Abelenda Bike Rental at the Ecopista do Dão
TO SEE NEARBY:
SERRA DO BUSSACO
The Bussaco Forest Park, National Monument
The Serra do Bussaco
The Bussaco Forest Park (Serra do Bussaco), 105 hectares with a diameter of 5 km, is classified as a National Monument in Portugal. The park is widely praised by botanists from all over Europe. The Buçaco Forest is a dense wood, many centuries old, where the trees are of a gigantic stature and are rich in essences, fragrances and brilliance.
Over the centuries, monks and government foresters have planted nearly 400 Portuguese varieties of trees, shrubs, and flowers while importing some 300 species from as far away as Mexico, Chile, and Japan and from many other places all over the world.
The Palace of Bussaco
In the 19th Century, the Portuguese royal family commissioned an Italian operatic scene painter and architect to build a summer palace and hunting lodge in the Buçaco Forest.
The building was completed in 1907, shortly before the assassination of the king and crown prince. The king's Swiss chef obtained government permission to turn the palace into a hotel in 1910, and guests have been wallowing in pseudo-Manueline architecture and Edwardian comforts ever since.
It became one of Portugal's greatest houses and one of the most fascinating and historic hotels of the world, with a continuing tradition of the ultimate in luxury. The spa town of Luso is just 2 km away.
The restaurant
The restaurant, offers classic French and Portuguese cuisine and its exclusive Buçaco wines, mis en bouteille au chateau, are a must. In all a remarkable experience not to be missed in Portugal and for a very reasonable price.
Walks and things to see
Cruz Alta
As you follow the stations of the cross up the hillside, you'll pass a series of large shrines containing life-size terracotta figures of Christ, his disciples, and other characters in the Crucifixion story. The hike terminates in the Cruz Alta, or High Cross, which offers views of the forested mountains and the Palace Hotel.
Carmelite Monastery
Most of the monastery was torn down during the construction of the royal summer palace, but a few portions remain--among them, a chapel (with innumerable photos of the religious faithful hoping for miracles) and several of the old monks' cells, which are lined with cork for insulation against the winter cold.
Museum of the Peninsular War
This small museum commemorates the Battle of Buçaco and other key battles during Napoleon's attempts to conquer Iberia and destroy the Portuguese alliance with Great Britain, which dates back to 1373.
Images:
Abelenda Bike Rental,
europeanhistoricgardens.eu
media.rotabairrada.grupoma.eu
