Braga, Religious center in Minho region, Portugal
Braga is a city of around 190,000 people in northern Portugal, located between Porto and the Spanish border. The historic center can be explored easily on foot and is characterized by old manor houses, cobbled lanes, and open squares.
Roman legions founded the settlement in 16 BC as Bracara Augusta and made it the capital of the Gallaecia province. In the 5th century it became the seat of the Suebi kingdom, until the territory was later integrated into the Kingdom of Portugal.
The name derives from the Roman settlement of Bracara Augusta, which gave the modern city its historical roots. Visitors today see a city with more than thirty churches and chapels that play a central role in the daily life of residents and shape the urban landscape.
Trains run regularly between Porto and the city, with the journey taking about one hour. Buses connect the center with the hilltop sanctuary of Bom Jesus, which can also be reached by a historic funicular or a long stairway climb.
The city name is related to the Celtic word for fortified place, indicating pre-Roman settlement. Remains of Roman thermal baths and parts of an old city wall are still visible today between modern buildings, recalling the ancient past.
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