A walk in Bussaco, an ancient woodland in Central Portugal

Buçaco might not be as famous as the fairytale forest of Sintra, but it is as worthy of attention as Sintra is. And yes, for those who are looking for good photography spots, you’ll have the same opportunities here and with fewer crowds. You’ll just have to travel to the north of the district of Coimbra. This place houses over 700 different species of trees and shrubs, a lot of them exotic species brought over by the Portuguese seamen during the Era of the Discoveries.

For a long time in history, the forest was in the care of religious orders, such that it forbade women from entering the woodlands – a law from 1622 when the forest belonged to the Order of the Barefoot Carmelites. This rule can be seen today in the engraved tablets affixed to the outer wall of Portas de Coimbra (Doors of Coimbra). The second rule, dated from 1643, threatened to excommunicate anyone who harmed the trees. Beware, being a woman is as much of a crime as harming a tree…

Thankfully, four centuries later, times have changed and I am allowed, as well as anyone else, to roam the forest of Bussaco. And, if you can afford it, you can also stay at what used to be a Royal Residence – the Palace of Bussaco. This was built much after the abolition of religious orders, a period when over 500 monasteries and their lands were nationalised, in 1834. the plan was to distribute these assets to the poor, but unfortunately, few could buy and maintain them. As a result, the ownership of the forest was given to the General Administration of the Forests of the Kingdom. A lot of restoration work was done then, including the beautiful stone staircase that leads you today to the palace in Fonte Fria (Cold Fountain), climb up alongside a waterfall.

Eventually, the convent was remodelled to give space for the construction of a Palace, ordered by the King of Portugal, D. Carlos I. This palace was meant to be a retreat for the royal family. However, just a year after the construction was completed, the king was killed whilst on his open carriage in Lisbon, in 1908, alongside his eldest and therefore heir to the throne.

The only member of the Portuguese Royal family to ever set foot in the palace was the King’s son, who then became King. D. Manuel II, who spent some time there during the summer with the French actress Gaby Deslys. He became the last king of Portugal, reigning for only two years, until eventually the republic revolution took place, and he had to go into exile with his family, to England. It was Paul Bergamin, a Swiss entrepreneur who had established himself in Portugal a few years prior who obtained government permission to turn the palace into a hotel. It opened its doors as such in 1911 and in 1917 it was obtained by the Alexandre de Almeida family, and it’s been in this family ever since.

The palace itself is a vision. In the Portuguese Manueline Architectural style, you’ll find elements of Portuguese culture and history, a testimony of what was the romantic era, a time when looking at the past and bringing those memories alive was a way to remember the greatness of times passed.

This is definitely a place that should be on your Portugal itinerary 🙂

Love, Nic