"Braga" a Braga Travel Page by haiamisa

We arrived in Braga on 21st of September. We had left Braganca in the morning and drove on the beautiful road N103 (see my travelogue for that). We loved Braga immediately for its being a beautiful and lively city which was a nice change after being few days in remote places. After settling in at the Grande Residencial Avenida at the center we had time to explore the city, to go to eat, to do some shopping at the supermarket of the shopping center close by and to watch the students who had finished their studies to march on the streets. Braga has an university and many students are seen in the streets and in the cafes. Also we saw other tourists again - something we hadn't seen since we left Evora. We stayed one night (but you should stay longer, two or three nights would be good to see more of the city) and continued to Guimaraes and Aveiro on the following day.

Some history:
Braga is praised as the Portuguese Rome, but it might be better to say the Portuguese Canterbury. It is one of the country's most ancient towns, it was probably founded by the Bracari Celts (hence the name), later falling into Roman hands and being named Bracara, capital of Roman Gallecia. Its history is then one of conquest and reconquest,being occupied t various times by the Suevi, Visigoths and eventually the Moors. The city is still Portugal's religious capital; look around and you'll soon become aware of the weight of the Church power, embodied by an archbishop's palace built on a truly presidential scale. We counted 9 churches only in the center! And heard chuch bells ringing most of the time. Brage is a fair-sized city, though the old town - an oval of streets radiating out from the Se- is a compact area and can easily be explored by foot.
The city's most characterful locales are its wonderful nineteeth-century cafes - busy all day and into the evening. You can eat there sandwiches, snacks and often full meals.