Santa Cruz convent:

The convent was built in 1630 by the Discalced Carmelites and they continued to live there until 1834. The simple mosaics on the façades and the use of cork on structures and woodwork, in addition to as veneers, are characteristic of their preferred style of décor. In the church, the chapels and alters maintain that pure baroque style.

 

The palace hotel:

The palace hotel was designed in 1888 by Luigi Manini and inaugurated in 1907. The luxurious and opulent style of the building was inspired by Belém Tower and the cloister of the Monastery of the Hiermonytes in Lisbon. The sculptural work and tiles are typically modernist in style and inspired by the abundant nature all around.

 

Jardim Novo garden and Vale dos Fetos fern valley:

The stand-out features of the garden include a rose-shaped labyrinth of boxwood topiary hedges and parterres of decorative plants dotted with fountains and ponds, as was typical of baroque tradition in palatial gardens.

The valley dates from the same period and contains numerous specimens of trees.

 

Fonte Fría spring and the steps:

The rather spectacular modernist stepped waterfall is from the same period as the formal garden. It provides a channel down the steep terrain for one of the numerous streams in the area.

 

The arboretum and Adernal:

The arboretum is home to a mixture of native species and others that were brought to the area by the Carmelites. One of the most prominent is the cedar, known as the Bussaco cedar. Adernal, meanwhile, is the exceptional relic of a primitive forest.

 

The via crucis:

The via crucis was created in the 17th century. It begins near the palace hotel and continues for over three kilometres along winding and tiered paths through abundant vegetation and past hermitages, chapels and viewpoints to Cruz Alta viewpoint in Adernal. The route takes visitors past some of the original gateways, such as Porta de Coimbra, which is adorned with two papal bulls prohibiting, on the one hand, access to women and, on the other, felling and collecting firewood. Both acts were punishable with excommunication.