Silver Coast Portugal

A traditional Portuguese restaurant, with large open fire for cooking the meat.

The restaurant is very well known with Portuguese people.

Excellent Italian restaurant, superb dishes and great staff

This restaurant is officially the best restaurant in the area.

A very good and cosy Portuguese restaurant, that has won a number of awards already.

Tip: order a 'meio dose' for your main course, because the starters are enormous!

Caldas da Rainha has a history of the artisanal and industrial production of ceramics. The colourful azulejos (tiles) are a good example. The history of ceramics in this town is also the 'raw material' for contemporary artists.

Ceramics workshops and museums:
 

• Museu da Cerâmica: exhibition of an important collection of ceramics from the 16th to the 20th century. The museum is located in a beautiful villa, surrounded by gardens.
• Casa Museu de São Rafael: exhibition of ceramics by the artist São Rafael, made by the Bordallo Pinheiro factory. www.bordallopinheiro.com
• Atelier-Museu António Duarte: exhibition of work by of sculptor António Duarte (1912-1998)
• Atelier-Museu João Fragoso: exhibition of work by sculptor João Fragoso (1913-2000)
   

Other museums:
 

• Museu do Hospital e das Caldas da Rainha: museum on 5 centuries of medicinal springs, and the thermal hospital in Caldas da Rainha. The exhibition includes paintings, sculptures, carvings, clothing, furniture, ceramics, and medical / scientific instruments.
• Museu Barata Feyo: exhibition of work by sculptor Barata Feyo (1899-1990)
• Museu José Malhoa: exhibitions of paintings by José Malhoa (1855-1933), and work by other Portuguese artists
• Espaço Concas: exhibition of paintings by Maria da Conceição Nunes, also known as Concas (1946-1991), in the Centro de Artes
• Museu do Ciclismo: exhibition on cycling in Portugal

This city 'The queen's hot springs', arose around a health resort

Queen Leonor de Bragança, wife of king João I, was travelling one day in 1484, when she saw peasants bathing in very smelly water in the Óbidos area.

She asked them why they did that, and they told her dat the water was benificial for people suffering from rheumatism and arthritis. Suffering from rheumatism herself, she decided to take a bath, and noticed that it indeed helped her feel better. As it turned out it was not just smelly water, in fact they were warm sulphur springs. Leonor sold all her jewelry and used the money to build a thermal hospital. The first patients already arrived in 1488, and it took until 1497 to complete all buildings.

Citypark

Around the health resort a beautiful park was created, the Parque Dom Carlos I. It still is the green heart of the city. It is a great place for a walk, and while you're there: there are a few museums in the park, so a great opportunity to visit them.

In the centre of Caldas da Rainha you can visit the Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Pópulo, the former chapel of the thermal hospital. It was built in manuelino style.

Ceramics

Caldas da Rainha is very famous for its ceramics. Every year in July there is a ceramics fair, the Feira Nacional da Cerâmica. The city has several workshops and museums, like the Casa Museu de São Rafael: exhibition of cermics by artist São Rafael, manufactured by the Bordallo Pinheiro factory.
There is a Bordallo Pinheiro route that will take you through the city, not only will you get to know the city, but there are several ceramic sculptures on the route. Can you find them all?

City Guide

There is a City Guide Caldas da Rainha app, available in Portuguese and English. Follow this link to download the app.