Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
equally fecund in terms of the poetry it has inspired. Generations of Coimbra's literary
types have enshrined the forest in the national imagination with breathless hymns to its
mystical marriage of natural and spiritual beauty.
The high stone walls that for centuries have encircled the forest have no doubt helped
reinforce its sense of mystery. And in the midst of the forest stands a royal palace com-
pleted in 1907; despite the extravagance of its fairy-tale neo-Manueline facade, the dyn-
asty fell just three years later.
Outside the forest walls lies the old- fashioned little spa town of Luso, whose waters are
considered a balm for everything from gout to asthma. The forest and spa make an easy
day trip from Coimbra. If you want to linger, Luso has a handful of
residenciais
(guest
houses), or a more sizeable investment can see you sleeping right in the astonishing royal
palace itself, in the heart of the forest.
History
The Luso and Buçaco area probably served as a Christian refuge as early as the 2nd cen-
tury AD, although the earliest known hermitage was founded in the 6th century by Bene-
dictine monks. In 1628 Carmelite monks embarked on an extensive program of foresta-
tion. They planted exotic species, laid cobbled paths and enclosed the forest within high
stone walls. The forest grew so renowned that in 1643 Pope Urban VIII decreed that any-
one damaging the trees would be excommunicated.
The peace was briefly shattered in 1810, when Napoleon's forces under Masséna were
soundly beaten here by the Anglo- Portuguese army of the future Duke of Wellington (the
battle is re-enacted here every 27 September). In 1834, when religious orders throughout
Portugal were abolished, the forest became state property.
Sights & Activities
Mata Nacional do Buçaco
FOREST
(
www.fmb.pt
;
car/cyclist/pedestrian €5/free/free; 8am-8pm Apr-Sep, 8am-6pm Oct-Mar)
The aromatic
forest is crisscrossed with trails, dotted with crumbling chapels and graced with ponds,
fountains and exotic trees from palms to sequoias. Popular paths lead to the pretty
Vale dos
Fetos
and the
Fonte Fria
, where swans swim beneath a grand staircase. Among several fine
viewpoints is
Cruz Alta
(545m).
What most visitors come to see is the fairy-tale
Palace Hotel do Buçaco
.
