The Gardens of Quinta das Lágrimas in Coimbra
Created to become a true herbal museum, the gardens at Quinta das Lágrimas gather species from all over the world. Their designer, Miguel Osório Cabral de Castro, took the advantage of being a friend of the Coimbra University Botanical Garden director to provide more variety to this outside space which became one of the most important places at Quinta das Lágrimas.
There is a wood area – which was once used by the royal family – and a garden area near the palace. The area has great sequoias, Judas trees, Chinese fan palms, Buçaco white cedars and Himalayan cedars, a Moreton Bay Fig and even a majestic Kusamaki, which comes from Southern Africa and there’s only one more in Portugal.
Bussaco National Woods
At the far end of Buçaco Mountain, where the highest range is 547 meters high, you’ll find Buçaco Woods, surrounded by a high wall with eleven entrance doors. Make them your starting point for a stroll through Nature in the region and fall in love with the serene exuberance, almost magical, of Buçaco’s intense green colour. After you track all paths in the mountain, take a rest at Bussaco Palace Hotel, one of the most beautiful neo-Manueline buildings in Portugal, or visit the Santa Cruz Convent, where General Wellington spent the night during the Battle of Buçaco. Indulge yourself in the charm of the flora and History of this place.
Buçaco Woods are very small when compared with other large European woods. However, the variety of its plant species is larger than in other wood. Within the walls built by the Carmelites, there are about 400 native species of the Portuguese Atlantic coast and around 300 which come from other climates. The most representative element of this symbiosis is the Buçaco cedar, an important cypress which comes from Mexico and might have been the first exotic species to be planted in the forest by the monks in 1656. The Saint Joseph Cedar, planted 350 years ago by the monks next to the door with the same name, is the local symbol of this majestic species of trees.
The gardens of Casa da Ínsua
Apart from its cultural and architectural relevance, Casa da Ínsua – located in Penalva do Castelo, 25 km away from Viseu – is also famous for its magnificent 18th century gardens, attracting visitors and garden aficionados all year round.
What makes the dazzling gardens of Casa da Ínsua absolutely unique is the vastness, originality and variety of botanical species. The most remarkable ones are the French Garden and the English Garden.
The French Garden is located in front of the main house and it dates back to 1856. This garden has two levels made of bushes, presenting an outstanding geometric design. The water mirror is centrally placed so that it can completely reflect the main house. In this lake we can observe the Indian lotus flower that blossoms every year between June and July and it only lasts 48 hours. Next to the lake, a monumental magnolia, dating back to 1842. The century-old camellias – over 32 varieties – dominate this romantic garden.
The English Garden contains several tree species from Brazil, such as the monumental sequoias or the “Pau Brasil” – Brazil wood trees. Near the bush trees there is a gigantic eucalyptus brought by Marquis de Pombal, one of the first ones in Portugal. This imposing tree species is 50 meters high, playing a major role in this garden. Also worth mentioning are the cedars of Lebanon, 2 hundred years-old tree species.
The gardens of Santar, near Viseu
Santar is a wonderful aristocratic village situated 25 minutes away from Viseu at the heart of Dão Wine Demarcated Region.
Santar Garden Village is a project that was born in 2013 to tear walls apart, build bridges, uniting wills and bringing gardens together.
The gardens of the manor houses Casa dos Condes de Santar e Magalhães, Casa da Magnólia, Misericórdia, Linhares, Casa Ibérico Nogueira, Casa do Miradouro, Paço dos Cunhas and Casa das Fidalgas are included in the garden route of Santar.
There are also the vineyard gardens that strongly define the identity of Santar. The project of Santar Garden Village values the uniqueness of Santar village, unveiling its many secrets, its views, its charms. It has reinforced the identity of the landscape and it is a way of visiting the village and its history through the gardens. Fernando Caruncho was the landscape architect who has awaken the sleeping nature of these places, fulfilling the goal of the house Casa dos Condes de Santar e Magalhães: making Santar irresistible and fostering the social, cultural and economic development of the region.
