Caldas da Rainha: water and pottery

Caldas da Rainha is a fifteen minute drive from our casa. Every day in the citycenter is a fruit and vegetable market, where the locals, sometimes with a single box, sell their fresh products. Often picked the same day or taken fresh from the field.

Walk down the street and you find a beautiful park. Nice to have a bica (coffee) on a terrace. Next to the park is the Termal Hospital, a hospital built by Queen Donna Leonor in the 15th century. The hospital was build here because of the water contains sulphur. People took a bath here in relief for diseases such as rheumatism and asthma. Since then, this city has been named after her. When you translate “Caldas da Rainha” it is “Queen’s bath”. The Termal Museum is behind the Termal Hospital: if you buy a ticket here, you will also receive a personal tour of the hospital with the sulfur baths.

Behind the park is the ceramic museum. Located in a 19th century country house with a beautiful garden with a collection of carved pottery for which Caldas is so famous.

And last, but not least… for the shoppers: there are plenty of nice shopping streets and even a shopping mall “Vivace”.