• Portugal Guide

  • Introduction to Portugal
  • Weather
  • Things not to miss
  • Getting around
  • Entry requirements
  • Money
  • Public holidays

• Explore Portugal

  • Lisbon
  • Around Lisbon
  • Estremadura and Ribatejo
  • The Beira Litoral
  • Mountain Beiras
  • Porto
  • The Douro Valley
  • The Minho
  • Trás-os-Montes
  • Alentejo
  • The Algarve

• Cities

  • Bragança
    
  • Coimbra
    
  • Faro
    
  • Lisbon
    
  • Porto
    

Portugal Guide

Trás-os-Montes

Bragança

• Accommodation
• Eating
• Nightlife

On a dark hillock above BRAGANÇA, the remote capital of Trás-os-Montes, stands a circle of perfectly preserved walls, enclosing a white medieval village and rising to a massive keep and castle. Known as the Cidadela, this is one of the most memorable sights in Portugal, as well as the embodiment of the town's dynastic history. The Bragançans were the last line of Portuguese monarchs, ruling from 1640, when they replaced the Spaniards, until the fall of the monarchy in 1910. The citadel provides the principal reason for a visit to Bragança, though the nearby Parque Natural de Montesinho is an additional draw.