Guimaraes let’s spend a “vinho verde” great moment in the city where Portugal was born
By Cesare Zucca
Today we take you to Guimaraes, to discover a real medieval gem, a Unesco Heritage city that seems to have remained behind in time, small alleys surrounded by ancient houses, fourteenth-century palaces, churches, convents and local craft shops.
Guimaraes is considered the “cradle of the nation”, in fact Alfonso Henriques, the first King of Portugal, was born here and from here the history of the nation began.
TO BE SEEN
Largo da Oliveira, in the Old Town, where the Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Oliveira and the Gothic Loggia stand out
Convento de Santo António dos Capuchos –
Igreja de São Miguel, the church where King Alfonso I was baptized.
Palace of the Dukes of Braganza, built in 1400 in the style of French stately homes and characterized by 39 unusual brick chimneys. Inside is an imposing banquet hall with a splendid wooden ceiling and a rich collection of fine tapestries and Chinese porcelain.
The Castle built in the 10th century to protect the population from attacks by the Moors and Normans and later enlarged by King Afonso, who was baptized in the small Romanesque chapel next to the castle Park Penha beautiful natural site accessible by funicular
Plataforma das Artes and da Criatividade, museum and cultural center that exhibits the works of Josè de Guimaraes, one of the most important Portuguese painters
GREEN CITY
The city proclaims its devotion to the green to which it dedicates an entire week, populated by stalls, street food, vendiat of plants and flowers, all local products, while for a dip in the green and a spectacular view of the city, the Penha Park awaits you offering a beautiful natural site accessible by funicular
THE TYPICAL CUISINE OF GUIMARAES AND THE DISHES OF TRADITION
The art of good cooking and good eating is associated with the entire Minho region and Guimarães, with traditional recipes handed down from generation to generation. The local vegetable and legume soups triumph, such as turnips and beans. cabbage or the typical “green broth”.
Bread finds its most traditional form in cornbread, and starters include roasted chorizo, cod meatballs, “cod handshake”, chicken gizzards, octopus in green sauce. Among the main dishes we point out the “rojões à Minhota with sarrabulho porridge”, the “pica-no-chão”, the “stuffed tripe”, the roasted young goat, the “racheado cod”, the cod with bread and the tasty octopus ” à Lagareiro “,
SWEET TEMPTATIONS
Confeitaria Clarinha
For more than 70 years, it has been considered the best pastry shop in Guimarães and its showcase is overflowing with freshly made cakes and desserts. Many traditional specialties: Torta de Guimarães, Douradinhase and Toucinho-do-Céu delicious almond cake.
THE “GREEN WINES” OF GUIMARAES
Guimarães is part of the Vinho Verde wine region, populated by local quintas, which produce the wine of the same name, with a fresh and light taste. Unexpected and surprising.
The Guimarães Wine Tourism Route consists of 10 wineries. open to host visits and tastings. Some of these quintas have both refined residences and rural accommodations, which allow a stay in the calm of the surrounding nature.
Among all we point out the suggestive Casa de Sezim, a colonial house born in 1376, not far from Guimaraes. Surrounded by vineyards and millenary forests, it offers magnificent halls and double bedrooms, decorated with original furnishings and evocative prints from the 1800s, when its Vinho Verde was already appreciated since then.
Today from the local grape varieties, including Loureiro, Arinto, Azal, the House produces wonderful wines such as Sezin DOC, Loureiro, Sauvignon Blanc and see award-winning photos Grande Escolha, Reserva,
WHERE TO STAY AND EAT WELL …
Hotel Da Oliveira
In the heart of the city, in the square of the same name.
All rooms are dedicated to historical personalities of the city and are equipped with air conditioning, private bathroom with complimentary toiletries and hairdryer, flat screen cable TV and tablet, minibar and balcony overlooking the beautiful square.
The staff will welcome you with sympathy and professionalism, in the entrance lounge you will find tea and herbal teas available to guests and a library where you can choose a book and relax in the common room. To get to know the surrounding area and the historic center better, the 24-hour reception offers guests car and bicycle rental services.
In addition you can dine in its HOOL restaurant which in its historic hall, in the dehors and in the large terrace offers a varied menu, including traditional Portuguese dishes and international dishes.
At the helm of the kitchen we find Chef Liliana Moura, while the menu sees the advice of the award-winning Chef Vítor Matos.
LET’S MEET THE CHEFS
Liliana Moura is a free and imaginative spirit. “Even when I cook at home, she tells me, I love to invent and experiment, I like to use typical products of Portuguese cuisine, such as our Quejo Ilha Sao George, a cheese vaguely reminiscent of Parmesan cheese that flavors a vegetarian dish made with beets, figs, vanilla and balsamic vinegar”
“Hool offers a cuisine with a Mediterranean influence, explains Liliana, creative and multisensory, using the best fresh and genuine products from the producer to the table, often transforming them but without deleting them, keeping them and enhancing all the flavor. Each ingredient is carefully crafted in different shades of color and textures, creating captivating and appetizing visual compositions. “
“In addition to the ” a la Carta ” menu you will find” Raízes “, a journey through the roots of products, flavors and aromas of a delicate and sensorial cuisine while” Terra Mãe “, an adventure between products and their origins, with a sense of responsibility for their cultures and deep respect for the earth and its essence “
“On the menu, continues Liliana, you will find many vegetables from our territory, such as couve galega, a particular variety of cabbage with a dark green color, typical of Portugal that I love to pair with fried cod in our version of” Bacalhau to La Narcisa “”
“Sentimento, delicadeza, dedicicação, amor, essência …” This is how Vitor Matos defines his cuisine about him, whom I met for a short interview.
Good morning Vitor, let’s start with the ritual question: which car do you drive?
BMW M2 light gray. I really like his speed of him and his youth
What was an unforgettable trip?
Thailand, for its cultural and gastronomic diversity, I am fascinated by its spices, sweets, sauces, citrus flavors.
A place in your territory where you often return?
The Azores Islands, for the nature and calm they transmit to me. Every time I’m there, I feel more alive and it makes me forget everything else.
The dish that you “will never forget”?
The “Soup of the farmer”, made in large iron pots, cooked by my grandmother. Simple, schetta, incomparable!
Is there a dish that you love to eat only if it is cooked by someone else?
(smiles) Of course, it’s the cooked kid prepared in a traditional black clay pot preparared in a tipical restaurant in Tavera near my hometown, such a welcoming environment, full of memories and a great source of inspiration.
The most convenient way to reach Guimaraes is by train, from Sao Bento station in Porto, about 1 hour journey.
