Holy Week in Braga

Braga's long history and close connection with the church is evident in its many and spectacular monuments and church buildings. The cathedral dates from the 12th century (the oldest in the country) and houses some great treasures in its museum.

On a forested slope just outside the town is the spectacular religious sanctuary, Bom Jesus do Monte. This grand structure boasts an immense and somewhat ostentatious granite stairway surrounded by white walls and fountains, and is decorated with statues. The stairs lead to a church at the top that rewards your climb with magnificent views.

During the many and colourful festivals in the run-up to Holy Week, ceremonies are conducted in the Romanesque cathedral, but it is the carnivals, complete with painted faces and parades, that draw the crowds.

There are also important processions on the nights of Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. Some of the grandest and most important in the country, they wind their way round the walls of the old Roman city, led by hooded penitents carrying torches which light up the roads where the crowds have gathered. This is a spectacular and moving event which should not be missed.

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