly painted wooden beach buckets to papier-mâché dolls and tinplate cannons.
There's also a play room and a toy workshop accessed through the garden.
17.33 MILES
Braga’s extraordinary cathedral, the oldest in Portugal, was begun when the archdiocese was restored in 1070 and completed in the following century. It’s…
16.41 MILES
The largest, oldest and most celebrated of the Minho's markets is the Feira de Barcelos, held every Thursday in Barcelos on the banks of Rio Cávado…
16.71 MILES
The 341m summit of Monte de Santa Trega is a 4km drive or 2km walk (via the PRG122) from town. On the way up, stop to poke around the partly restored Iron…
0.14 MILES
The city’s pièce de résistance, this elegant 31-arched bridge across the Rio Lima is now limited to foot traffic. Most of it dates from the 14th century,…
Escadaria do Bom Jesus do Monte
18.43 MILES
Climbing dramatically to the hilltop pilgrimage site of Bom Jesus do Monte, 5km east of Braga, is this extraordinary staircase, with allegorical fountains…
22.86 MILES
For spectacular views over the Albufeira de Caniçada reservoir and the southern reaches of Parque Nacional Peneda-Gerês, snake 6km uphill through the…
19.29 MILES
The highlight of the old town is the fortress-like Catedral de Santa Maria. Begun in the 12th century, it reflects a stoic Romanesque style in most of its…
Centro Interpretativo das Memórias da Misericórdia de Braga
17.53 MILES
Braga's newest museum is housed inside Palácio do Raio, whose exuberantly tiled rococo façade (by André Soares) is must-see material for any aficionado of…
0.06 MILES
West of the river, this small, intriguing green space with rose bushes and lemon-filled trellises next to a public swimming pool is notable for its annual…
0.14 MILES
The city’s pièce de résistance, this elegant 31-arched bridge across the Rio Lima is now limited to foot traffic. Most of it dates from the 14th century,…
0.26 MILES
Along with the Torre da Cadeia Velha, this tower constitutes the only standing remains of Ponte de Lima's medieval walls. Note the somewhat bizarre…
0.26 MILES
Two crenellated towers (part of the fortifications made in the 14th century) face the river at the end of Rua Cardeal Saraiva. The Torre da Cadeia Velha…
0.27 MILES
Fragments of the town walls survive behind and between the Torre da Cadeia Velha and the Torre de São Paulo (part of the fortifications made in the 14th…
0.29 MILES
Behind Torre de São Paulo is the rather staid, mostly 15th-century igreja matriz (parish church), sporting a pretty Romanesque doorway.
0.34 MILES
Downriver from Ponte de Lima's famous bridge, the 18th-century Igreja de São Francisco dos Terceiros houses a variety of ecclesiastical and folk treasures…
1.14 MILES
For panoramic views up and down the Lima valley, climb 6km into the hills northwest of Ponte de Lima to this tiny, bizarre chapel dedicated to Santo…