Guimarães Castle
Open: Monday to Sunday 10 a.m-6 p.m (last entry at 5.30 p.m)
Closed: 1st January, Easter Sunday, Labour Day (1st May), 25th December and 24th June (municipal holiday)
Residents in Portugal can enjoy 52 days of free entry per year to museums, monuments, and palaces, on any day of the week. Learn more at museusemonumentos.pt | Access 52 tickets cannot be issued through this online ticket office. Please request them at the physical ticket office of one of our Museums and Monuments.
A symbol of Portugal’s origins and of King Afonso Henriques, the first king of Portugal, Guimarães Castle is one of the most emblematic monuments of Portuguese medieval imagery.
Its original construction dates back to the time of Mumadona Dias, who had it built in the middle of the 10th century to defend the monastery of Santa Maria de Guimarães from Moorish and Norman attacks.
Subject to various alterations over the centuries, the Castle of Guimarães has kept little of its original layout. In the 16th century, it was used as a jail, and in the following century it was also used as a royal hayloft and a quarry.
It was only in the first half of the 20th century that it was subjected to renovation, in a campaign led by the General Directorate of National Buildings and Monuments, which gave it the appearance it has today.
Open to the public since June 1940, on the occasion of the Commemorations of the VIII Centenary of the Foundation of Nationhood, Guimarães Castle, classified as a National Monument since 1910, is today one of the most visited monuments in the North.
Come find out why yourself. See you soon!
SAFETY AND BEHAVIOR NORMS
Be cautious: there is a risk of falling.
Respect and obey official guidelines and information.
Wear comfortable shoes, avoid high-heeled shoes.
Avoid wearing shoes with little protection, such as flip-flops and sandals. There is a risk of injury.
Respect the signs and follow the walkway only.
Children must always be accompanied (by the hand) by adults, with the child always on the inside.
Be responsible for your safety. Avoid risky behavior... and help prevent it!.
RESTRICTIONS
Pets or other animals with the exception of assistance dogs, duly identified and on a leash.
Smoking.
Flash photography inside the Keep.
Using tripods or other types of support devices, such as extendable photography poles or selfie sticks.
Filming.
Eating or drinking.
Using cell phones.
Running or jumping.
Abandoning garbage.
Throwing objects.
Damaging, destroying, mutilating or cutting infrastructure or equipment.
Baby strollers in the wall walk.
To pursue any behavior that may disturb or endanger the safety of visitors, of staff, of the monument