The castle silhouette can be seen from the bedroom windows, the lounge and the breakfast room, by the pool. Bragança Pousada is not only part of the terra fria landscape (Trás-os-Montes region), but also integral to the town itself.
This is largely explained by José Carlos Loureiro’s modernist architecture, which dates back to 1959. In addition to the large windows, there’s the spacious nature of the common areas and bedrooms, decorated with features made with burel (a traditional fabric from the region), which lend a certain fluidity to the space. Everything is bold.
“The place hasn’t dated”, says António Gonçalves, who works as both pousada manager and sommelier of the G Pousada restaurant, which serves contemporary Portuguese cuisine. Such is its quality that it picked up a Michelin star in 2018 (currently unique among the Pousadas de Portugal), thanks to the talent of his brother, chef Óscar Gonçalves.
It’s no surprise to discover that it was their parents who made the Geadas restaurant one of the most renowned eateries in Bragança. For the pousada, the focus has been on fine dining, which has brought a different, hitherto unseen type of visitor to the town.
The menu highlights the region’s indigenous produce and livestock, such as Bísaro pork, Montesinho black goat, Galician Churra sheep and Mirandese beef. The menus, which start at €75 per person, are named after Portuguese artists, which is no accident, since the pousada boasts different artworks by Nadir Afonso, Amândio Silva, Mário Silva and Armando Alves.
From the bedrooms to the common areas, traditional and contemporary elements combine in an environment that invites guests to unwind. In the lounge, where the music ranges from Nina Simone to Bow Wow, guests relax with a book in one hand and a drink from the bar in the other. The tiled stone nook is reminiscent of old Trás-os-Montes rural houses, where fireplaces are always lit during winter, inspiring hours sitting watching the fire and listening to the embers that once heated the iron pots where broths and soups were cooked.
During the warmer months, attention turns to the outdoors and being the round pool, where the sun shines from early morning. The surrounding gardens are perfect for an easy stroll, while there’s a plethora of food and culture to explore beyond the pousada walls. Plenty of reasons to visit Bragança.
