Vidago

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Vidago is a comune ( freguesia ) in the Portuguese district of Chaves. 1204 inhabitants live in it (as at 30 June 2011).

Geography

Vidago is located in the northern Portuguese region of Alto Trás -os- Montes, 15 km south-west of the county town of Chaves, and 45 km north of the district capital, Vila Real.

History

The place was probably inhabited by Celtiberian, and probably already known to the Romans as a healing source. The present town was built before its first mention as insignificant village in the 12th century. 1863 its medicinal springs were rediscovered. The composition of its sodium - water surpasses that of Vichy. As a result Vidago experienced a relative boom as a health resort, which had in 1878 the opening of the Grande Hotel de Vidago, and 1910 with a connection to the 1876, line Linha do corgo as key stages.

Vidago in 1925 independently, collected by separation from the community of Arcosso, and a little later the Vila ( town ).

Culture, Sports and Attractions

A number of religious buildings and public structures are place under monument protection, including the mansion Solar dos Machado, the train station built in 1910 the resort, and the neo-Gothic church Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Conceição.

In the late 19th century Vidago spa was and since then tourism has great significance. Thus, opened next to the 1910, today the listed hotel complex of the Palace Hotel, the Golf Club Clube de Golfe de Vidago resident here, who himself organized tournaments. Even for its mineral springs, the spa is known, also one here bottled water by the company Unicer is distributed nationwide. The thermal bath of Vidago is now part of the Palace Hotel.

The place is, inter alia, a volunteer fire department, the versatile active Cultural Association Casa de Cultura de Vidago, and the football club Vidago Futebol Clube founded in 1926, a resident.

Traffic

The place is situated with its own exit on the A24 motorway. Since the suspension of the railway line Linha do corgo in March 2009 Vidago no longer has a railway connection.