Braga Guide
The Capital of Minho
Minho metropolis
Braga, the oldest city in Portugal
Braga, Best European Destination 2021
The city was declared
European Best Destination 2021, that is, the
Best European Destination of 2021, the recognition of the city's efforts to offer
quality of life, safety and attractions to its inhabitants and visitors.
Braga, home to a large community of immigrants from Brazil, is the city of choice for
Brazilians. Quality of life and opportunities are among the main reasons for this preference.
Sanctuary of Bom Jesus de Braga, Minho, Portugal © / Images of Portugal
Oldest city in Portugal
The
City of Braga (76,658 inhabitants), with its beautiful medieval cathedral, founded on June 24, 1128,
being considered the oldest city in Portugal. It was in the times of
Bracara Augusta of the Romans.
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District :
Braga is a
district of Portugal.
See other districts:
Districts of Portugal
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County :
Braga is a
county (municipality)
of
Braga District, with 193,333 inhabitants (INE, 2021).
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City :
Braga is also the capital of the municipality, district and province of
Minho.
The Ancient and the Modern
In the metropolis of Braga, the ancient and the modern coexist in harmony, tradition and innovation share the same space, being a city
home that enjoys one of the best quality of life in Portugal.
Millennial and Innovative
Proud of its rich and long history, Braga is, at the same time, a
smart and trendy city, which has focused on
its constant modernization and its focus on the future. "Braga offers technological conditions that reinforce this identity: an environment
top academic, internationally recognized in the field of technology and exploration of digital arts; the
International Nanotechnology
Laboratory, a laboratory of international standing, the only one in the world, which develops its activity in the field of nanoscience and
nanotechnology; an innovative and bold business fabric, marked by renowned companies in the area of information and communication technologies,
with sustained internationalization projects" [CM Braga].
Braga © / Images of Portugal
Seventh most populous Cluster
The Braga cluster is the
seventh most populous in Portugal, behind Lisbon, Sintra, Vila Nova de Gaia, Porto, Cascais and Loures.
Historical Center of Braga
A walk through the
Historical Center of
Braga transports us to discover the treasures of
faithful Braga.
A city with many facets, according to the historical period to which its buildings and monuments refer us, cf.
highlights below.
Braga Augusta
Under Roman rule, the city was dedicated to Emperor Augustus, hence the name
Bracara Augusta.
Baroque Braga
The city of Braga holds some of the most beautiful Baroque monuments in Portugal.
Religious Braga
In Braga, in addition to its beautiful cathedral, there are many churches and sanctuaries open to the faithful and visitors. The highlight is the
Sanctuary of
Bom Jesus do Monte (or Bom Jesus de Braga), located in Tenões.
Vineyards of Vinho Verde in Braga, in Baixo Minho, Northern Portugal © / Images of Portugal
Braga and Vinho Verde
It is on the outskirts of Braga that the Minho vineyards produce the famous Vinho Verde, iconic and symbol of
Portugal. With 237,070 hectoliters, the
Braga district produces 58.48% of all Minho green wine [IVV, 2016 data].
As for the
Braga municipality, the municipality’s production is only 5,214 hl (2,506 hl of red wines, 60 hl of rosé wines and 2,647 hl of
whites). The largest producer of Vinho Verde in the district of Braga is the municipality of
Celorico de Basto, with 49,530 hl, or 20.89% of all
wine produced in the district.
Learn more:
Green Wines of Braga.
Braga and the picturesque Minho
Braga, as described by José Augusto Vieira in his famous book
The Picturesque Minho (1886-1887):
"Rich in traditions and monuments, a bible of stone, in whose truncated leaves the hand of time has not erased the
from one or another miniature, the old primate city of Spain, the faithful and august Braga, transformed today from its
secular physiognomy, reminds one of a nun, who, bored with the melancholy of her cell, would dress Aline in a
toilette mundane".
All of Braga
The city of Braga, the metropolis of Minho, is the capital of a municipality formed by 37 parishes (
districts or administrative regions, in Brazil). About the
district (state) of Braga, is formed by 14
counties (municipalities).
The District of Braga is subdivided into 14 councils (municipalities).
Interesting links
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CM Braga