The Spirit of Braga: From the Porta Nova Arch to the Palace of Raio

(19 reviews)

Braga audio tour: The Spirit of Braga: From the Porta Nova Arch to the Palace of Raio

This is a 0.8mi walking tour

It takes an average of 45 mins to complete.

Braga

Portugal

$5.99

Access all 20 locations offline with the VoiceMap app

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Reviews

About the Tour

Get a glimpse into the everyday lives of Bracarense on this walking tour through Braga’s historical city centre, where old and new elegantly coexist.

I’m a local who’s passionate about showing people around northern Portugal, especially Braga. On this walk, you’ll have an opportunity to experience the warmth of its people, and to engage with their traditions.

I’ll show you around some of Braga’s famous sites, from the historical and well-preserved to the modern, and the places where both seem perfectly in balance. You’ll find out the meaning behind the expression “older than the Sé de Braga Cathedral”, hear the tragic story behind the Santa Barbára Garden, and see the emblematic A Brasileira cafe, which goes back four generations.

Highlights include:

Porta Nova Arch, the city’s new gate
Discovering the reason Bracarense leave their front doors open
Sé de Braga Cathedral, the oldest church
Rua Dom Paio Mendes, the centre of Braga’s nightlife
Avenida da Liberdade and its many names

This tour is a valuable introduction to the city and its people’s culture and traditions. Allow 30 minutes for this walk. There’s almost no vehicle traffic so feel free to stroll around and stop at the spots that I recommend along the way where you can enjoy traditional coffee, delicious pastel de nata, and local Muscat wine served with a banana, an odd combination enjoyed at Christmas time.

Tour Producer

Ana Sofia Martins Ferreira

1 tour

Sofia Butlerish is a local tours and experiences company. It started from my passion to please and delight others. I travelled around the world onboard a luxury cruise-ship, but now, I would like to show you the best of Portugal. I was born in the north of Portugal, which is the perfect place to have the best experiences. I'm a food, beer and wine lover and Portugal is the best place for all those things. So, I invite you to join me on this walk to some of my favorite spots in Braga.

Preview Location

Location 1

Start : Arco da Porta Nova

Hello and Welcome.

My name is Sofia. I created "Sofia Butlerish" local tours in 2020. It was born from my passion to please and delight others. My passion started when I finished my tourism degree. My first contact with foreign people was in 2010 in Greece where I complete... Hello and Welcome.

My name is Sofia. I created "Sofia Butlerish" local tours in 2020. It was born from my passion to please and delight others. My passion started when I finished my tourism degree. My first contact with foreign people was in 2010 in Greece where I completed my 3-month internship. I then travelled around the world onboard a luxury cruise-ship for 3 years. It was there that I got the nickname " The Butlerish."

Now, I would like to show you the best of Portugal. I was born in the North of Portugal. I'm a food, beer and wine lover. And Braga is the right place for all those things. But what makes me happiest, is sharing my passions with others. So I invite you to join me on this walk to some of my favourite spots in Braga.

Braga is named as the " Archbishops City" because it's known for its religious heritage and for having the oldest church in Portugal, the "Sé de Braga ".

We'll start at the entrance of the City. You should be standing next to the "Arch of the New Gate." It was designed by André Soares and it's a baroque and neoclassical arch, construction dates back to 1512.

It's because of this arch that I grew up listening to my mum saying, "are you from Braga?" whenever I left the door open. Traditionally Bracarense people always leave their doors open to welcome their neighbours inside their houses. It's about the community spirit of the city. So now you know, keep the door closed if you don't want to be considered a resident of Braga.

Let's get moving. Walk under the arch and continue straight.

Today, we'll go inside the historic centre where I'll give you insights to how Bracarense people live, show you the historical and religious corners in the city and point out its young spirit.

While you walk, let me briefly explain how VoiceMap works.

It uses your location to play audio automatically, at the right time and place. You can keep your phone out of sight, preferably in your pocket. The technology and I will do the rest. VoiceMap will use your location to move the story along automatically. Just keep your eyes open and don't worry about short periods of silence along the way. They are normal. There is always a map on screen that you can refer to if you feel lost. Read More

View locations and route

How VoiceMap Works

Focus on your surroundings, not the screen

The VoiceMap app uses GPS to play audio automatically, at the right time and place, so you can focus on your surroundings, not the screen.

Follow a route with turn-by-turn-directions

VoiceMap tours follow a route from a fixed starting point. That lets us give turn-by-turn directions and use context to tell a better story.

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Major Landmarks

Sé de Braga oldest church
Santa Barbára Garden
A Brasileira Cafe

Getting There

Route Overview

VoiceMap tours follow a route from a set starting point. It’s how we give turn-by-turn directions and tell a story greater than the sum of its parts.

Start location
R. Dom Diogo de Sousa 127, 4700-424 Braga, Portugal
Total distance

1km
Final location
Braga Norte 920, 4700-327 Braga, Portugal
Distance back to start location

595.97m

Directions to Starting Point

The tour begins in the Porta Nova Arch (Arco da Porta Nova) on Rua Dom Diogo de Sousa. It's 500 meters from the Train station and about 8 minutes away by walk. Head northeast toward Rua Nova da Estação. At the roundabout take the first exit into the Rua Andrade Corvo. Continue straight to Rua Dom Diogo de Sousa.

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Tips

Places to stop along the way

If you are in the mood for a sit-down meal, I recommend to you the Cozinha da Sé which has traditional Portuguese food. If you would like to know more about Roman history in Braga, please visit the Roman Thermae of Maximinus, which are the archaeological ruins of public baths or if you would love to see the best panoramic views from Braga, visit Bom Jesus Sanctuary or Picoto Park by car.

Best time of day

The best time to do this tour is between 10.00 am and 7.00pm

Precautions

Comfortable shoes for the sidewalk. In the summer, Braga city is very warm so wear sunglasses and a hat. It can be a rainy city too, so bring an umbrella when necessary.

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“This app has become my go-to app for audio tours. I pretty much use it for every trip and it works wonderfully. I highly recommend VoiceMap for travelers to truly experience cities.”

App Store Review

“Great app. walk around at your own pace, stop where you want, move on or speed up when you want. Read the script before you go or during the commentary, speed it up or replay it. Repeat the tour whenever you like.”