Citânia de Briteiros
About 10 km (6 miles) northwest of Guimarães you'll find these fascinating remains of a citânia (hill settlement) founded before the Roman invasion. It dates to around 300 BC and was probably not abandoned until AD 300, making it one of the longest-lasting such strongholds, although its residents are now thought to have become gradually romanized. The walls and foundations of 150 huts and a meeting house have been excavated (two of the huts have been reconstructed to show their original size). The site was excavated in the late 19th century by Dr. Martins Sarmento; most of the finds were transferred to the museum in Guimarães that now bears his name but some can be seen in the smaller Museu da Cultura Castreja, housed in Sarmento's family home in the village of São Salvador de Briteiros, downhill from the Citânia. For guided visits to museum or site, phone or email [email protected]. Local bus company Guimabus serves Briteiros several times daily from downtown Guimaraes, then it's less than 10 minutes on foot to the museum or a 2.5 km (1.5 mile) hike up to the Citânia.
