Palace Hotel do Bussaco ★★★★★

Coimbra is a timeless city with a charm that doesn’t seem to change. Finding myself back in the historic streets of the city, I look forward to delving once more into the winding laneways between churches and monasteries, bars and authentic restaurants. Everything is intact, unchanged. I wander up the hill that watches over the city like a guardian, one of the oldest universities in the world perched on its peak, and gaze out at the mind-blowing sunset as it unfolds over the Rio Mondego. This is what I loved about Coimbra the last time I visited, and I’m falling in love with it all over again.

On the streets below, the youthful ambiance of the nightlife burns through the city, locals spilling out into outdoor terraces and students milling around in squares. On this visit, however, I’m trying something new. I’m staying in a palace – a castle, if you will. The Palace Hotel do Bussaco was the former hunting palace of the Kings of Portugal, the Portuguese counterpart of Versailles. As my car pulls up through the Bussaco forest, my heart starts beating a little faster.

The castle is beautiful, a sumptuous display of regal design. Its façade is a perfectly-preserved example of Gothic-Manueline architecture, the surrounding grounds peppered with well-trimmed shrubs and bursts of colourful plants.

The intricacy of the exterior designs, the floral stonework and ornate windows, is reflected inside, too. Huge archways rear up, edged by elaborate detailing, whilst antique furniture sits beneath huge paintings and Portuguese tiles. The Kings obviously had good taste, I think to myself, as I wander through the incredible hallway, the ceiling soaring upwards for metres and metres, and up the wide staircase draped with red carpet. If I didn’t feel like royalty before, I certainly do now. I can’t describe it as anything less than magical, oozing the rich, timeless tapestry of Coimbra’s historic narrative.

As I slowly push open the doors to my room, my breath catches in my throat. Each room is preserved in a time that has long since passed, a few modern amenities replacing the older features, but, for the most part, the rooms remain in an historic state to enhance the beauty of the palace and highlight the magic of Bussaco. I’m more than happy to veto some of my modern-day obsessions in favour of diving head-first into a regal history, but I notice there are still some reminders of the present day, including a satellite TV, hairdryers, air-conditioning, and a mini-bar. I’m sure the kings weren’t party to these luxuries, but it’s a nice way to bridge the gap between old and new.

My room is decorated with period pieces from the eighteenth century, with gold-threaded tapestries, thick curtains, and plush wall-hangings. The window looks out over the stunning hotel grounds, and I watch the gardeners for a moment before heading to dinner, where I sit at a table where former kings once sat, tucking into modern-day Portuguese cuisine, where they dined on banquet food and game from the day’s hunt.

Although my time at the Palace Hotel do Bussaco won’t go down in history and it won’t remain engraved in scriptures, it will remain etched in my memory for a good many years to come!