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CALDAS DA RAINHA, at least three good reasons to come (and stay)

A unique and fascinating city, built around a thermal spring and a park by the will of a Queen in the Middle Ages.

Quality of life

Caldas is well positioned bewteen the Ocean, a unique lagoon, historical towns, Lisbon and is developed around an astonishing park and a city centre

which is really beautiful and fascinating, lively but now crowded.
There are interesting shops and many shopping centers.

The public services are really good and efficient and the general mood in the city is serene.

There are many cultural and artistic initiatives (thank also to the presence of the design University).

1

Thermae, Ocean at 5 minutes, among the best climates in Europe

It's hard to find in Europe so a nice climate: there are seasonal changes that make the climate variegated but always enjoyable.

There are the thermae in the centre of the city and the Ocean at some minutes by car, with one of the most beautiful seasides of Portugal.

Growing with Lisbon and without the disatvantages of the big ones

Lisbon is a fast growing capital and a really international one, just some 70kms from Caldas

(with public transports you can be in the centre of Lisbon in one hour and half and with less than 9€)

Caldas is affected by this growth of the Capital city (culture, tourism, arts, etc.) and has all the positive characteristics of a small city, in term of lifestyle.

Caldas da Rainha: raw facts (maps here)

The city's name means "Queen's Hot Springs".

The city was founded in the 15th century by Queen Leonor, who established a hospital at the site of some therapeutic hot springs. The Hospital Termal Rainha D. Leonor is one of the oldest institutions of its kind in the world, with five centuries of history.

Caldas da Rainha is home to many arts-related institutions. There are numerous museums in the city, mostly related to ceramics and sculpture. The city is home to a major arts and design school, as well as a school of ceramics. In 2008, the municipal government inaugurated a new cultural center.

The city is well known in Portugal also for the event "CALDAS LATE NIGHT"

As of the 2011 census, the municipality has a population of 51,645. A resident of Caldas da Rainha is a Caldense (plural: Caldenses).

Attractions (remember to see the "functional map" and "gallery"sections)

Parks and plazas

The city is unique in being developed around the thermal spring and the large park Parque D. Carlos I.
The José Malhoa Museum sits in the middle of the park. The park contains a doughnut-shaped pond with a small island in the center. Visitors can rent rowboats on the pond.

Praça da República (Republic Plaza) is a public square in the center of town. The plaza, also known as Praça da Fruta (Fruit Plaza), hosts Portugal's only daily farmers' market. The plaza is surrounded by buildings, most containing shops, banks, and cafés on the ground floor.

A statue of Queen Queen Leonor stands in the middle of the roundabout at Largo Conde de Fontalva, typically called Largo da Rainha. The iconic monument serves as a landmark and marks the entrance to the historic city center.

Beaches and water

Foz do Arelho is the beach on Atlantic Ocean, 10 kilometers (6.2 mi) from the center of town.
The Lagoa de Óbidos, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean, is a lagoon located at 5 minutes from Caldas.

Salir do Porto has a beach on the Atlantic Ocean.

Churches

The Igreja Nossa Senhora do Pópulo is a gothic church near the thermal hospital. It was built around the year 1500 by order of Queen Leonor. The church has two associated chapels: Capela de São Sebastião and Capela do Espírito Santo. The Ermida da São Sebastião is a 16th-century chapel, adjacent to Praça da República. Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Conceição is a 20th-century church located on Praça 25 de Abril.

Museums

Several museums are located in Caldas da Rainha. The Centro de Artes (arts center) hosts three museums of sculpture: the Museu-Atelier António Duarte, the Museu-Atelier João Fragoso, and the Museu Barata Feyo. The Museu de Cerâmica exhibits ceramic works of art, as does the Casa-Museu de São Rafael. The Museu do Hospital e das Caldas features exhibits related to the thermal hospital and the city. The Museu José Malhoa is an art museum located in Parque D. Carlos I.