Information about Caldas da Rainha
Information about the city Caldas da Rainha
Caldas de Rainha is a health resort, which was built by Leonor de Bragança, the wife of King João I. In 1484 she was travelling from Lisbon to Batalha, when she saw farmers in the neighborhood of Óbidos taking a bath in evil smelling sulphur springs to relieve their muscle ache. The Queen followed their example and felt immediately how much good it did for her with rheumatism tortured body. A year later she sold all her jewels to build a health spa and exploit the special springs rich with sulphur (37° C). She is also the founder of the Misericórdia hospital, which Includes the Igreja do Populo built in the Manueline style by Diogo Boitac.
Caldas is famous for its ceramics. The caricaturist Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro amongst many others has contributed to this fame. Some factories and workshops are open to visitors for example in the Rua Bordalo Pinheiro. The Feira Nacional da Cerámica is held from the 4th till the 12th of July.
Caldas de Rainha is a great place to shop and then take a break at a café where you can enjoy the speciality of Caldas, delicious sweet cakes known as Cavacas (a sort of layered meringue) with a bica (espresso coffee) .
