Barcelos

Barcelos is a city in the Braga district of northern Portugal. The city is well known for the place where the unofficial symbol of Portugal, the cockerel, originated. Legend has it that a pilgrim was arrested for a crime he did not commit, and as he was about to be hanged, he claimed that a roasted cockerel would crow if he was innocent. Supposedly the cockerel stood up and crowed, and the man was released. Today visitors will find ceramic versions of the Galo de Barcelos throughout the city. 
Aside from colorful ceramics and the Galo de Barcelos, this walled medieval city is known for its Thursday market in Campo da República. The market attracts locals from all over the region as well as tourists. Other local attractions include the Nossa Senhora do Terço church, the Centro do Artesanato de Barcelos (handicrafts center) and the ruins of the 15th-century Paço dos Duques de Bragança (Palace of the Dukes of Bragança). The ruins of the palace have been turned into an open-air archaeological museum, which also has a cross describing the story of Galo de Barcelos. 

Practical Info

Barcelos is located 38 miles north of Porto and can be reached using route A28 or by train using the Linha de Braga line and R3111.