The park is a genuine botanical marvel boasting 400 native and 300 exotic species of trees, including tall cedars of Lebanon, Mexico, India and Africa; along with impressive cypresses, ancient ginkgo trees, sequoias, araucarias and palms, brought by Portuguese explorers from the New World and Asia. The trees are protected by a Papal Bull issued in the seventeenth century threatening anyone damaging the trees with ex-communication. Within this landscape the visitor wanders the footpaths and left to explore, encountering hidden grottoes, ponds, fountainheads, chapels, hermitages and oratories along the way. The Fonte Fria on the northern slope is a cascade of 144 steps, water descends to a basin surrounded by shrubs and conifers. The Fonte do Carregal flows out of a grotto on the south side. Buçaco forest was first settled in the sixth century AD by the Benedictine monks of Lorvão. They established a hermitage on the eastern slopes of the mountain.

High Season: 08h00 – 20h00, Low Season: 08h00 – 18h00
Pedestrian, Bicyle: FREE, Motorbike: €2.00, Small Car: €5.00, Large Car: €7.00
Mata Nacional do Buçaco, 3050-261 Luso, Portugal.
40º 21" 00' N | 08º 20" 60' W
+351 231 937 000 | turismo@fmb.pt

Cruz Alta

From the Buçaco Palace Hotel, follow the stations of the cross up the hillside, you will pass a series of large shrines containing life-size terracotta figures of Christ, his disciples, and other characters in the Crucifixion story. At the end of the path at an altitude of 541 metres (1,775ft) stands the Cruz Alta which commands excellent panoramic views extending as far as the Serra da Estrela and the Atlantic Ocean.

Fonte Fria

Found on the northern side of the park is the Fonte Fria. Mountain springs water cascade downhill over 144 steps within the cool shaded forest. At the foot of the Fonte Fria is a pond home to waterfowl surrounded by beautiful flowering shrubs and several thuja trees.

At the heart of the park, surrounded by flowerbeds complete with a garden maze, stands the former summer residence and hunting lodge of Dom Carlos I. Built between 1888 and 1907 by the Italian architect Luigi Manini in an impressive Neo-Manueline style. It is an architectural folly, with influences from Lisbon's Jeronimos Monastery, Venice's Doge's Palace, and Bavaria's Graustark Palaces, consisting of galleries with flamboyant arches, armillary spheres, turrets, and spires.

The interior houses a grand marble staircase and wall tiles by acclaimed artists depicting scenes from Portuguese history, including the Battle of Buçaco. Since 1909 it has been one of the most luxurious hotels in Portugal. Open to non-guests, the restaurant sports a carved Gothic ceiling and a famous Manueline terrace, under which one can enjoy fine cuisine and Buçaco's own wine.

Buçaco Palace Hotel

The individually decorated rooms have a classic décor and a satellite TV for a modern twist. They all include period furniture, ranging from 18-century to Art-Nouveau pieces, and some rooms overlooks the hotel’s extensive gardens.

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The Palace Hotel stands over the grounds of a small monastery, one of many religious retreats found scattered around the area. During the sixteenth century the Vicar General of the Barefoot Carmelites considered this to be the ideal spot for building a retreat. A place where the friars could devote themselves to a life of contemplation in contact with nature. Today, the only parts of the original monastery that can be visited are the cloisters, the small church containing sculptures and paintings illustrating the history of the monastery, and some of the monks' cork-lined cells.

Summer: 08h00 - 13h00/14h00 - 18h00, Weekends: 08h00 - 13h00/14h00 - 18h00, Winter: 08h00 - 17h00
Adult: €2.00, Child 7-12 years: €1.00, Child <7 years: FREE
Mata Nacional do Buçaco, 3050-261 Luso, Portugal.
40º 21" 00' N | 08º 20" 60' W
+351 231 937 000 | turismo@fmb.pt

Sitting 380 metres above sea level in the little spa town of Luso nestled in a picturesque setting in the northwestern foothills of the Buçaco National Park. Famed for its chalybeate and radioactive mineral springs. Their healing powers are used to treat rheumatic and bronchial disorders. The waters supply the many spa hotels in the area. The water is also bottled and is highly regarded within Portugal. Indeed the spa waters are what transformed the fortunes of the 11th-century town after its discovery in the 1800s. Rainwater is filtered through the quartz bedrock of the Serra do Buçaco mountain before emerging through a spring in the centre of the town. The main drinking fountain is popular with those who treasure the waters of Luso and it's not uncommon to find people filling bottles. The town is characterised by the art nouveau houses and mansions which date back to the town's heyday.

Close to the Porta da Rainha entrance to the Buçaco forest park, stands an obelisk that commemorates the battle of Buçaco. Napoleon's third attempt to take Portugal was thwarted by Wellington and his Anglo-Portuguese allied troops on the 27th of September 1810.

Here too is a military museum (Museu Militar do Buçaco). Inside there is a valuable collection of weapons, uniforms and equipment used in the battle, as well as paintings depicting this decisive battle of the Peninsular War. The museum was officially opened in 1910 on the centenary anniversary of the battle. It was later enlarged in 1962. On the 27th of September each year, during the Festa da Senhora da Vitrem festival, the battle is commemorated with a lively reenactment.

Tuesday - Sunday: 10h00 - 12h30/14h00 - 17h00, Monday: CLOSED
Adult: €2.00, OAP: €1.00, 7-17 years €1.00, Child under 7: FREE
Museu Militar do Bucaco, Almas do Encarnadouro, Buçaco, Luso, Portugal. | 40º 22' 38" N | 08º 21' 45.2" W
+351 231 939 310 | museumilitar@portugalmail.pt