Braga

About

Home to more than thirty churches, Braga has been the religious capital of Portugal since the 12th century. Thanks to wealthy archbishops, an architectural overhaul beginning in the 16th century transformed the city from a medieval town to a baroque wonderland, earning it the nickname “the Rome of Portugal.” Speaking of Rome, the city’s last remaining Roman relic is the Fountain of the Idol, a Celtic rune covered shrine from the 1st century that was once part of an ancient temple complex. Perhaps most iconic is the hilltop Bom Jesus do Monte. Completed in 1811, the baroque basilica is accessed by a winding staircase lined with grottoes, fountains and gardens known as the Sacred Way. From the cathedral’s hilltop, visitors are rewarded with a sprawling view of Braga. Nearby is Braga’s other hilltop church, the 19th century Santuário do Sameiro, a neoclassical monument with wide, open grounds.