Vidago
Encyclopedia
Vidago is a town and a civil parish in the municipality of Chaves
, located 12 kilometers south of Chaves in the district of Vila Real, Portugal
. It is famous for its mineral water
s 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 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.
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.
Chaves (Portugal)
Chaves is a municipality and municipal seat of an area 10 km south of the Spanish border and 22 km south of Verín in the north of Portugal. The municipality is the second most populous of the district of Vila Real...
, located 12 kilometers south of Chaves in the district of Vila Real, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
. It is famous for its mineral water
Mineral water
Mineral water is water containing minerals or other dissolved substances that alter its taste or give it therapeutic value, generally obtained from a naturally occurring mineral spring or source. Dissolved substances in the water may include various salts and sulfur compounds...
s 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 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
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, and Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
.
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
Pedras Salgadas
Pedras Salgadas is a small spa town in the district of Vila Real, in north central Portugal, located approximately 37 km north of the district capital of Vila Real. It is famous for its mineral waters. There are several small hotels in the area, which cater to tourists who want to relax in...
, 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
Mackenzie Ross
Philip Mackenzie Ross was a Scottish golf course architect who worked throughout Europe developing golf courses in France, Spain and Portugal as well as the United Kingdom. After 1945 he carried out a great deal of remodeling and restoration and in 1949 completed Southerness, in southwest...
. He is best known for the Ailsa Course at Turnberry
Turnberry
Turnberry is a golf resort on the coast of the outer Firth of Clyde in southwestern Scotland. Located in South Ayrshire on the rugged coast, it comprises three links golf courses, a golf academy, a five-star hotel, designed by James Miller and completed in 1906, as well as lodge and cottage...
, 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.