CITY BREAK:Guimarães, a small, historic city in Portugal, will play host to European Capital of Culture in 2012. Most people outside the country have never heard of it, but all that is set to change, says
ADRIENNE CULLEN
IT’S KNOWN AS “the cradle city”, the birthplace of Portugal. With half its population under the age of 30, it’s one of the youngest cities in Europe. Its long- established jazz festival and avant-garde arts scene have won it the title of European Capital of Culture 2012. It’s called Guimarães – though, chances are, you’ve never even heard of it.
Not that that’s necessarily a bad thing. In fact, its anonymity is already being promoted as one of its biggest selling points for next year’s cultural festivities. It’s intriguing, it’s authentic, it’s unspoiled, and it’s artistic. Here, for instance, is Carlos Martins, boss of the city’s 2012 committee, talking up its attractions in quite a surrealistic manner: “Guimarães is non-existent internationally. We know that. Nobody can even pronounce it. Is it Gimaraze? Gueemar-aish? Nobody knows.” They soon will though.
Guimarães is pronounced “Gimar-ang-sh”. It’s located in northern Portugal, less than 50 kilometres northeast of the country’s second city, Porto, to which it’s linked by trains and buses on an hourly basis. And if you know your wines, it’s smack bang in the middle of vinho verde country.
It’s also an important city architecturally. Its ancient centre – a Unesco World Heritage site – dates back to the 10th century, and because it wasn’t plundered, looted or pillaged over the centuries, every significant development in the sequence of settlements from that day to this can be traced by archaeologists.
The train journey from Porto to Guimarães will get you in the mood. Passing through the valleys and over the little rivers of rural Portugal, you’ll feel yourself slipping quite contentedly into a no-news, no-shoes state of mind. With apologies to JK Rowling, it’s sort of like the steam train to Hogwarts – but for adults.
Then, suddenly, there you are: in a small but perfectly formed city, with a castle that’s one of the Seven Wonders of Portugal; a magnificent palace that used to belong to the Dukes of Braganza, all-powerful here in the 15th century; and a beautiful central square called Praça da Oliveira (the Square of the Olives); all framed by the rugged Penha Mountain to the southeast.
Continuing the Harry Pottertheme, the city centre features towering old walls, cut-stone houses, overhanging eaves, narrow cobbled streets full of pretty shops and art galleries, hidden squares. All it needs is a place to buy magic wands.
But if you feel the need to re-establish your connection with the world of Muggles, visit the Centro Cultural Vila Flor (CCVF), a converted 18th-century palace on Avenida Dom Alfonso Henriques that comprises a concert venue, exhibition spaces, artists’ studios, a buzzing coffee shop and a modern Portuguese restaurant.
The natural place to start your visit, though, is Guimarães Castle, with its fortified towers and battlements, right in the centre of the town. It will give you a blow-by-blow insight into the history of the city and how it developed through the centuries. At the heart of it all was Countess Mumadona Dias. In the 10th century, she was one of the most powerful women in the Iberian Peninsula, and ruled alone after the death of her husband in 928. She also knew a thing or two about getting things done.
Take, for example, the construction of a monastery in Guimarães, a decision which came to her through divine inspiration. She then ordered the castle to be built on higher ground to defend the monastery against attacks by foreign raiders, including the Vikings, the Normans and the Muslims.
King Alfonso I, born in this castle in the early 12th century, conquered (or united, depending on your point of view) much of Portugal, and established the first Portuguese royal court here. For that reason, on one of the towers along the city walls, you'll find inscribed the words Aqui nasceu Portugal, Portugal was born here.
Today, the site of the monastery is vila baixa, or downtown, the area around the castle is vila alta, or uptown, and Rua de Santa Maria is the street that connects the two. This is a small city, so once you get the key landmarks clear in your mind, you can't go wrong.
Within sight of Guimarães Castle, you’ll find the equally magnificent Palace of the Dukes of Braganza, another extraordinary monument, built around 1420. Over the centuries, it fell into disuse, was abandoned, reduced to a ruin, and even, in the 19th century, used as an unofficial quarry by the people of the town.
It's a curious detail of history that its eventual restoration was supported by the Estado Novoor Second Republic, the authoritarian regime of António Salazar which ruled Portugal from 1932 to 1968 – and who saw it as the centre of the modern Portuguese nation. Today, it's one of the official residences of the President of the Republic.
Make sure you take the tour, which at one point takes you to the bedroom of Catherine of Braganza, who, as wife of King Charles II of England, whom she married by proxy in 1662, was to become Queen Consort of England, Scotland and Ireland. Believe it or not, the cities of Tangier and Bombay were part of her dowry.
You could easily spend a day each in the castle and the Ducal Palace, but you'll also need to set time aside to take the cable car ( teleférico) ride to the top of Mt Penha. It takes just over 10 minutes to get to the 400-metre high summit – where you'll find breathtaking views of the city below, as well as bars, restaurants, picnic areas, a campsite, mini-golf and horseriding. An afternoon there is like a second holiday.
Something else not to be missed is a vinho verde wine tour. Vinho verde means green wine, and refers to the very slight green colour on the edges of the wine, which is light, fresh and sparkling.
As evening falls, take a seat in one of the cafes of Praça da Oliveira, and take in the possibilities for the evening. You could spoil yourself with a meal at Solar do Arco on Rua de Santa Maria, regarded as the city’s best restaurant. Then off, perhaps, to São Mamede, an ultra-cool bar, concert venue and club serving up a regular diet of music, movies and readings.
On the other hand, you could just have another glass of vinho verde, try some of the delicious tapas being rapturously devoured by the locals, and take it from there. That’s got to be the best test of any capital of culture.
GUIMARÃES Where to . . .
STAY
ValueHotel de Guimarães, 189 Rua Eduardo Manual de Almeida, 00-351-253-424800, hotel-guimaraes.com. Just 650 metres from the historic centre, this location is hard to beat, and it has an indoor swimming pool, a fitness centre and a sauna as well. The value is remarkable: at this time of year a double room costs from just €60 a night, including 6 per cent VAT.
Mid-marketHotel Toural, Largo Antonio Leite de Carvalho, 00-351-253-517184, hoteltoural.com. A friendly 30-room hotel right in the heart of Guimarães. It's modern, comfortable, with free wifi throughout. A double room costs from €75 including VAT, or €85 including VAT and a buffet breakfast.
UpmarketPousada de Guimarães – Santa Marinha, Largo Domingos Leite de castro, 00-351-253-511249, pousadas.pt. The Pousadas chain was formerly owned by the Portuguese state but went private in 2003. This is one of the finest, a 12th-century former Augustine convent packed with atmosphere and luxury. It even has golf within 3kms. A double room costs €140 a night, which includes VAT and a buffet breakfast.
EAT
ValueRestaurante Bom Amigo, Rua Manuel Peixoto, 00-351-253-417767, restaurantebomamigo.com. This convivial restaurant prides itself on its family atmosphere and on its value for money. And with menus starting at €9.50, it does a lot of family business.
Mid-marketHistórico, Rua de Val Donas, 00-351-915-429700, papaboa.pt. This chic restaurant, presided over by chef Isabel Vitorino, is modern and bright, and the sister restaurant of Papa Boa nearby. The food is regional, there's an impressive list of local and Portuguese wines, and this is the ideal place to find how to put the two together.
UpmarketSolar do Arco, 48-50 Rua de Santa Maria, 00-351-253-513072, solardoarco.com. A charming little restaurant, all stone and wood, that has developed a reputation as the best in town. Try the Cataplana monkfish, clams and shrimp, a particular local favourite.
SHOP
The two main shopping streets are Rua de Santa Maria and Rua Gil Vincente, where, instead of big brands, you’ll find a cornucopia of handmade lace, embroidered linen, local wines, colourful ceramics and skilful wood carvings – little works of art, and all reasonably priced.
PARTY
Centro Cultural Vila Flor, 701 Avenida Dom Alfonso Henriques, 00-351-253-424700, ccvf.pt. This magnificent 18th-century former palace is the cultural centre of Guimarães, and will be the hub of the 2012 Capital of Culture. Essentially, it’s an arts space that works. Dinner at the Vila Flor Restaurant is the perfect way to start the evening, followed by your pick from an extensive programme that typically offers music, dance, theatre and more. It has a great buzz.
GO THERE
Ryanair (ryanair.com) has direct flights to Porto from Dublin from March 27th. There are trains and buses from Porto to Guimarães roughly every hour. The Rapida bus takes around 50 minutes, whereas the train can take up to 80 minutes because of stops – but is cheaper at just €2.80