These are areas perhaps you won’t find in tourist books but there are wonderful beautiful places with great architecture and especially great wines of Portugal. I have the priviledge to travel by car, the best way around and can go into these places fairly easy. This trip was very nice and good cheers ; hope you enjoy my update as I. Let me introduce you to Muterde and Curia!!!
First, I arrived by plane at Lisbon,as usual, then went out from Porto or sometimes back to Lisbon (see posts). The airport is smallish and easy to navigate and direct link to city center by a metro line ! However, been the road warrior I am , this time took a taxi ! This taxi took me to my hotel the Radisson Blu , Ave Marechal Craveiro Lopes,390; this was a nice modern hotel, and near the main expressway out to and from the city, and the service was tops, I went down to the Malhoa bar,and watch the football/soccer games from Spain and France they were showing!!! heavens!!! The resto was very nice as Bordalo Pinheiro, very good service ,and prices, and the food was delicious. I have pictures in another post as stayed here several times. The hotel webpage: https://www.radissonhotels.com/en-us/hotels/radisson-blu-lisbon
And the next day, the car and into the countryside of Portugal ! The wonderful towns of Curia and Murtede in the Bairrada wine region. A very memorable trip, always love to go to these places rather than the tourist trail so overburden in southern Europe these days.
Curia is a town in the Tamengos area part of the town of Anadia, closer to Coimbra; where you have several spa thermes baths with a nice Belle Epoque or Art Nouveau architecture The thermes here are good with sulphuric calcium and magnesium especially good for gout , stones, urinary infections, hypertension ,rheumatic pains and muscles strains. They were know since Roman times but not until 1865 they were utilised in mass like today.
Some of the things to see in Curia are
The Thermes spa park of 14 hectares with hotel beautiful trees and flowers , tennis courts, artificial lake of 1 km with boat facilities. The Palace Hotel da Curia, art nouveau style opened in 1926 has an Olympic pool built in 1934 the second oldest in Portugal.; the Hotel do Parque Curia, also style Art Nouveau built in 1922 and still with the same family. The train station of Estacao de Caminho de Ferro has decoration in ceramic tiles retracing local traditions like winegrowing or leitao da Bairrada ( small baby pig dish).
The hotel I was based is one of the legendary spas thermes in the region; The Palace Hotel Curia an Almeida hotels group, This was grand, belle epoque style with almost an empty hotel and full restaurant just for me!!! The hotel ,webpage: https://www.almeidahotels.pt/en/hotel-coimbra
Murtede is a village part of the town of Cantanhede, There is a Chapel of Santa Maria Magdalene, the Murtede Brige, Casa das Palmeiras and lookout. The area is part of Bairrada wine region as well,
In this town of Cantanhede you have plenty of wine tours with time. The muni page has wine adegas( wineries) to visit in Portuguese. My recommendation the Quinta de Baixo , part of the Niepoort family , webpage:https://www.rotadabairrada.pt/entidade/quinta-de-baixo_pt_65/
Other than above I ate at Cabana do Pastor near Murtede, just typical food with the local families just superb.webpage: https://www.facebook.com/cabanadopastor1/
The wine area of Bairrada, an up and coming region with more info on the winery or adega of Cantanhede: https://www.rotadabairrada.pt/experiencias/guided-tour-to-the-adega-de-cantanhede_en_260
The appellation area on wines of Bairrada from the official institute of the vineyards and wines: https://www.ivv.gov.pt/np4/507/
The Portugal tourist board on the region of Curia/Murtede: https://www.visitportugal.com/en/search/site/curia
There you go folks, a dandy car ride into the countryside of Portugal. Many memorable moments in Curia and Murtede, and looking forward for a repeat, it is unmistakable real Portuguese heavens.
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all!!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 
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