Living, buying and investing in Guimarães

Guimarães at a glance for expat buyers

Guimarães is the historic heart of Portugal — the medieval town widely called the 'birthplace of the nation', where the first king, Afonso Henriques, was associated and where the slogan 'Aqui nasceu Portugal' ('Portugal was born here') is written on a city wall. Its outstandingly preserved medieval centre has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2001. The municipality has roughly 157,000 residents and sits about 22km south-east of Braga and 50km inland from the Atlantic coast, around 365km north of Lisbon and a 45-minute drive from Porto airport. Average asking prices reached approximately €1,700 per square metre in early 2026 — among the most affordable of any sizeable Portuguese city. Guimarães suits a foreign buyer who wants genuine history and culture at a fraction of Porto or Lisbon cost. It is a real, working town, not a museum: alongside the castle, the Paço dos Duques palace and the cobbled medieval squares (Largo da Oliveira, Praça de Santiago), Guimarães has a long industrial tradition — textiles above all — a university campus (a pole of the University of Minho), a strong cultural programme (it was European Capital of Culture in 2012), and a young, lively student presence. The climate is green and northern: warm summers, cool wet winters. Buyers get an internationally recognised heritage town with excellent value, a walkable centre, and easy access to Braga, Porto and the Minho countryside.