You won't be able to miss the Archbishop's Palace , a great fortress-like building, right at the centre of the old town. In medieval times it covered a tenth of the city and today easily accommodates the municipal library and various faculties of the university. Nearby is the Se , which like the palace encompasses Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque styles. It was founded in 1070 and its south doorway is a survival from this earliest building; its most striking element, however, is the intricate ornamentation of the roofline, executed by Joao de Castilho, later the architect of Lisbon's Jeronimos Monastery. A guided tour of the interior (8.30am-6/6.30pm; free, museum and Capela dos Reis €1.50) takes you through three Gothic chapels, of which the outstanding specimen is the Capela dos Reis (King's Chapel), built to house the tombs of Henry of Burgundy and his wife Teresa, the cathedral's founders and the parents of Afonso Henriques, founder of the kingdom. Beyond the chapels is the cathedral museum - one of the richest collections in Portugal, but displayed like a junk shop.

The Art Deco tourist office (Mon-Fri 9am-7pm, Sat 9am-12.30pm & 2-5.30pm; tel 253 262 550) at the corner of Praca da Republica has copies of Cultura Norte , listing - in Portuguese - most events in the region. Two hotels offering excellent value are the Residencial Inacio Filhos , Rua Francisco Sanches 42 (tel 253 263 849; ?15-20/$24-32/€27-36), and the well-located Grande Residencia Avenida , Avda. da Liberdade 738 (tel 253 262 955; ?15-20/$24-32/€27-36). The Casa Dos Lagos (tel 253 676 738; ?20-25/$32-40/€36-45) is a lovely old farmhouse high up on the hill overlooking Braga on the road leading up to the Monte do Bom Jesus church. Braga's well-equipped hostel is at Rua Santa Margarida 6 (tel 253 616 163; ?15-20/$24-32/€27-36), off Avda. Central; the campsite (tel 253 273 355) is a two-kilometre walk along the Guimaraes road, but is very cheap and right next to the municipal swimming pool. Churrasqueira Lareira do Conde , on Praca Conde de Agrolongo, serves reasonably priced quality food in generous quantities, as does the Restaurante Mocambicana at Rua Andrade Corvo 8, one of several excellent cheap restaurants grouped around the Arco da Porta Nova. Cafe Astoria (due to reopen soon after renovations), Praca da Republica, is by far the best of the old coffee houses , mahogany-panelled and with cut-glass windows. Internet access is available at Netstation, a new Internet cafe at the end of Rua de Santa Mareida, by Largo de Infias (€1.50/hr).