LUSO - BUÇACO - CURIA
The kingdom of thermal stations and suckling pig
Mealhada and Anadia are located north from Coimbra in a predominantly plain area. These localities are famous for their gastronomy, especially the renowned roasted suckling pig and wine production, either table wine or sparkling wine. This region is known as Bairrada, combining gastronomy with a century-old tradition of thermal stations.
Some of the most appealing Portuguese thermal stations can be found here, such as Termas da Curia, north form Mealhada, and Termas do Luso, in the middle of the hill of Buçaco Mountain. Both of them present beautiful examples of thermal architecture: hotels, thermal facilities and parks. Curia Thermal Park is large, pleasant and well-equipped. Here you will find reference hotels such as recently restored Palace da Curia. In Luso, the Grande Hotel de Luso is famous. This project has the signature of Cassiano Branco.
Buçaco National Woods, a true natural paradise, is situated in the same slope of Luso, in the immediate surroundings of Luso thermal stations. Fruit of the love for nature of Carmelite Friars who lived here for three hundred years, this is an extraordinarily beautiful diversified forest. It is a pleasant area where you can walk and enjoy a contact with nature. In the middle of the woods, there is a via crucis with many chapels, presenting real-scale religious images inside. Palace Hotel do Buçaco, a major exemplar of revival 20th century architecture, is also worth visiting. In September 1810, an important battle between the French invaders and Portuguese-British troops was fought in this mountain. The battle is evoked in the hotel lobby tiles, as well as in the surrounding military museum.
However, Bairrada is mostly famous for the delicious roasted suckling pigs and local sparkling wines. Along the EN1 road between Mealhada, Curia and Anadia, there are plenty of restaurants where you will be very well served.
