+351 968 497 129 (24h)
+351 968 497 129 (24h)
Exit towards Barcelos crossing the medieval bridge and visit the ruins of the Palace of the Dukes of Bragança. Next, we go to Viana do Castelo where we suggest a stop for lunch. Visit Republic Square inserted in the historic centre of this city. Crossing the bridge, we arrive at the beautiful and oldest village of Portugal, Ponte de Lima, cross Camões Square ending our day in Platanus Avenue known for chapels and churches that mark the history of the village.
BARCELOS
Barcelos, the Minho city, is famous for its ceramic and craft fair, as well as the legend of the Barcelos Rooster, a colourful rooster, who became a national symbol. According to the legend, the miraculous intervention of a dead rooster in proof of the innocence of a man wrongly accused. The vast architectural heritage of the County includes the Barcelos Medieval Bridge, the Temple of Good Jesus of the Cross, the arch, the ruins of the Palace of the Dukes of Bragança and the Pillory.
The Mother Church, Romanesque with Gothic influences, dates from the 12th century and displays 18th-century tiles as well as an impressive rose window in the portico. The Pillory of Gothic style was built in the late 15th century and the beginning of the 16th century, characterised by the fact that it finishes in a cage.
The Barcelos Medieval Bridge with Gothic style is located on the Cávado River and establishes the connection between Barcelos and Barcelinhos. This bridge was an important crossing point for pilgrims on the Road to Santiago and the great fairs that take place in Barcelos since the high Middle Ages.
VIANA DO CASTELO
This Minho city extends along the Lima River, a river that separates Portugal and Spain. Inhabited since the Palaeolithic, the Roman civilisation also settled there and the city holds a great historical heritage. The town gained recognition in the 15th century and provided ships and sailors to the Discoveries of the 16th century. The main monuments of this town are the Sé Cathedral, the Church of Santa Cruz, Republic Square, the Allegorical Fountain and the four continents, the Roqueta, the Sanctuary of Santa Lúzia, the Mercy Hospital, the Eiffel Bridge railway station and the Houses of Carreira with Manueline facade.
The Church/Cathedral presents a massive structure of Romanesque architecture and is undoubtedly a work influenced by the Gothic aesthetic, with its construction beginning in the 15th century. The west door of the church has adorned with Gothic reliefs of the Apostles.
In Republic Square you can see the Gothic arches of the restored Town Hall Council. The Manueline motifs include weapons of D. João III. For centuries the Fountain of the Republic Square built in 1553 was the drinking water supply of the population.
PONTE DE LIMA
This charming village regarded as the oldest village of Portugal is known for the production of the famous “Vinho Verde” and is a pioneer in Manor House Tourism. It is characterised by its medieval and Renaissance architecture, having picked up its name of an old bridge over the Lima River. During the middle age, it played a key role in the defence of Minho against the Moors. Inhabited since prehistoric times, with many megalithic monuments, it is full of the legacy of civilisations that settled there since that time. The Old Bridge, the Pillory, the Camões Square, the Palace of the Marquis of Ponte de Lima and the Mother Church.
The Bridge of Roman trace that named the city consists of 15 large and 12 small arches and there crossed the military that came from Braga to Tui, that had a key role in the fights for the independence of the County of Portugal. The original bridge was built by the Romans, from which remains a significant section on the right bank of the Lima River. Even these days the pilgrims who head to Santiago de Compostela cross it.
In the centre of the village, we find magnificent gothic, mannerist, baroque, neoclassical and 19th-century facades. We highlight the most important references here such as Camões Square where you can observe the Fountain of the beginning of the 17th century. And the Church of Santo António da Torre Velha of the 19th century that stands out for the height of the tower.
Price per person 55.00€
Discount for groups
Tour Barcelos - Viana do Castelo - Ponte Lima
