Cousin Susie had this sanctuary on her “must-see” list and we wanted to visit different regions, specifically the north of Portugal, to scout locations for a future relocation. Could we really trade 300 days of sun and bright blue skies in the Algarve for a rainier, cooler climate in the north? We couldn’t even remember to bring our umbrellas in Coimbra. We knew little about this attraction in advance other than it has a lot of stairs, more than 570, has the oldest functioning water balancing funicular, and is near the city of Braga.

This UNESCO World Heritage Site did not disappoint, every facet of our explorations provided wonders for the eyes. We stayed at one of the three adjoining hotels so let’s start with the grounds and some of the jaw-dropping views looking down towards the city of Braga.

We decided to ride the funicular down and then walk back up (NOT on our knees).

Now, it’s time to climb! In addition to the amazing views and gardens there were numerous other sights to see on the climb. Notice the stonework on the ground itself, this type of pavement is called calçada portuguesa (or in Portugal just calçada). The outbuildings hold depictions of the Passion of the Christ and there are also numerous fountains and statues as you approach the top third of the climb.

Finally at the top we were able to tour the church and take some final admiring peeks at the gorgeous gardens and breathtaking view. We highly recommend spending time here and will be back ourselves for another visit.