Related: Queen Leonor, the founder

What to see

Welcome to what is considered the oldest thermal hospital in the world. Its founding, in 1484, also marks the founding of Caldas da Rainha.

The Thermal Hospital was born at the end of the 15th century thanks to the vision of Queen Leonor, who, according to legend, discovered the local waters by chance when she saw people bathing in them.

The generous queen quickly realised the healing power of the waters, which she is said to have used herself, and created a hospital based entirely on thermal treatments, designed above all for the poor.

That is what makes it unique: all this happened more than 500 years ago!

The hospital stands on Largo Rainha D. Leonor, which locals simply call “Largo do Termal”. It was completely rebuilt in the 18th century, after King João V came to Caldas da Rainha to take the waters.

A new phase

The work was led by the engineer Manuel da Maia, who later helped rebuild Lisbon after the 1755 earthquake.

In the 1890s the building was renovated again under the administration of Rodrigo Berquó, who added the third floor.

Come and visit the oldest thermal hospital in the world and see the Queen’s Pool, where Leonor herself bathed.

Visits are run by the Hospital and Caldas Museum, and they are well worth combining with the museum itself and the rest of the spa heritage: the Nossa Senhora do Pópulo Church and the São Sebastião Chapel.

Fun facts about the hospital and its waters

• Caldas da Rainha began with just 30 inhabitants, who were granted privileges such as exemption from several taxes.
• The Nossa Senhora do Pópulo Church was designed by Mateus Fernandes, the architect of the Unfinished Chapels at the Monastery of Batalha.
• Queen Leonor was a patron of the playwright Gil Vicente, who first performed his Auto de São Martinho in the Nossa Senhora do Pópulo Church.
• The new hospital building, commissioned by King João V, was designed by Manuel da Maia, who later led the rebuilding of Lisbon after the 1755 earthquake.
• You can still visit the pool where Queen Leonor bathed. Some of the hot springs flow right under the hospital.
• The water flows at about 35 °C.

Address

The Thermal Hospital is in the historic centre, very close to Parque D. Carlos I and Praça da Fruta, two of the city’s best-known sights.

For your GPS: Largo Rainha Dona Leonor, 2500-174 Caldas da Rainha. Our tip is the free “Parada” car park, between the Thermal Hospital and the Bordallo Pinheiro factory on Rua Bordalo Pinheiro.

You can also park at the Cultural and Congress Centre car park, a ten-minute walk away. It is paid, but the first hour is free.

Opening hours

The Thermal Hospital is open from Tuesday to Sunday:

• Tuesday to Saturday and public holidays: 10 am to 12.30 pm and 2 pm to 5 pm
• Sunday: 9 am to 12 noon
• Closed on Mondays

On Sundays, we recommend contacting the Hospital and Caldas Museum beforehand to make sure it is open.

Where to buy tickets

Tickets are sold at the Hospital and Caldas Museum. Here is what they cost:

Prices

Besides tickets for the Thermal Hospital, you can also buy tickets there for the museum and for the São Sebastião Chapel, at the top of Praça da Fruta.

Admission to the Thermal Hospital: €1.50 per person.

Contacts

For more information about the site, its history or visits, contact the Hospital and Caldas Museum, which manages it:

Phone: +351 262 240 012. Email: termas@cm-caldas-rainha.pt

Where to eat

Caldas da Rainha is a city of around thirty thousand people on Portugal’s west coast, just 45 minutes from Lisbon and ten minutes from the beach. Between the sea and the countryside, local cooking mixes meat, fish and fresh seafood.

A few suggestions for a meal:

• Pachá – Casa Antero
• Maratona
• Afinidades

Where to stay

You can choose between staying in the city or by the beach in Foz do Arelho:

• SANA Silver Coast Hotel
• Casa dos Junqueiros
• Hostel4

What to bring

Besides your curiosity about the spa heritage of Caldas da Rainha, bring your good mood!

Locals say the city has its own microclimate, thanks to the Montejunto hills, which keeps the weather mild: autumn and winter are not too harsh, and spring and summer are not too hot. The wind usually picks up in the late afternoon, so always bring an extra layer.

The best spots inside the Thermal Hospital

Here are the places you should not miss inside the Thermal Hospital and around it.

Remember: tickets must be bought at the Hospital and Caldas Museum.

Noble Salon

The Noble Hall is on the first floor of the main building. Every 15 May, the municipal holiday, the hospital administrator and the mayor met here to open the new bathing season.

Here you can see a 17th-century portrait of Queen Leonor by the painter Domingos Lopes.

Fountain

When King João V ordered the new Thermal Hospital in the 18th century, he also gave it a fountain from which people could drink the water from the hot springs.

Until the last century, thermal water from Caldas da Rainha was still bottled. Today the fountain is a reminder of the many ways the water was used in treatments.

The Queen’s Pool

Perhaps the most iconic place in the Thermal Hospital. This pool is said to be the only part of the original building that has survived.

Here you can see the hot springs flowing and the walls worn by the sulphur. It is a unique place with an atmosphere that takes you back to the hospital’s founding.

Inhalation pool

As the name suggests, this pool was used for treatments other than bathing: patients gathered around it to breathe in the vapours.

Nossa Senhora do Pópulo Church

Built at the same time as the hospital, in 1484, the church combines Gothic and early Manueline styles.

Queen Leonor Woodland

Covering about 17 hectares, the Queen Leonor Woodland was planted to protect the hot springs. Today it is ideal for walking or exercise.

Also known as the “enchanted forest”, it is home to the Caldas Sport Club stadium. Admission is free.

The Caldas da Rainha spa complex

New Spa (Balneário Novo)

This 19th-century building, to the left of the Thermal Hospital, was built to support the main building. At the time, Caldas da Rainha became a national tourist destination and the growing number of spa visitors called for new facilities.

It is not open to visitors.

Céu de Vidro (Glass Sky)

Opposite the Thermal Hospital, Céu de Vidro is perhaps the most beautiful entrance to Parque D. Carlos I. It once housed the old casino and was the heart of cultural life in Caldas da Rainha.

Admission is free.

Parque D. Carlos I

Parque D. Carlos I was designed as a leisure area for patients recovering from their treatments at the Thermal Hospital.

Besides its lake, where you can still hire rowing boats, this romantic park has plants from all over the world.

Here you can also visit the José Malhoa Museum, dedicated to the great naturalist painter.

Admission to the park is free.

Caza Real (Royal House)

The nobility once stayed here when they came to take the waters in Caldas da Rainha. Today the Caza Real houses the Hospital and Caldas Museum.

Museum admission costs €3 per person. The museum is closed on Sunday afternoons and on Mondays.

More to see in Caldas da Rainha

Besides the Thermal Hospital, you can explore the rest of the city’s spa complex, including the Nossa Senhora do Pópulo Church, the São Sebastião Chapel and Parque D. Carlos I.

And there is much more to discover, such as Praça da Fruta, the only open-air market in Portugal open every day of the year, the city’s museums and the Óbidos Lagoon.

• Óbidos Lagoon
• Nossa Senhora do Pópulo Church
• Parque D. Carlos I
• Praça da Fruta
• Foz do Arelho
• José Malhoa Museum

Spa treatments today

The Thermal Hospital could become an anchor for the city’s development, boosting tourism and related services.

The thermal complex is being restored, and some treatments, such as inhalation therapies, are already available at the New Spa. Check what is currently on offer before your visit.

The thermal waters

Since the late 19th century, the thermal waters of Caldas da Rainha have attracted people from all walks of life, from ordinary people to the middle classes and the royal family.

Flowing at about 35 °C, the water is part of what made the spa so popular.

Properties of the thermal water

Total mineralisation: hypersaline. Composition: sulphurous, sodium chloride. pH: 6.7.

Guided tours of the Thermal Hospital

GoCaldas runs tours in Caldas da Rainha that take in the city’s spa heritage, with the Thermal Hospital as the highlight, including special places such as the Queen’s Pool, the only part that dates back to its founding.

The two-hour tour also covers the Nossa Senhora do Pópulo Church, Céu de Vidro, the Park Pavilions and the romantic Parque D. Carlos I, with breaks to rest and taste the typical local sweets, the cavacas.

Frequently Asked Questions

When was the Thermal Hospital founded?

In 1484, by Queen Leonor. It is considered the oldest thermal hospital in the world.

Where do I buy tickets for the Thermal Hospital?

At the Hospital and Caldas Museum, which manages visits to the Thermal Hospital. Check current opening hours and prices with the museum before your visit.

How warm is the thermal water?

The water flows at about 35 °C. It is sulphurous and sodium chloride water, with a pH of 6.7.

More about Caldas da Rainha

• One day in Caldas da Rainha
• Best natural spaces in Caldas da Rainha
• What to do at Foz do Arelho
• Tours at Caldas da Rainha

This guide was put together by the GoCaldas team, the local travel guide to Caldas da Rainha. Please check opening hours and prices before your visit.