Sé de Braga

Braga was Bracara Augusta under Rome and an archiepiscopal seat from the earliest Christian centuries, and its cathedral was begun in 1089, before Portugal existed as a kingdom - which makes it the oldest in the country and the seat of the primate archbishop. It has been rebuilt in every subsequent style, so the fabric runs from Romanesque portal through Gothic and Manueline to a baroque overlay, and its two organs, installed in the 1730s facing each other across the choir, are among the most elaborate gilded instruments in Europe, with carved trumpeting figures, mermaids and cases covered in talha dourada. In the Chapel of the Kings lie Henry of Burgundy and Teresa of León, the parents of Afonso Henriques, the first king. The treasury holds vestments and plate, and the Bom Jesus sanctuary is on a hill outside the city.

What you actually see

• The two organs - facing 1730s instruments in gilded cases with carved figures.
• The Chapel of the Kings - the tombs of the first king's parents.
• The layered fabric - Romanesque, Gothic, Manueline and baroque in one building.
• The 1089 foundation - begun before Portugal existed, and still the primate's seat.

When to go

Year-round. One to two hours. The organs are played at certain services and occasional concerts, which is worth timing for.

Honest expectations

Treasury, choir and chapels are ticketed separately from the free nave, and the total adds up. Photography is restricted. Services close sections. Braga's Holy Week fills the city and the cathedral entirely.

Nearby

Bom Jesus do Monte is on the hill east; the Tibães monastery is west of the city.