Aqui Nasceu Portugal, Guimaraes, Guia do visitante e o que fazer por perto

Aqui Nasceu Portugal, meaning "Here Portugal was born", is a well-known slogan in the historic centre of Guimarães, in northern Portugal. It sums up the city's claim to be the cradle of the nation, and it sits among the old streets and medieval walls where that story is told.

The story behind it

Guimarães is closely tied to the founding of Portugal in the twelfth century and to Afonso Henriques, the country's first king. The castle and the Palace of the Dukes of Braganza, both a short walk away, are part of the same story. The slogan turns that history into a single line you can read at street level.

The town was once protected by a long medieval wall. Much of its perimeter disappeared in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and in the nineteenth century the stone was also reused for public and private buildings, as happened with the castle and the palace. Some important stretches survive, including the area around the Customs Tower, the main landmark of the southern part of the walls and the point furthest from the castle.

What to look for

• The words Aqui Nasceu Portugal themselves, which make a popular photo stop in the old town.
• The surviving stretches of the medieval wall nearby, where you can see how the town was once enclosed.
• The Customs Tower, the main reference point of the southern sector of the walls.
• The mix of granite façades and narrow lanes around Rua do Anjo, typical of the historic centre.

Tips for your visit

• Plan a short stop of ten to fifteen minutes for the slogan and the photo, longer if you follow the walls.
• Morning or late afternoon light is gentler, and the streets are usually calmer outside the middle of the day.
• It is an outdoor spot in the street, so there is nothing to go inside.
• Combine it with the castle, the Dukes' Palace and the old squares, all reachable on foot.

See it on a quest

The quest Medieval Guimaraes: Legends and Myths brings you to this spot on foot as one stop of a longer route through the old town. The app tells you about each place as you arrive and sets a puzzle in what is in front of you, so you look at the walls rather than just walk past them. It is a paid quest, and one ticket covers the whole group.