Braga clinches 2021 Best European Destination top spot

This comes after securing a second place in 2019 in the same prestigious contest

Eventually traveling and tourism will return, despite the recent setbacks. A stark reminder of this and a tasty sample to whet our wanderlust appetites was the announcement of the winners of the 2021 Best European Destination competitions, where people were able to submit their votes online – and the winner is Braga, in Portugal.

Also known as the Portuguese Rome, that city has it all and offers such an option of attractions, sights and activities that one could never even think of getting bored. Speaking of Rome, this is the destination that Braga has to beat to secure the top spot, and it did that with more than 31 000 votes difference – an impressive feat attesting to the success of the Portuguese city’s efforts to promote its brand in recent years.

Braga is known as the Portuguese Rome and in this case, it proved more popular than the real Rome

Local authorities believe that the achievement was thanks to concerted and collective efforts in recent years to promote the city internationally. A testament to that is the fact that 72% of the online votes in favour came from abroad.

“It is a result that fills us with pride and that will certainly have extremely positive impacts on tourism and the local, regional and national economy over the next few years,” said Ricardo Rio, the Mayor of Braga, on the occasion. In his opinion, this is not just a local but a regional and a national distinction for which he thanked the relevant Tourism authorities as well as the President of the Republic.

Meanwhile, European Best Destinations, the Brussels-based organization which organizes the annual contest, mentioned that Braga was considered to be one of the happiest places on the continent, as well as the best destination to invest in Europe, praising it as an omnipotent destination that can satisfy the most discerning of tastes and provide an unforgettable experience.