Bussaco Palace Hotel

Coimbra

Coimbra is a city steeped in history where tourists can visit some of Portugal’s most beautiful sites. This former capital of the kingdom, until Lisbon became Portuguese, is rich in historical monuments like the Sé Velha cathedral and the majestic Santa Cruz monastery where the first king, Alfonso Enriquez would come after returning from battle, and where he and his son Sancho I are buried. Coimbra was also the city of Queen Inês de Castro, whose history is the subject of numerous poems, paintings and operas. She is also known for having received the country’s first university, when it was definitively transferred from Lisbon to Coimbra in 1537, and which is also one of the oldest in Europe. Still today, the city has a great many students.

To the north, the Bussaco forest is one of the most beautiful in the country, where visitors can discover its numerous species of trees from all over the world. A number of hiking trails and bicycle paths are excellent for visitors to follow the lines of the former Carmelite convent, and several temples and chapels going back to the 16^th century. It’s here as well that the Portuguese monarchy built a superb palace in 1885 and which, a hundred years later, was transformed into a luxury hotel.

A vacation worthy of the greatest kings

About thirty kilometers from Coimbra, in the center of Portugal, an exceptional hotel and a true jewel of the country receives its guests in a fantastic setting. The five-star Palace Hotel do Bussaco is nestled in the heart of the Bussaco forest.

The exterior of this former palace, where Portuguese kings would lead an extravagant life, is a magnificent example of Gothic and Manuelian style architecture. Suffice to say that at first glance the tone is set, and guests cannot help but anticipate what awaits them. And once inside, they’re not disappointed in the least.

The 62 rooms and suites rival each other for beauty and splendor. They are all equipped with superb period furniture, handsome beds, paintings and refined carpeting creating a warm, luxurious atmosphere with upscale comfort. The suites, some of which are named after former kings and queens, are totally worthy of royalty. The Royal and Imperial suites attain the optimum of luxury and opulence. Stucco decorations, statues, paintings and frescoes fill the living rooms where guests are invited to try some of the region’s finest wines and other vintage ports from the wine cellar, which add to excellence of the hotel, as does the sumptuous restaurant where guests can enjoy a refined cuisine inspired by traditional French and Portuguese dishes in a chic setting where works by Joao Vaz are on display.

“There is nothing like it in Europe. While walking through the Bussaco forest, I feel transported into the wonderful ancient woods of the East.” – The Prince of Liechtenstein