Spend three days touring the North of Portugal and discover its baroque treasures.

Devote the first day of your trip to Porto and start by visiting the 12th-century cathedral. The baroque style brought various changes to this church, such as the magnificent altarpiece in the chancel. You can admire the grandiose building of the Episcopal Palace and the churches of Igreja de Santa Clara, Igreja da Ordem Terceira and Igreja de Santo Ildefonso, all decorated with sumptuous gilded woodcarving and tiles from the 18th century. Notice the imposing façade of the Igreja dos Terceiros do Carmo, and let yourself be impressed by the church and tower of the Igreja dos Clérigos, a masterpiece by Nicolau Nasoni, the same architect who designed the Igreja da Misericórdia. As the day draws to a close, let yourself be dazzled by the golden colours of the interior of the Igreja de São Francisco, where the walls are covered with baroque and rococo gilded woodcarvings.

The next day, we suggest you head for Braga.
Here you can begin by visiting the Palácio dos Biscainhos and its beautiful gardens. This old manor house is now a museum displaying decorative arts from the 17th and 18th centuries, which presents a faithful picture of how the nobility lived at that time. Next, make your way into Portugal’s oldest cathedral and admire the stalls in the upper choir and the church’s two monumental organs. Close by you will also find the remarkable rocaille façade of the Palácio do Raio. Your next stop should be the Santuário do Bom Jesus do Monte and its monumental staircase, which stands out superbly in the lush green landscape. You should also take some time to admire the exuberant decoration of the Igreja de Santa Maria da Falperra, before you carry on to the Mosteiro de Tibães. Founded in the 11th century, this monastery was subject to a number of alterations in the 17th and 18th centuries, which resulted in its being afforded a most sumptuous decoration.

Your next destination is Guimarães.
If you feel like continuing the baroque experience in your hotel accommodation, then we suggest you stay at the Pousada de Santa Marinha da Costa or one of the Rural Tourism houses, such as the Paço de São Cipriano or the Casa de Sezim. First thing in the morning, you can take a stroll through the city’s streets and admire the imposing façade of the Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Consolação e Santos Passos, or take a look at the altarpiece in the Igreja de São Francisco, dating from the reign of Dom João V.

After this, you should carry on to Vila Real, where you should visit the Casa de Mateus, an 18th-century palace set in the midst of magnificent gardens. Continue along the road that takes you through the Alto Douro Wine Region to Lamego, your final destination on this trip. Notice the façades of the many manor houses and stately homes, but save enough energy to climb the 686 steps leading to the Santuário de Nossa Senhora dos Remédios. Your efforts will be most handsomely rewarded by the great beauty of this baroque staircase.

Take a three-day tour of the main cities in central Portugal and admire all the extraordinary details of the 17th and 18th-century arts.

Begin this trip in Coimbra by visiting the Museu Nacional de Machado de Castro, which houses the oldest remains of the Roman city of Aeminium. Note the baroque rarities such as the Pietá, a superb example of 17th-century Portuguese sculpture, or the Sacramento Monstrance, a remarkable example of the goldsmith’s art in the 18th century.

Continue from here to the University and admire the breathtaking Biblioteca Joanina, one of the most beautiful libraries in Europe. With its imposing façade, replicated on the inside with triumphal arches decorated with gilded woodcarving, its shelves bear the accumulated knowledge of 300,000 volumes of inestimable value, published between the 16th and 18th centuries. Next to this is the surprising Capela de São Miguel with its monumental baroque organ and its walls lined with tile panels.

Next, move on to the Vista Alegre Museum, close to Ílhavo, where you can see a curious oratory in the shape of a boat. Close by, in the Capela de Nossa Senhora da Penha de França, you can admire the marble tomb of the Bishop Dom Manuel de Moura. In Aveiro, the final stop for this first day, make sure to visit the Convento de Jesus, whose chancel contains a remarkable example of gilded woodcarving, so perfect that it gives the impression of being a piece made by a goldsmith.

If you have some time left before stopping to rest for the day, you can always take a brief trip to Arouca. Visit the monastery, the hub of activity in this region for many centuries, where you can admire the church’s 18th-century organ and the remarkable choir stalls. Spend some time getting to know the Sacred Art Museum housed here, and, amongst so many exuberant pieces, note the delicate limestone sculpture of St. Gertrude.

The first stop on your second day is the city of Viseu, which is worth taking some time to explore on foot. You will certainly notice the many manor houses here, as well as the homes bearing the coats of arms of their owners from the 17th and 18th centuries. Make sure to visit the cathedral with its remarkable altarpieces from the time of Dom João V, as well as the two beautiful baroque churches of Igreja do Carmo and Igreja dos Terceiros de São Francisco.

Continue on to Guarda and cool yourself down at the Chafariz de Santo André, a fountain that stands as a fine example of the baroque style in civil architecture. And then head on to Almeida. This historical village is a fortress that was built in the 17th century, completely surrounded by walls in the shape of a regular polygon. Walk along the top of the fortifications, exploring the ramparts and casemates, and, as the day draws to an end, rest for a while as you imagine the battles fought here in order to defend Portugal’s independence.

For your third day, we suggest an itinerary that will take you through other historic villages, such as Castelo Mendo, Belmonte, Sortelha and Castelo Novo. At this last one, note the fountain in the typical style of the reign of Dom João V built into the façade of the former town hall, which is considered to be the village’s most distinctive feature. Continue on to Castelo Branco, whose main attraction is the baroque Episcopal Palace and its gardens. Round off your trip with a walk through this green space, with its harmonious combination of lakes, fountains, flower beds and staircases decorated with statues of the kings of Portugal.

Gold is the colour that provides the theme for a three-day tour in which you can appreciate the magnificent ostentatiousness of art and architecture in the Lisbon region.

Your first day is dedicated to touring the city of Lisbon and your journey begins in Belém, from where the first vessels set sail for distant lands to start the Portuguese expansion overseas. On their return, they brought with them untold riches that financed great works, such as the building of the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos. Now housed in this building is the Maritime Museum, where you can see the 18th-century “Bergantim real” (Royal Barge), a genuine jewel of naval construction. You can also appreciate other treasures used for land transport, such as King João V’s Coach at the National Coach Museum. This belonged to the king who commissioned the building of the Aqueduto das Águas Livres, with its 35 huge arches spanning the Vale de Alcântara, one of Lisbon’s great landmarks.

Continue on to the National Museum of Ancient Art. Amongst the museum’s many remarkable pieces are the Mogul Cabinet, bearing witness to the intermingling of Eastern and Western cultures, and the Chinese porcelain bottle coolers, forming part of a unique set in the whole world. Next comes the Basílica da Estrela, whose magnificent dome stands out on the city’s skyline, and after this the Igreja dos Paulistas, lined with valuable gilded wood carvings and stucco work.

The Igreja de São Roque will be your next stop. Inside is the admirable Chapel of St John the Baptist, made entirely of marble and semi-precious stones, and next to this is the Sacred Art Museum, where you can find the Reliquary of St. John de Britto decorated with silver low-relief carvings. From the top of the Elevador de Santa Justa, you can appreciate the view over the Baixa Pombalina, the city’s downtown area rebuilt after the 1755 earthquake, an example of urban planning based on a uniform grid system. Later, at the National Tile Museum housed in the Convento da Madre de Deus, you can form an idea of what the city was like before this earthquake by looking at the 23-metre-long tile panel known as the “Grande Panorama de Lisboa”, but first you should visit the churches of Menino Deus and Santa Engrácia, with their multi-coloured marble decorations. To round off your day, visit the Igreja da Madre de Deus, with its excellent carved and gilded woodwork and decorative tiles offering you a dazzling spectacle of gold and blue.

Next morning, visit the gardens and palace of the Marquises of Fronteira, bearing testimony to the splendour and sophistication in which the nobility lived in the 17th and 18th centuries. After this, head out of town to the Palácio Nacional de Queluz. Spend some time exploring its sumptuous interiors, such as the Throne Room, with its walls lined with carved and gilded woodwork and mirrors, and then enjoy a stroll through the gardens embellished with fountains and lakes.

Continue on to Mafra and spend the rest of the day admiring the vast architectural complex formed from the Royal Palace, Basilica and Convent. Your visit will necessarily take some time, but make sure to see its six unique organs, the two carillon bells set among 112 others, and the magnificent library.

On the third day, head for Alcobaça and visit the Monastery, classified as World Heritage. Built in the 12th century in Gothic style, it was subjected to a series of alterations visible in the façade (altered in the 18th century) or in the Sacristy, which houses a special baroque artistic treasure – the Sanctuary and the Altarpiece of the Death of St. Bernard.

Continue your journey on to Santarém, where you can appreciate the decorative splendour of the Cathedral’s ceilings and altars, and, at the Casa-Museu Anselmo Braamcamp, you’ll find a remarkable pair of still lifes painted by Josefa de Óbidos. By way of homage, you should end your tour at the Igreja da Graça, which houses the tomb of Pedro Álvares Cabral, the discoverer of Brazil, from where the vast quantities of gold came that resulted in the glorious period of Portuguese baroque.

Discover the wealth that lies hidden behind sober-looking façades in a two-day tour of southern Portugal, rounded off with trips to Madeira and the Azores.

Our itinerary begins in Setúbal with a visit to the Baroque Museum housed in the Casa do Corpo Santo. This palace, with its remarkable tiles, painted ceilings and a chapel lined with gilded woodcarvings, is a fine example of 17th and 18th-century civil architecture. Take the A6 in the direction of Vila Viçosa, but, if you can, make a small detour to Portalegre to appreciate the interior decoration of the Igreja de São Lourenço and the Igreja do Senhor do Bonfim. The town of Vila Viçosa is dominated by the imposing Palácio dos Duques de Bragança, whose museum has a remarkable collection of baroque treasures. We would like to highlight two exhibits in particular: a blue-and-white porcelain bottle decorated with the coat of arms of Filipe II of Spain, and the image of Child Jesus the Good Shepherd carved out of ivory.

Our next stop will be Évora, whose historic centre has been classified as World Heritage.
Visit the great Gothic cathedral that has benefited from various donations at different times and in different styles. Its baroque chancel, composed of marble both inside and outside, contains some remarkable sculptures, paintings and gilded woodcarvings. Next we will move on to the Igreja de São Francisco, whose main attraction is its ossuary chapel, a small room where a most strange impression is caused by its decoration made entirely of human bones. After this, we move on to Viana do Alentejo, to visit the Santuário de Nossa Senhora de Aires, which stands out quite distinctly in the landscape – a magnificent example of rural baroque architecture.

The next day, our destination is Beja where we will begin by visiting the Museu Rainha Dona Leonor. Amongst its many valuable pieces, you should notice the Processional Altar of St. John the Evangelist, made of gilded woodcarvings, silver and precious stones. Also make sure to visit the Igreja de Nossa Senhora dos Prazeres, whose exterior gives no hint as to the opulence that lies hidden within, with its rich decoration of gilded woodcarvings, tiles and mural paintings.

We will now continue on to the Algarve.
The small sober-looking Igreja de Almancil has an interior that is completely covered with blue-and-white tile panels, with the gilded woodcarvings providing a beautiful contrast. Take a walk through the region and look for other examples of the baroque style, as, for example, the interiors of some of the churches in Tavira or the Igreja de Santo António in Lagos.

Azores and Madeira
There are also gems in the archipelagos of Madeira and the Azores that illustrate how the Baroque was interpreted in these places far removed from what was happening in Europe.

In Madeira, Funchal is best known for its natural beauty, but it also has many artistic treasures One of these is the Church of São Evangelista, exhibiting a blend between the Mannerist and Baroque styles, where the exuberant interior decoration is a combination of carved and gilded altarpieces, tile panels and valuable paintings.

In the Azores, your destination should be the island of Terceira, more precisely the city of Angra do Heroísmo. The historic centre is included on UNESCO’s World Heritage list, and has some remarkable monuments that it is worth taking some time to discover. The highlight from the Baroque period is the Convent of São Gonçalo, a genuinely “golden church” with its beautiful decoration of gilded woodcarving. But you can also find other monuments in this style, such as the imposing Misericórdia Church, whose colourful blue-and-white façade stands out amidst the urban landscape, or the Church of the Castle of São João Baptista, on the top of Monte Brasil. Our trip ends here, in this place linked to the golden age of Angra’s history in the 17th century, when it was an important port of call during the period of the Portuguese maritime discoveries.

More information on Baroque art in Portugal is available on the Museum With No Frontiers website, www.discoverbaroqueart.org.

On the "Hidden treasures" tour, the Pousada de Santa Marinha in Guimarães can be visited by prior appointment through the Tourist Office.