What's the point of coming to Portugal if you don't visit Braga? Although it's already 7pm, the sun is still shining brightly
Jose says the sun doesn't set until 9:30pm. The location of the hotel is excellent, located in the center of the old town. Jose took me around, explaining as we went. His English is really poor, hard to understand, and I struggled to keep up. He was very enthusiastic, constantly talking, and I could only pretend to understand. This place has been ruled by the Moors, Romans, Arabs, and Spaniards. The numerous historical relics show that it indeed has a deep cultural heritage. Braga is the religious center of Portugal, where the archbishops live. There is a religious festival every May, attracting many Portuguese and Spaniards. Jose says he doesn't really believe in religion, it's just a part of the culture here. He thanks religion for bringing him business, especially during festivals when he can sell a lot of products. We visited the Braga Cathedral, Braga Castle, Church of the Holy Cross, and Braga Cemetery. But since it was Sunday, we could only look from the outside, admiring these old buildings. That was enough.
After touring the city, Jose asked me to get in the car, saying we were going to the most beautiful place. We drove out of the city and up the mountain. The mountain road was winding, but Jose drove fast, saying this was his territory and he knew it well. His new Mercedes was a pleasure to drive. It's a pity you didn't come yesterday, he said, I had booked a table at the top of the mountain. That's the best restaurant in Braga, with a great view. But it's closed on Sundays. We arrived at the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte halfway up the mountain. It was really beautiful. You can overlook the whole city from here, and behind us was a fairy-tale-like fountain, a small chapel, and a 116-meter zigzag Baroque staircase. We climbed up the stairs, and Jose said that pilgrims would kneel and worship as they ascended. There were three rows of neatly arranged statues of gods, with a special row in the middle. The base of the statues had fountains. The spring water flowed out from the mouths, ears, or the pots they were holding. We put our hands in the pool, and the spring water was cool to the bone. At the top was a church. Jose explained the history of the building and some of the sculptures. Not understanding Catholicism, it was hard to understand what he was talking about. We just went to appreciate the beauty of the architecture and sculptures, and feel the charm of religion.
He said he was very happy to have a friend come to Braga specifically. His foreign friends who come to Portugal usually go to Lisbon and Porto first, and don't often come to Braga. He expressed dissatisfaction. What's so special about Lisbon? What's the point of coming to Portugal if you don't visit Braga? Indeed, these beautiful relics are his pride and joy, and he has every right to look down on the big cities in the south. The Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte on the mountain
Bom Jesus do Monte is a notable sanctuary and pilgrimage site situated on a hill in the outskirts of Braga, a historic city in northern Portugal. Inscribed in 2019 as a UNESCO world heritage site, the sanctuary is completely accessible to the public and does not charge any entrance fee. The most iconic feature of the sanctuary is the monumental Baroque stairway leading to the Church of Bom Jesus do Monte. We took a taxi which send us to the church directly we so skipped climbing up the 577 steps on the 116-metre stairway. Instead we walked down the stairway after visiting the sanctuary complex. An alternative way to reach the church is by taking the water-powered funicular. The fee is 2 euros for a one-way journey and 3 euros for a round trip.
Ticket-free, is the UN World Heritage Project, the most unique is the zigzag staircase. Overlooking the entire Braga at the highest point, come down from the highest point, walk slowly, and find the beauty of the stairs when you finish.
The Merciful Pilgrimage House of Jesus on the Hill in Portugal has seen churches most abroad. But how different is this? It's a church on the top of the hill. It needs a cable car to go up the hill.
Lovely place to visit. Not busy at all on a rainy day in November. Would definitely visit again.
Santu & _; Rio do Bom Jesus do Monte is a Roman Catholic pilgrimage site in northern Portugal. It is famous for its 116-metre magnificent climbing Baroque steps. The magnificent design of the zigzag'zigzag'shape is one of the most important tourist attractions in Braga. Six ancient-looking chapels can be seen along the winding broad stone steps. The roof is also covered with moss, and there are ceramic sculptures depicting Christ's sufferings from the second main stage to the sixth stage. The stone statues and fountains represent five senses of vision, smell, hearing, touch and taste. The fountains flow out of the small tubes of the stone statues'eyes, ears, noses and tongues, and then go up three steps to express the three virtues of faith, hope and love. The Baroque Church, built in 1725 by architect Manuel Pinto Vilalobos at the beginning of the 19th century, is decorated with exquisite paintings and shrine altars. The cross is one of Portugal's earliest neoclassical churches. The view of the chapel is invincible, overlooking the city of Braga around the 19th century church. And the staircase was requisitioned into a park in 1882 to facilitate access to the temple and build the Merciful Jesus cable car. This is the earliest cable car still in use in the Iberian Peninsula. Take the cable car to experience the sacred and beautiful religious building when you walk down the hill.
In the city where the train is one hour away from Bohr, there is plenty of commuting time on that day. Take Bus No. 2 from the railway station. The terminal is 45 minutes away. It is located in the outskirts of the city. You can ride the cable car up and down, saving energy. But in order to show our piety, we did not ride. The mountain scenery is very good, the most beautiful zigzag Baroque steps. On that day, the church happened to have a Tuhao Baochang wedding, you can watch the ceremony beside, guests are wearing formal clothes, the sense of ceremony is very sacred. Visiting the church will allow us to continue climbing, but we have to give up for lack of physical strength.
Go in the evening, sit on the hill and watch the sun fade away slowly. See the whole city change from clear and blurred to silhouette. See the different shapes of the pilgrimage hall in the light change.