Luxury Hotels Atlas / Places / Portugal / Amares / Pousada Mosteiro Amares
Pousada Mosteiro Amares
Amares, Braga, Portugal · Pousadas de Portugal · High Luxury
Eduardo Souto de Moura, who would win the 2011 Pritzker Prize, spent eight years, 1989 to 1997, converting this 12th-century Cistercian monastery's ruins into a hotel for Portugal's state inn network. Rather than reconstruct the original structure, he treated the four-foot-thick stone walls as raw material, weaving in glass, concrete, and steel while keeping the ancient kitchen chimney and cloister intact, a conversion the Pritzker jury cited as 'both consistent with history and modern in conception.'
- 32 rooms
- Opened 1997
- Neighborhood: Cerca de Baixo
- Architect: Eduardo Souto de Moura
About Pousada Mosteiro Amares
- The monastery's stone walls run more than four feet thick, built by Cistercian monks who by tradition settled on Europe's most remote, rugged frontiers.
- The hotel restaurant, called Antiga Cozinha do Mosteiro de Amares, occupies the monastery's original 12th-century kitchen, chimney and all.
- The historic cloister and its orange tree courtyard, once used for monastic life, now host weddings and other ceremonies.
- Portugal's national tourism company, Enatur, commissioned the eight-year conversion, from 1989 to 1997, specifically to add the ruin to its state-run pousada network.
History
Originally founded as a Cistercian monastery in 1162, the property was transformed into a hotel between 1989 and 1997 by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Eduardo Souto de Moura. The design intentionally preserves the 'ruin' aesthetic, integrating contemporary glass and concrete into the ancient granite fabric while maintaining the original kitchen chimney and cloister. This radical conversion is considered a seminal work of modern Portuguese architecture that revitalized the historic site.
The setting
5 km from Caniçada Dam.
Restaurants and bars
- Antiga Cozinha do Mosteiro de Amares — Restaurant · Minho regional cuisine
- Pousada bar — Bar
Experiences
- Off-road full-day nature tour — Full-day trip to Arado Waterfall, Pedra Bela and the Boneca Viewpoint in Peneda-Gerês National Park; contact the Pousada to book.
- Peneda-Gerês Natural Park hiking trails — Network of marked hiking routes and routes requiring a map or GPS; contact the Pousada to book.
- Guided horse riding through Peneda-Gerês National Park — Guided horse ride; contact the Pousada to book.
- Bicycle rental in Albergaria Forest — Cycling through the Albergaria Forest with a roadbook for the waterfalls and a picnic; contact the Pousada to book.
- Adventure Park at Campo de Gerês — Adventure activities for children (8-bridge circuit) and adults (20-bridge circuit), including abseiling, rock climbing and zip line; contact the Pousada to book.
- Braga Cathedral visit — Romanesque cathedral dating from 1070, one of the most important examples of Romanesque architecture in Portugal.
Amenities
- Outdoor marble swimming pool with mountain views
- Gourmet restaurant 'Antiga Cozinha do Mosteiro de Amares' in the former monastery kitchen
- Fireplace bar featuring a mountain stream channel and granite tanks
- Historic cloister and orange tree courtyard for ceremonies and receptions
- Direct access to Peneda-Gerês National Park activities like hiking and horse riding
- Electric vehicle charging station and free on-site parking
- Tennis
- Pet-friendly
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