'''Braga''' is a city in the Cavado valley, Minho region of Northern Portugal. It is the fifth largest city in Portugal,after Lisbon,Porto,Amadora and Vila Nova de Gaia.It is an ancient and modern city,one of the most important Archdiocese.
Its university is called Universidade do Minho, and it is around 30 years old. It is very new but it has a medium size campus area with lots of bars and cheap restaurants around it.
Get in
Train/Braga station.Or better yet the bus.Yes,indeed,take the bus if you wish to visit to be in the city center.Braga train is within the city limits,but not in the city centre.Train is ok if you are willig to take a taxicab to the city centre.
There are several buscompanies operating Braga from Porto (and other cities). Normaly it_Ls cheaper and faster than the train + the busstation in Braga is more centrally located than the trainstation.
Get around
Transit/bus.
See
Cathedral(Se),Bom Jesus and Sameiro(Sanctueries).
Do
Visit the Sanctueries and Nacional Park of Peneda-Gerez.
Buy
Local souvenirs/ceramics of Barcelos.
Eat
With capacity for 120 people the Restaurant of the Hotel do Elevador presents a pleasant panoramic view of the city of Braga.
It offers a Traditional Kitchen of one of most important of the region. The diversity of the natural landscape and the influences received during centuries of other peoples, are elements that explains the multiplicity of the gastronomic specialities: potato and cabbage broth and bread made from maize, roast pork, the cod, the octopus and the trout, the chicken rice " pica no chao" and the duck rice, the kid and the baked heifer, the ham, the frying-pans of Braga, are some of the excellent examples.
Panoramic Restaurant _gHotel do Elevador_h, Bom Jesus do Monte, Tel: +351 253 603 400, ''Fax: +351 253 603 409, elevador@hoteisbomjesus.pt'', [http://www.hoteisbomjesus.pt]. There are lots of cheap restaurants around the city. But beware of ordering a full ration of roast chicken (tastes wonderful). You_Lll get a mountain of chicken and potatoes (enough for three to four persons).
Drink
Spring mineral water,coffee,vinho verde/local green wine.
Sleep
Pousada de Braga - Sao Vicente, Charming Hotel. ttp://www.pousadas.pt/historicalhotels/EN/pousadas/Portugal/Norte/SaoVicente/home/. +351) 253 209 500. +351) 253 209 500. argo de Infias
4710-299 Braga" email="recepcao.svicente@pousadas.pt" </sleep>
'''Pousada de Geres / Canicada - S.Bento , Nature Hotel, 22,5km from Braga''' [http://www.pousadas.pt/historicalhotels/EN/pousadas/Portugal/Norte/SBento/home/], ''4850-047 Canicada, tel +351- 253 649 150, fax +351- 253 647 867''
Pousada de Amares - Sta. Maria do Bouro, Historic Luxury Hotel, 25,3 km (about 35 min. from Braga). anta Maria do Bouro
4720-688 Amares" directions="" phone="+351- 253 371 970" email=" recepcao.bouro@pousadas.pt" fax="+351- 253 371 976" url="http://www.pousadas.pt/historicalhotels/EN/pousadas/Portugal/Norte/SantaMariadoBouro/home/" checkin="" checkout="" price=""></sleep>
Hotel Ibis Braga. ua do Carmo 38. +351)253/204800 . ttp://www.ibishotel.com/ibis/fichehotel/gb/ibi/1802/fiche_hotel.shtml.
You can find some cheap pensions in Rua dos Chaos (near Avenida Central and not far from the busstation)
Get out
Guimaraes,an histiric city with a castle.Barcelos,Viana do Castelo ,Ponte de Lima,Caminha,Penafiel,Amarante,Chaves,Vila Real,Lamego / Douro / Coa.
Nearby beaches in Esposende(Fao / Ofir).
Park nacional da Peneda-Geres.
Porto / Oporto