Braganca, Tras-o-Montes, Northern Portugal

Situated just 18 kilometres from the Northern border with Spain, in the Tras-o-Montes region, the next nearest Portuguese town to Bragança is over 65 kilometres away across a windswept, boulder strewn moor with nothing in between.

Bragança was historically a defensive location, strategically placed to alert the rest of the country of impending attacks from the neighbouring country of Spain.

Today, ironically, Bragança does get invaded from it's northern border, by day trippers and tourists popping across from Spain to take a look at this once important town in Portugal. 

With little else of interest around the town you could be forgiven for passing up the opportunity of visiting Bragança, best known as the seat of the last Royal Family of Portugal (1640-1910), however it would be a mistake.

Bragança although 65 kilometres from Mirandela to the south west and 97 kilometres from Chaves to the west, is a charming town, if not a little chilly in the autumn and winter months.

Bragança, the capital of the Tras-o-Montes region, offers visitors a very warm welcome. Although the temperature outside may be close to freezing in the winter months, the warmth the locals exude upon arrival keeps the shivers at bay.

Residents of Bragança are proud of their town and their heritage and are delighted when travellers do make the long trip north to visit. Not only are they friendly but helpful and eager to ensure you don't fall foul of the traffic police for abandoning your vehicle in the local police officer's spot, as GekkoPortugal did, inadvertently when visiting the northerly town.

Step inside one of the many cosy cafes or restaurants surrounding the compact town square and you will also be regaled with the Bragança's history from one or more of the town's folk, who are eager to tell everyone the importance the town played in the making of Portugal. The town's folk do in fact 'Brag' about Bragança.

There have been settlements at Bragança as early as paleontological times and even the Romans had a settlement close to the modern day town, however it was during Medieval times that the town rose to prominence.

Bragança was the first town in the Tras-o-Montes region to be elevated to town status in 1187. Over the centuries efforts were made by successive kings to encourage settlement in the area of Bragança to secure the region from attack. An annual fair was introduce in the early 13th century and free trade just over 100 years later.

However during the 14th century Bragança fell into the hands of the Spain. Defences were decimated and the population fell dramatically. Less than a 100 years later though King Afonso V created the Duchy of Bragança, one of the oldest in Portugal, for his uncle, Afonso who became the richest and most powerful man in the Kingdom of Portugal.

In 1640 control of Portugal was wrested back from the Spanish and the 8th Duke of Bragança was crowned king of Portugal (King John IV), thus beginning the 270 year reign of the House of Bragança as the Royal family.

Catherine of Bragança is probably the best known to many from the United Kingdom for her marriage to Charles II in 1662. Catherine the youngest daughter of King John IV of Portugal introduced the custom of drinking tea to the British, which was a popular beverage with Portuguese nobility at the time. Her dowry on marriage were the ports of Tangiers and Bombay (now Mumbai).

Bragança is a well kept town and there are a variety of buildings of interest notably the Castelo de Bragança (Castle of Braganca), which has for over 600 years watched over the town. The Castle, an austere granite fortress, has an outer and inner set of walls. The outer walls distinctive from the 15 turret watch towers. Inside the Castelo de Bragança there are several buildings of interest as well as an unusual carved granite pig, believed to date back to Paleontological times.

In the historic centre of Bragança you can't help to notice the the 15th century Cathedral, which was constructed primarily to be a monastery for Clarissa nuns. The nuns never resided there and it was handed over to Jesuits who created a school within the building, which was given the title of Cathedral in 1767.

Bragança does make a good starting point to explore the Parque Natural de Montesinho, which is situated only four kilometres north of the town.

Bragança is probably best visited during the late spring and summer months when the temperature has had chance to rise a little and the risk of snow diminished enough so the roads into the town are not closed, which does happen regularly in the depths of winter.

If you do decide to visit Bragança outside of summer then be sure to pack thermal underwear as the wind whistles relentlessly through the cobbled streets of the historic centre, where only the hardy or fool hardy tread during the winter.

Gekkoportugal visited the historic town in February and the weather was colder than brisk with a definite threat of snow in the air. Leisurely strolls around the sights became quick marches to get in out of the cold. 

Fortunately there are plenty of cafes in and around Bragança, all with the heating thermostats turned to full, filled with retired locals playing card games and no doubt swapping stories of how cold it was in their day.

However if you do want to see Bragança in all it's glory then why not try and coincide your visit with the Winter Festivals. Usually held around the Winter Solstice the festivals see many of the townsfolk donning brightly coloured masks and costumes to celebrate fertility.