Caldas da Rainha, Between romance and creativity
The city of Caldas da Rainha owes its name to Queen D. Leonor who, in the 15th century, on her way to Batalha, decided to stop there to treat a wound that had not been able to heal, taking advantage of the famous thermal waters in this area. Once cured, D. Leonor had a hospital built there, around which the city developed.
Just over an hour from Lisbon, you will discover a city that prides itself on being a therapeutic and artistic refuge. Presenting traces of prehistoric and Roman human occupation, Caldas da Rainha is currently one of UNESCO’s Creative Cities in the field of Crafts and Folk Arts, a distinction awarded in 2019.
With a very strong creative community, driven by the Escola Superior de Artes e Design do Politécnico de Leiria and by civil society cultural associations, Caldas has several museums dedicated to sculpture, painting and ceramics), as well as a business network that opens creative perspectives through design.
🏰Pavilions of D. Carlos I Park
Designed at the end of the 19th century by Rodrigo Berquó to be the new D. Carlos I hospital, they are currently deactivated and in the process of being restored for the installation of a hotel unit.
The initial project was part of the idea of transforming Caldas da Rainha into a European spa resort. However, the Pavilions did not fulfill this function. Over the years, military barracks, a police station and a secondary school were used.
The building complex is framed by the Caldas da Rainha Thermal Hospital, as well as the D. Carlos I Park (a romantic garden built at the same time to support the thermal baths) and the Mata Rainha D. Leonor, being one of the city’s ex-libris.
Compared by some to Hogwarts, Harry Potter’s school, from J. K. Rowling’s universe, the complex began to be built in June 1893, a year after the inauguration of Parque D. Carlos I.
However, the process ended up taking longer than expected. In addition to the popular controversy, which involved the well-known ceramicist Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro, due to the grandeur of the project and the need to invest in other structures necessary for the city, there were several houses in the area, meaning that some expropriations had to be carried out. Thus, work would only begin in earnest in 1894.
The initial project included seven pavilions, intended for infirmaries, a 55 meter long gallery and sanitary facilities, as well as a tower for a meteorological observatory. The buildings began to be constructed in brick and stone, but incorporating iron beams and ceramics, innovative details at the time.
However, in 1896, with the death of Rodrigo Berquó, the project suffered a setback and work stopped, as the initial budget had already been exceeded and much more time and money would have to be lost in completing the project. The seventh pavilion and the Meteorological Observatory remained to be built.
In 2023, one of the Pavilions suffered a fire that consumed an attic whose woodwork was the original, leaving the building without a roof.
🤴🏻Dom Carlos I Park
Created by the same architect as the Pavilions, this romantic garden was remodeled in 1948, based on a landscape design by Francisco Caldeira Cabral, which gave it the profile we know today.
This large viewing area, which houses the José Malhoa Museum, among other cultural and sporting facilities, and a lake and extends to the Bordallo Pinheiro Factory, is the privileged area of Caldas for locals and visitors to relax and contact with nature, enjoying vast areas of shade, small flower gardens and rest areas. Dazzling at any time of year, it is particularly appealing in autumn, a time of year when the mix of golden and green leaves magnificently accentuates its romantic roots.
🧔🏻Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro
The Caldas da Rainha Faience Factory was created in 1884, by Rafael Bordalo and Ramalho Ortigão, and became a world reference and its objects an icon of Portuguese culture.
Throughout the city, you can enjoy various sculptural works on a human scale, taken from the artist’s imagination and creating a Bordaliana Route, one of the most fun ways to get to know the center of Caldas.
🍊Fruit Square
Praça da Fruta, located in Praça da República, began in the 15th century and is today the only open-air market in the country that takes place daily. It is a great showcase for the region’s rich agricultural and gastronomic production.
🚲Cycling Museum in Caldas da Rainha
The Cycling Museum, opened in 1999, presents a collection related to the history of cycling in the country, led by Mário Lino, a local cycling legend who donated a significant part of the collection that makes up the permanent exhibition.
With free entry, this Museum, which also includes a collection on photography and cinema, is located in front of Parque D. Carlos I, on Rua de Camões, the first artery in Caldas to be named.
How to get there
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