Vidago
Vidago is a town and a former civil parish in the municipality of Chaves, Portugal. In 2013, the parish merged into the new parish Vidago, Arcossó, Selhariz e Vilarinho das Paranheiras.[1] of Chaves, located 12 kilometers south of Chaves in the district of Vila Real, Portugal. It is famous for its mineral waters and the Vidago Palace Hotel, once a favorite of the last Portuguese kings. The setting is pleasant among large trees and many families seek out its shady gardens for picnics. The area of the parish is 6.40 km² and the population is 1,186 inhabitants (2001).
The Spa
The bottled mineral waters Salus and Campilho are extracted in Vidago. The town was once one of the most visited Portuguese spas. The water is apparently effective in the treatment of digestive problems, as it contains sodium bicarbonate and, according to publicity leaflets, radioactive elements. The spa is nowadays closed.
The spa town saw its period of splendor from 1875 to 1877 when King Luis I made consecutive visits. The fame of the curative powers of the waters spread so far that from 1876 to 1889 they were awarded prizes in Madrid, Paris, Vienna, and Rio de Janeiro.
An impediment to the development of the town was the difficulty of transport. Guests came by stage coach from Porto, using roads that were often little more than a path. Finally in 1907 the railroad from Régua to Vila Real was extended up to Pedras Salgadas, 20 kilometers to the south of Vidago. Three years later the first train arrived at the Vidago station. After that the spa took on renewed popularity. When the Palace Hotel was built it was the most luxurious of the Iberian Peninsula. There were concerts, courts of lawn for tennis and croquet, and on the island of the lake there was a spacious skating rink.
Structure remaining from the old spa
In the grounds of the Palace Hotel was the spa itself, housed in a colorful art-nouveau pavilion. From the marble well sunk 3 meters into the ground, the famous mineral water used to be dispensed to the public. The stained glass of the windows and the marble were decorated in an extraordinary mixture of Classical and Moorish styles. The tiles depicted personifications of figures such as glory and fame. All of this has now been modified and incorporated into a new structure which will soon be open to the public, but not for use as a spa but as a conference room.
Renovation of the Vidago Palace hotel, spa and golf course
The Vidago Palace hotel, golf course and parque has been completely refurbished and upgraded into a 5 star hotel, spa and golf resort and reopened in 2010 to coincide with the centenary of the opening of the original hotel.
The original short 9 hole golf course was designed in 1936 by Mackenzie Ross. He is best known for the Ailsa Course at Turnberry, which is generally ranked in the top 20 golf courses in the world.
The golf course has been completely remodelled and extended by UK golf designers Cameron Powell. The existing 9 short holes have been remodelled to create 6 new holes, using existing tee and green positions. 12 additional holes have been added on adjoining land. There is also a golf academy with driving range and associated practice facilities.
References
- ↑ Diário da República. "Law nr. 11-A/2013, pages 552 38-40" (pdf) (in Portuguese). Retrieved 21 July 2014.
External links
Coordinates: 41°38′24″N 7°34′23″W / 41.640°N 7.573°W