Mosteiro Guimarães Pousada

If you have the time, be sure to book the Mosteiro Guimarães Pousada for more than one day, or you will regret it, given all the things it has to offer. Every Pousada de Portugal may be housed in a historical building, but Guimarães is very much the cradle of the nation. When this monastery was built, Portugal had only existed for ten years. The country’s independence dates back to 1143 and the original building, located on the Penha hillside, was assigned to the Canons Regular of St Augustine during the following decade.

Like the country, the monastery, which was christened Santa Marinha da Costa, expanded over the years. This growth added various layers of history, some even predating King Afonso Henriques, such as a Mozarabic door at the foot of an old bell tower, which was preserved when the monastery was turned into a pousada in the 1980s.

In the 16th century, the building was passed onto the Order of Saint Jerome, which set up a school of philosophy and theology, where the children of kings studied. New wings were built and a nine-hectare garden created, now a veritable forest with ancient trees, old statues clad in moss and a gorgeous circular lake that invites meditation. This is the kind of immersion in nature that makes the Mosteiro Guimarães Pousada unique. (There’s even a botanical itinerary available at reception).

In the 19th and 20th centuries, the monastery ploughed a familiar furrow: the dissolution of the monasteries, moving into private hands, problems with upkeep, and a fire in 1951 that almost destroyed the entire building. This was the story, until it was rebuilt and repurposed as a pousada, designed by Fernando Távora after the revolution of 1974. Such was the architect’s achievement that he won the National Architecture Prize that year, with the pousada opening to the public in 1985. The project included a new 27-room wing that blended perfectly into the landscape, thus transforming the monastery into a kind of museum open for guests. It’s a place where the aforementioned layers of history are on display, room after room, featuring countless pieces of art and furniture provided by the Mafra convent and Ajuda palace.

The enormity of the common areas reserved for guests explains the opening sentence of this text: even if you don’t step outside the pousada, it takes several days to discover what it has to offer. Wandering its gardens and corridors is an unforgettable experience, and this is Guimarães: the pousada team are convinced there’s no other like it in Portugal, and they do their utmost to prove it.

Essentials

Balcony

In one of his programmes, historian José Hermano Saraiva called it “the most beautiful balcony in Portugal”. And he just might be right. Frei Jerónimo’s Balcony is the most remarkable part of the pousada. What makes it special is not only the stunning view over Guimarães but its own 16th-century wooden ceiling, the 18th-century tiles, the fountain, the granite flagstones and the neighbouring oak grove.

Restaurant

The pousada restaurant – D. Mafalda – was built on the site where the cellar and barn once stood. For starters, try the suckling pig pork belly with quince puree and red cabbage. For dessert, traditional conventual sweets are a must, from the orange roll to the toucinho do céu, not forgetting the abade de priscos pudding. You might have to spend the following week eating nothing but salads, but the investment will be worthwhile.

Picnic

Among the wide range of options available at the pousada is a picnic in the monastery’s woods. The team has everything you need: something to sit on, a basket, food and even a bottle of vinho verde wine.