Baroque stairway
Zigzagging up.
Vimacopeca — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Vimacopeca — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Vimacopeca — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Joseolgon — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Vlach Pavel — CC0
Bom Jesus do Monte is a sanctuary on a wooded hill above Braga, reached by a vast Baroque stairway zigzagging between white walls, fountains and stone statues, with a white twin-towered church at the top and views over the city and valleys. Its name means «Good Jesus of the Mount». The first mention of a chapel on the hill dates from 1373, a pilgrimage church was built in 1629, and the present sanctuary was begun in 1722 under the Archbishop of Braga. The Baroque stairway climbs 116 m. The sanctuary was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2019. You climb the stairs past the small chapels, or ride the Bom Jesus funicular, one of the oldest water-counterweight funiculars in the world. At the top are gardens, a small lake and artificial grottoes. It is about 4 km in a straight line east of central Braga, reached by bus from the city.
Zigzagging up.
Historic.
From the top.
Tenões, east of Braga
Either; the funicular saves the climb.
By bus or car.