20-30 minutes away from the highway is the secluded "Floresta do Bussaco" (Forest of Bussaco).
The area is walled off and contains more than 700 different varieties of plants and trees that were found in the countries discovered by the Portuguese. Monks took care of the plants for centuries.
In the middle of the forest, King Carlos I built a palace that is extravagant, kitschy with turrets, arched windows, statues, glass windows, blue tiles and a lush park à la Versailles.
The fairy-tale like palace was completed in 1907, but the dynasty fell three years later. Today, the palace is a luxury hotel.
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