Pousada Mosteiro Amares.

Housed in a 12th-century Cistercian monastery between Braga and the green peaks of Peneda-Gerês National Park, Pousada Mosteiro Amares is a masterclass in adaptive reuse. Rather than erasing the passage of time, Pritzker Prize-winning architect Eduardo Souto de Moura integrated the building's rugged stone ruins directly into a minimalist, contemporary design. The result is a highly atmospheric, intimate 32-room retreat where austere heritage meets avant-garde interiors. Guests dine on regional Minho cuisine in the former convent kitchen—complete with its original massive stone chimney—and can lounge by an outdoor pool framed by ancient masonry. It is a quiet, contemplative base that trades standard resort glitz for deep architectural narrative and rural tranquility.