Guimarães The historical city of Guimarães was awarded UNESCO World Heritage status both for its extraordinarily well-preserved architecture and history, and for the key role it has played throughout Portuguese history and in the formation of the Portuguese nation. Guimarães is striking for its numerous examples of buildings typifying architectural developments from the Middle Ages to the modern day: crumbling medieval archways intermingle with traditional 16th-century half-timbered houses and small Gothic chapels. Overlooking the town is the monumental Guimarães castle, a unique marriage of Romanesque and Gothic styles, and one of Portugal’s most impressive castles.
