This was our second stay at the Hotel da Oliveira.
All being well, we shall be returning again.
It is a most elegant space in the historical quarter, with themed guest rooms (ours was named after the inscription of the city on the UNESCO World Heritage List).
LOCATION: Situated at the very heart of the Centro Historico, the hotel is a short taxi ride from the train station and the bus station (even walkable with light luggage).
HISTORY: The elegant breakfast verandah of the hotel opens out onto the historical Largo da Oliveira, while the main entrance to the hotel opens onto the Rua de Santa Maria, said to be the first road built in Portugal (Guimarães being where Portugal's history begins).
At its upper end, the Rua de Santa Maria culminates in the Paço dos Duques de Bragança and the Castelo de Guimarães, while at its lower end it becomes a part of the Largo da Oliveira, with the Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Oliveira. While the latter is still a living church, a part of it has been converted into the Museu de Alberto Sampaio (at the height of the summer holidays, the museum stays open late into the night).
Guests of the hotel are within walking distance of all key sights, and a walk away from the Teleférico de Guimarães, the cable car that transports one to Monte da Penha.
