Yesterday we drove from Amarante to Gerês, a small mountain town in the far north of Portugal and inside the Parque Nacional Peneda-Gerês.
We made a long stop on the way in the town of Guimarães, considered the birthplace of Portugal as a nation. The first king of Portugal was born here in the 12th century, and it was the first capital of the kingdom. We spent our time touring two sites: the Palace of the Dukes of Bragança, and the Castelo de Guimarães.
The Palace is impressive, in size and nicely filled with furnishings of the era.
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| Dining room |
The castle dates from the 10th century. Cool the way they integrated the rocks on site into the outer walls.
Also nearby is the small church of San Miguel do Castelo, dating from the early 13th century. Several of the burial crypts in the floor show the Templar cross.
