Pedras Salgadas Park
History The unique characteristics of the waters in Pedras Salgadas were soon discovered by the locals, who used them to relieve the ailments that afflicted them in everyday life. In the nineteenth century, the waters of Pedras Salgadas reached beyond the borders of their springs, attracting the interest of all those who suffered from disorders of the digestive system. The health value of this
water was recognized in 1873 at the International Exposition of Vienna,
Austria, which gave major impetus to the construction of a Thermal Spa. In
1875, a company was founded to exploit the waters, at the proposal of a doctor
from Vila Real, Dr. Henrique Manuel Ferreira Botelho. In 1879, six years after
its first major recognition, the Pedras Salgadas Spa opened to the public,
receiving successively the most famous Portuguese personalities of the time. The year 1884 was also marked by a royal visit by D. Fernando to Pedras Salgadas. In honour of the prince consort, the name of the riverhead was changed to D. Fernando. The comfort of the tourist
resorts and the confirmation of the benefits of the waters of Pedras Salgadas
led to the construction of three hotels inside the park: the Hotel Avelames,
the Grande Hotel and the Hotel do Norte. The Spa Casino was
inaugurated in 1910 with a ballroom and meeting room where gambling, although
illegal, was a common practice. The implementation of
the first Eco Houses, designed by Architect Luís Rebelo de Andrade, lends
Pedras Salgadas Park an air of innovation and modernity, reflecting the
architectural evolution itself of the current era. In 2012, a new 4-star resort thus arises, called "Pedras Salgadas spa & nature park”. |