Guimarães - Portugal

As a result of a trade with Manú "sapic12" i've received these 5 Guimarães cards.

"Guimarães is a Portuguese city located in Braga District, in the North of Portugal, with a population of 52 181 inhabitants.

It is an historical city that had an important role in the formation of Portugal and it was settled in the 9th century.

The city is often referred to as the "birthplace of the Portuguese nationality" or "the cradle city" (Cidade Berço in Portuguese). This might be because the administrative seat of the County of Portugal was established there by Henry of Burgundy, or that it might also been the birthplace of Afonso I of Portugal, the first Portuguese king or because of the historical role of the city in the Battle of São Mamede (June 24th, 1128), which had a tremendous importance in the formation of Portugal and was fought in the vicinity of the city.

Its historical center is a Unesco World Heritage Site, making it one of the largest tourist centers in the region.

Guimarães, jointly with Maribor, is going to be European capital of Culture in 2012. Guimarães was elected by the New York times one of the 41 places to go in 2011 and NYT called it one of the Iberian Peninsula's emerging cultural spots." - in: wikipedia