DOMAINE DE BUSSACO

Occupying 105 hectares, the Bussaco Forest (Mata Nacional do Bussaco) is home to over 700 species of trees. For centuries, this area has been occupied by religious people. A first hermitage, founded in the 6th century by Benedictine monks, was bought in the 16th century by a community of Carmelite nuns. Embarking on a vast reforestation project, the sisters introduced exotic species into the forest, which they surrounded with walls. The convent, chapels and hermitages were built between 1620 and 1700.

In 1843, when the religious orders were abolished in all Portugal, the forest became the property of the State. The Palace Hotel was built at the beginning of the 20th century on top of a series of older buildings. Today, the estate is the object of special attention and protection. Take a map of the Bussaco forest with the walks before you go (available at the Luso tourist office - 136 rua Emídio Navarro, open from 9am to 1pm and 2:30pm to 5pm in general - or at the hotel reception). Note that old parts of the hotel were renovated in 2020.

Convent. Built in 1628, today only the church remains, which you can visit. The walls, made of cork and rock, are typical of the Carmelite hermitages built in the desert at that time, and correspond to the voluntary stripping cultivated by this religious order. The Duke of Wellington took refuge in this convent during the battle of Bussaco; you can see the room where he slept. The church has a remarkable 16th century painting of Jerusalem in biblical times and the scene of the Judgment of Christ by Pontius Pilate.

Don't miss the unusual altar where young mothers leave their photo to fulfill their wish to have enough milk while breastfeeding. Also, women who have breast cancer leave their picture to recover as soon as possible.

Military Museum. Bussaco was the scene of one of the most important battles of the Peninsular War on September 27, 1810, opposing Anglo-Portuguese troops, commanded by Wellington, to Napoleonic troops. The Military Museum is dedicated to it.

Sacred Way (2-hour walk). From the palace garden, follow the "Cruz Alta" signs through the forest until you come across a path that climbs to the hermitage of Saint Joseph. The path that continues upwards has been named "Sacred Way" and has many chapels (13 in total) where beautiful clay sculptures retrace the path of Christ once he was arrested and brought to the place of his crucifixion. At the top, the hermitages of Calvary and the Holy Sepulchre offer superb views of the forest, the castle and the valley. The roots of the trees have invaded the old stones, the place seems enchanted, to discover! At the top, the cross is the highest point of the park, the view is not the best because the castle has disappeared from the field of vision.

Way to the Coimbra gate and the lake (2h walk). This path does not climb, it is a walk through the forest to the park's lake. For a complete tour, go up to the hermitage of St. Joseph (as for the sacred way), then take the path on the right that leads to the remarkable Coimbra Gate. Head towards the hermitage of the Blessed Sacrament and then turn off towards the lake according to the map.