Day Trip to Braga
Braga, the oldest city in Portugal and only about 1hr by commuter train. Today’s weather is clear, warm (mid 60’s) and no rain so perfect for a day out. We bought our train tickets yesterday so nothing to do but get on the train. BTW- most of Europe gives a discount for those of us 65 and over. The round-trip ticket to Braga from Porto cost 6.80EUR, total! Great deals to be had!
Porto train station. Waiting on a train…
Back to Braga. As I said, the oldest city in Portugal. Celtic peoples known as “Bracaros” lived here before 136 BC when the Romans decided to move in. Under Caesar Agustus, Braga was reorganized and renamed to Bracara Agustus. (Caesar Agustus, better known as Octavian, was the first Roman Emperor and credited with massive expansion of the Roman Empire. He reigned in Rome from 27 BC until his death in 14 AD.) Soon there were Roman baths, amphitheaters, road and temples throughout the city, some of which, are still there today.
In the twelfth century, Braga was gifted to the Archbishops who transformed the city into a religious capital centered around the Cathedral. Today, Braga continues to be the largest center of religious studies in the region.
We started our tour today by hunting down a tuc-tuc. The town is too big for us to walk and the major site we came to see, the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte, is about 2 miles outside of the city center. Riding is much better than the 1hr walk, uphill!
Carla, our tuc-tuc driver and guide, was eager to make a few bucks this morning so off we went on our 1.5hr tour. First stop, Sanctuary of Bom Jesus. There are three ways to get to the top of the hill to see this magnificent cathedral, walk up the 600 stairs, take the funicular or ride in a tuc-tuc. We went with Carla and her tuc-tuc. During Holy Week there is one other way up the stairs, on your knees!
Yes, we are both here!
The stairway is divided into three levels, the Portico Staircase, the Five Senses Staircase, and the Three Virtues Staircase. The Portico Staircase has two 17th century chapels, while the other staircases have statues and fountains. Needless to say, we didn’t walk up or down the stairs. The view from the top was good enough for us.
Sanctuary Dom Jesus Do Monde
View of Braga from Dom Jesus
Next we tuc-tuced our way to the highest sanctuary in Braga, Sanctuary Sameiro. This sanctuary is located on a mountain top that overlooks the entire city of Braga. Although the stairs are not as popular as those noted earlier, there are still plenty to walk. At the end of May there is a celebration of Our Lady that takes place here, with each district in Braga carrying depictions of the Holy Mother and thousands of white roses. (It was here in 1917 that the Holy Mother appeared before three shepherd children making this the main place to worship.) The townspeople carry their adornments through the city, then up the hill to the stairs, then up the stairs to the sanctuary. The whole process takes over 4 hours!
Our Lady Sanctuary
View of Braga from Our Lady Sanctuary
Time for us to head back to the city center and see a few of the sites there before calling our tuc-tuc adventure to an end. Carla drove us around the city pointing out the walls originally built by the Romans, that today enclose one of the best museums in Portugal. Across the street was more evidence of Roman occupation with a complex of baths and an amphitheater.
Further into the city we came across one of the nine gates that the Romans used to control entry into the city. This gate was special. It was the gate that was left open, by decree, so that citizens and trades people could easily make their way into the market area. The other 8 gates are no longer standing.
Ancient Roman Gate
Braga Bank Building
Braga Market Entrance
City Center Fountain
Inside the city walls is the Braga Cathedral, Se De Braga. This cathedral is older than the city of Braga itself. Building started in the late 11th century and was completed in 1089 when it was consecrated and dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Inside there are relics from more than nine centuries of worship.
Braga Cathedral
Braga Cathedral ruins
Cathedral ruin, looks more Pagan to me.
Cathedral fountain ruin
Time to grab some late lunch and make our way back to the train station for the journey back to Porto. Of course, Collette goes for the cod and I chose the veal. And a nice glass of house wine to round off the meal. Wine here is very reasonable and quite good. A glass of good red or white wine costs 3-8EUR!
Cod & Chips
Veal in Mushroom sauce & Chips
And a little Greeso (Grease-O) for the bread!
While on our way back to the apartment in Porto, we were approached by three students, college, students, who asked if we would buy a sticker from them so they could buy their “capa e batina” for school. At first we thought this was a scam but decided to buy a sticker anyway. We had recently seen numerous students wearing these black robes throughout the city and wondered what it was all about. Now we know. “The academic uniform that students wear today are referred to as the capa e batina and originated from a tradition that started nearly 500 years ago at Portugal’s oldest university, the “Universidade de Coimbra.”
We decided to give 4EUR and take a sticker for our blog.
School of Mechanical Engineering sticker