Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Transdev Norte/Arriva
( 253 209 401)
Has at least eight buses per day to Viana do Castelo
(€4.35, 1½ hours), Barcelos (€2.60, one hour), Guimarães (€3.15, 50 minutes) and Porto
(€4.80, one hour), plus four per day to Campo do Gerês (€4.10, 1½ hours). Service drops
by half at weekends.
CAR & MOTORCYCLE
The A3-IP1 motorway makes Braga an easy day trip from Porto. The N101 from Braga to
Guimarães is a good road for a slow ride.
Because of one-way and pedestrian-only streets, driving in central Braga is tricky, and
most parking incurs a fee. There is a large, fee-charging car park under Praça da
República. You might also try side streets east of Av da Liberdade.
Avic
( 253 203 910; Rua Gabriel Pereira de Castro 28; 9am-7pm Mon-Fri, 9am-12.30pm Sat)
is an effi-
cient agency for several car-rental companies, with prices starting at €35 per day.
TRAIN
Braga is at the end of a branch line from Nine and also within Porto's
suburbano
network,
which means commuter trains travel every hour or so from Porto (€3.10, about one hour);
don't waste €32.80 on an Alfa Pendular (AP) train.
Useful AP links include Coimbra (€19, 2¼ hours, five to seven daily) and Lisbon (€31,
four hours, two to four daily).
TOP OF CHAPTER
Bom Jesus do Monte
The goal of legions of penitent pilgrims every year, Bom Jesus do Monte is one of Por-
tugal's most recognisable icons. A rather windswept and glamorous pilgrimage site, lying
5km east of central Braga, the sober neoclassical church stands atop a forested hill that of-
fers grand sunset views across the city. But most people don't come simply for the church
or even the view. They come to see the extraordinary baroque staircase,
Escadaria do Bom Je-
sus
.
The photogenic climb is made up of tiered staircases, dating from different decades of
the 18th century. The lowest is lined with chapels representing the Stations of the Cross.
Escadaria dos Cinco Sentidos
(Stairway of the Five Senses) features allegorical fountains with
water gurgling from the ears, eyes, nose and mouth of different statues. Highest is
Escadaria
