Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte (Braga): Tips + Photos

North of Porto, the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte is like no other in Portugal. 
Its monumental baroque staircase is quite famous and photographed a lot because it offers visitors great perspectives.
Below is my guide to help you plan your visit to Bom Jesus Braga with photos, tips and map.

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Is Bom Jesus in Braga worth a visit?

Yes, the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte is worth a visit. It is one of the best attractions in Portugal.
Located on a hill, surrounded by trees and with a giant Baroque staircase: it is a very impressive architectural piece.

Bom Jesus Facts

• Its name means Good Jesus of the Mount.
• It is located on higher grounds above Braga in a magnificent park
• The old funicular is working with a Counterbalancing system using water
• The giant baroque stairway is 116m high
• There was already a chapel in the 14th century, but the current sanctuary dates back to the 18th century.
• The 3 fountains in the zigzag staircase represent the 3 theological Virtues: Faith, Hope and Charity
• The Church has been elevated to a Minor Basilica
• From the church you have great views of the region.
• It is a fantastic playground for photographers with contrasts and geometrical shapes 
• It is a Unesco Heritage Site

Below is the famous zigzag staircase of the Sacred way, what do you think? 

And here is the view, not bad!

Video Virtual Tour

Below is a short video to give you an idea of what to expect: the Funicular ride, listening to the church's bells, discovering the gardens and admiring the staircase and its statues. Enjoy a virtual tour!

Photos continue after the planning tips

Where is the sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte - Location & Map

• In North Portugal
• North of Porto, in the town of Braga 
• 10min drive from the center of Braga town - on Mount Espinho
• Porto to Bom Jesus Braga - 50min drive
• Braga center to Bom Jesus carpark area - 10 min drive
• Guimaraes to Bom Jesus - 30 min drive
• Below is a map to help you get oriented:

This location is included (with GPS coordinates, map of location and planning info) in my travel guide eBook that helps you easily plan your Portugal road trip:

How to get to Bom Jesus in Braga

• It is very easy to visit by car
• Large carpark at the bottom
• Or you can book an organized excursion from Porto (day trip). It is combined with Braga and the Unesco Town of Guimaraes. Check out Program and Book

Visit Tips

• Bom Jesus Braga opening hours - Funicular: 8am to 8pm
• Bom Jesus Braga entrance fee - free access - 2€ for funicular return trip
• Toilets at the parking lot at the bottom and near the church at the top (small fee)
• Café at the top

How many steps in Bom Jesus Braga?

From the carpark to the church, I have counted 575 steps (some sites say 573 or 577).
If you have bad knees, I recommend taking the funicular one way and the staircase the other way.
If you get up to the church with the funicular and want to see the zigzag staircase from the bottom. There is 250 steps down.

Where to stay in Braga & Bom Jesus

• AT BOM JESUS - You can stay at Hotel do Parque Braga (referred to as the Bom Jesus Hotel) in a prime location in the Bom Jesus Park with panoramic views. The hotel has beautiful design and a great restaurant. Check out Photos and Book
• B&B BRAGA CENTER - The Domus 26 B&B is very central to Braga allowing you to walk everywhere in the old city. Large rooms, helpful staff and tasty breakfast. What more do you want? Check out photos and book
• GUESTHOUSE BRAGA CENTER -  The Old City Guesthouse is so charming with beautiful furniture and a great atmosphere. They even have a family suite that sleeps 5! Check out photos and book
• AMAZING FLAT WITH VIEW - Found this great flat located at the top of the old city. A fantastic place to stay and admire sunset every evening - Check out the penthouse and book
• Or check out the best rated accommodations in Braga

How to get up to Bom Jesus Church

As you will see in the next section, the traditional way of getting up to the church is via the stairs, the sacred way.
However if climbing 575 stairs is bad for your knees, you can take the funicular.
Just to the left of the entrance is a smaller parking lot with the access. 
It costs 2.50€ return or 1.50€ one-way.

The ride up the hill runs every 10 minutes and does not take long.

Construction started in 1880 as designed by Raul Mesnier du Ponsard. And it was such a success that he was asked to design more in Lisbon. It uses 2 tracks and each cabin can transport 30 people.
Each cabin has a water tank that functions as counterweight. At the top of the hill, the reservoir is filled with water to make the cabin descend. Both cars arrive at their stops simultaneously.
Learn more about its history and engineering here. 

Note that if you take the funicular you reach the level of the church. To see the perspective on the staircase you will have to either walk down and back up 250 steps or walk down the complete 575 steps back to the parking lot.

Staircase entrance - The Portico

The Portico of Bom Jesus marks the beginning of the climb.
It is a granite structure forming an arch.
At the top you can see a decor: the coat of arms of Archbishop D. Rodrigo de Moura Teles.

And, as you can see in the picture below, there are fountains on each side. One is the fountain of the Moon and the other in the fountain of the Sun.

Chapels

On the way you can see chapels dedicated to the Sacred Way.
If you look inside, you will see that they are decorated with terra cotta sculptures depicting the Passion of the Christ.

They include:

• Chapel of the Last Supper
• Chapel of the Agony
• Chapel of the Betrayal
• Chapel of the Darkeness
• Chapel of the Flagellation
• ...

Nowadays there are 19 chapels.

Baroque staircases of the 3 virtues and Five Senses

And now I am sharing about the best part of the Sanctuary, the zigzag staircase of the Via Crucis, the Sacred Way.
It is composed of 2 sections.

Stairway fo the 5 senses

The bottom part of the zigzag staircase represents the 5 senses and is even more impressive because of the perspective of 5 levels.
It is full of walls, fountains, ornaments and statues.

The granite buildings have whitewashed plaster façades, framed by exposed stonework

And here is a photo from the bottom of the zigzag stairway (still have 325 steps to climb down in order to reach the parking lot).

And here is the church as the top, a Basilica.

Its style is Baroque. It is not that big, and the real attraction is the staircase.
However I recommend waiting a little bit at the top to hear the bells ring. It is quite nice.
Inside, the design from the 19th century is quite elegant. As you will see below in the photos the main altar is dedicated to the Crucifixion.

Before heading down the stairs, you can enjoy beautiful gardens. You can also go and explore some trails in the dense forest; They will take you to artificial lakes and grottoes.

Take the time to admire the many statues around the garden and staircases. They are all looking towards the fantastic view of Braga and its surrounding hills.
It is facing towards the West, and on a very clear day you can see the ocean.