On to day trip number 2 for the second day in a row, and this time we’re off to Braga which like Guimarães is an hour on the train from Porto.

Braga, like Guimarães is a small place which is popular for day trips from Porto. Both cities are located north of Porto although they are different for what they are known for.

Braga is known as the religious city of Portugal due to its religious heritage, and for its many Churches, (you won’t be seeing photos of every single Church in Braga). While Guimarães is known for being the birthplace of Portugal and the birthplace of Portugal’s first King, Alfonso Henriques I.

I arrived at 9am and went straight to the tourist centre to get a map. The guy behind the counter circled what he said in his own words were the most important places in Braga and circled the area I should walk (which was basically one block) and then go from there and explore what ever I wanted.

Considering I’ve had several Portuguese friends suggest taking a day trip to Braga, I was half expecting the guy at the tourist centre to suggest and hype up more places to go and things to see but I wasn’t going to complain and it’s nice to go with the flow and not have a plan.

With the weather forecast predicting thunder and heavy rain in the afternoon, I thought it would be better to go East of Braga to the Bom Jesus do Monte. It made sense to be in the city centre, not far from the Station and the many places around here to take cover should the weather conditions drastically change.

Bom Jesus is a neoclassical Church and is considered to be the most important attraction in Braga. It is 5 miles away from the centre and it’s mostly uphill to get there, so you will need to take a bus which takes 10-15 minutes.

Once you arrive, there is the option to take the vertical tram to the top for 1.50 Euros whch is described as an impressive piece of 19th century engineering. It was installed in 1882 and It’s the first of its kind in Portugal. It continues to use its water-powered system to power up the 300-metre slope in just 3 minutes.

Or you can walk up 17 flights of stairs with an elevation of 116m (381 feet which ever you prefer). The guy at the tourist office said “Take the stairs, it’s your first time. It’ll be fun”. I’m not sure about fun but I’m most certain he says this to all tourists for shits and giggles. I don’t think I need to worry about going to the gym after walking up those stairs.

You will see people jogging and running up and down the stairs…like are you crazy!? Fair play though, that is serious commitment and fitness on another level.

In all seriousness it wasn’t that bad. It’s not like a steep climb. From the first picture you will climb 10-15 stairs and then walk along a flat surface before taking more stairs which is ideal and helpful for your legs. You will do this for 5-10 minutes, maybe more depending on your pace, before you reach the second picture where you can see Bom Jesus do Monte from the bottom.

From the bottom, Bom Jesus looks epic. The view of Braga when you get to the top is something else! It is worth the climb. It didn’t seem open from what I gathered, though according to Google it’s open from 8am – 7pm in the summer.

Apart from a restaurant there isn’t much to do apart from looking around. Unless you eat at the restaurant I doubt you will spend more than 60 – 90 minutes here without going inside.

Then the pleasant climb down the stairs and the bus back to the city centre. The most important place to see here is the Se de Braga (Se meaning Cathedral in Portuguese).

Although I said the Bom Jesus de Monte is one of the most important buildings in Braga, Se de Braga is known to be one of the most important buildings in Portugal due to its history of being the first Cathedral of Portugal, and for being the seat of the Archbishop of Portugal and Spain.

After going around the block to see the Cathedral, it was a case of looking on the map and going from there. From places such as Palacio do Raio and Igreja de São Marcos, to Igreja dos Congregados and Arco da Porta Nova. All of these places and more are all within walking distance of each other. If you come to Braga and don’t go out of the city centre, you will spend half a day here.

For lunch I went to Frigideiras do Cantinho. Frigideiras is a puff pastry that would typically be stuffed with mince veal meat and cooked with margarine and lard.

Frigideiras do Cantinho was founded in the late 18th century and although the building was renovated in 1996, the original ruins have been preserved, which you can see through a glass floor inside when you sit to eat.

The waitress recommended the ham and cheese frigideiras, this is added to the mince veal meat, not a replacement which is what I thought at first. As someone who loves anything with meat and cheese, why would I not consider this suggestion? I always preferred anything with pastry to be accompanied with melted cheese because it doesn’t taste dry as it would without cheese.

The portion size was good, there are good options on the menu, and Frigideiras do Cantinho is an inexpensive option for your day trip to Braga. What more could you want?

While finishing off exploring places I hadn’t seen, the weather predication came true and the downpour began. There were warning signs for 30 minutes with the sound of thunder brewing. By this point I had less than an hour before the train back to Porto so I had my fingers crossed in vain that the floodgates wouldn’t open.

All you noticed were people running for cover or walking under anything covered from the rain. I would walk when the downpour was light and take cover when it was torrential. The longest I waited was 20 minutes at the entrance of a Church. I for one will always be grateful that God’s house is open to everyone!

Out of nowhere the sun started shining. My decision to go out of the centre to Bom Jesus de Monte at the beginning of the day was a good call, and all that was left to do was to go to the station. Thankfully my prayers for no more torrential downpours during the walk back were answered.

Another thing you can add to your list of things to do in Braga is to visit Peneda Geres National Park. Give or take it is 40km from Braga and is known to be good for hiking and camping. I’ve been told you can get the best view of Braga here. It’s a place you would typically spend a few days and you will need to hire a car.

Although Braga, is a small place which you can see in a day, people are more likely to stay over night so they can make use of more time to spend at Peneda Geres National Park instead of rushing.

I wouldn’t pick Braga or Guimarães and say one is necessarily better than the other because they are different to each other. Unless you have a preference to see one over the other, I would suggest both places are worth a visit if you have an extended stay in Porto booked.