Braga, a small city in northern Portugal, is home to an array of stunning sites.

THEGIFT777/Getty Images

Portugal is having a major moment in the (Iberian) sun.

In 2023, the smaller European nationwelcomed more than 30 million visitors, a tourism record for the country.

Santa Barbara garden in Braga, north of Portugal.

Credit:THEGIFT777/Getty Images

Located about an hour north ofPorto, the city has just about 200,000 full-time residents.

But, the religious sites are just the beginning.

The 250-year-old building was the one-time personal home of famed knight Joao Duarte de Faria.

Getting to and from Braga is also a relative breeze.