6 Best Sights in Northern Portugal, Portugal

Sitting high atop a wooded hill, this white granite-domed basilica is one of the most beautiful in Portugal. A funicular railway (€2, return ticket €3) can carry you up, or you can take the 2-km (1-mile) footpath that winds its way through the trees. The views from the basilica steps are magnificent, and a staircase to the side allows access to the very top of the dome for some extraordinary coastal vistas.

Many people come to Braga specifically to see the Bom Jesus do Monte, a pilgrimage shrine atop a 1,312-foot-high, densely wooded hill 5 km (3 miles) east of the city. The stone staircase, a marvel of baroque art that was started in 1723, leads to an 18th-century church whose terrace commands wonderful views. Fountains placed at various resting places represent the five senses and the virtues, and small chapels display tableaux with life-size figures illustrating the Stations of the Cross. If you don't want to climb up the staircase, there's a funicular (€1.50 or €2.50 return) and buses from the center of town. The shrine offers several guided tours—including one that takes you to the church only and one that adds on the lake, gardens, and woods—but you have to book in advance by phone or email to  [email protected].

The town's most famous monument is the 18th-century Santuário de Nossa Senhora dos Remédios, which has a marvelous granite staircase of 686 steps decorated with azulejo tiles. Landings along the way have statues and chapels. At the top, you can rest under chestnut trees and enjoy the views. During the Festas de Nossa Senhora dos Remédios, the annual pilgrimage to the shrine, many penitents climb the steps on their knees. The main procession is September 8, but the festivities start at the end of August and include concerts, dancing, parades, a fair, and torchlight processions. Pilgrims use the stairs, but you can always reach the top by car.

About 4 km (2½ miles) north of town, this chapel is one of Portugal's oldest buildings. The original structure is believed to have been constructed in the 7th century in the form of a Greek cross. It was partially destroyed by the Moors and rebuilt in the 11th century. It is open to the public between 2 and 4:30 pm from Tuesday to Saturday, and for mass on Sunday mornings.

Some 6 km (4 miles) northwest of Braga, this impressive Benedictine monastery was built in the 11th century and rebuilt again at the end of the 19th century. You can tour four cloisters, which have some fine examples of azulejos, and also the extensive grounds, once the source of most of the monks' food and drink and where grapes are once again being grown to make vinho verde.

This huge cathedral was originally Romanesque but is now an impressively cohesive blend of styles. The delicate Renaissance stone tracery on the roof is particularly eye-catching. Enter from Rua do Souto through the 18th-century cloister; the cathedral interior is on your left, and there are various interesting chapels. Steps by the entrance to the cathedral lead to the Museu de Arte Sacra (Museum of Religious Art), which has a fascinating collection, including a 14th-century crystal cross set in bronze. From the magnificent coro alto (upper choir), which you cross as part of the tour, there are views of the great baroque double organ. Across the cloister, you'll see the Capela dos Reis (Kings' Chapel), a 14th-century chapel containing the tombs of Afonso Henriques's parents, Henry of Burgundy and his wife, Teresa.