Resumen de Between the town of luso and the forest of Bussaco (Portugal): Literary and cultural touristic itineraries
Mainland Portugal has a lot of healing springs. Located in the Centre of the country, the town of Luso hassince 2010aMedical Spa, open all the year, supported by three complementary valances: Thermal Therapeutic, Thermal Spa and a Medical Centre.Since the middleof the 19thcentury its main objective focused onthe benefits of water therapy,well-being and relaxation. NowadaysLuso water isknown not only in Portugalbut also internationally.The Baths(alsonamed Caldas) were protected by our aristocracytill the 1st Republic, in 1910, and searched by bourgeoisie and intellectuals sincethe 19thcentury. Some of them are painters and writers, who dedicated some of their works to the Sacred Mountain of Bussaco, that borders the thermal town, with its Palace and its Desert, the last one built between 1620 and 1690, by the Order of the Portuguese Barefoot Carmelites. The aim of this exploratory study is to surveythe possibility to applyliterary and cultural contents to create tourist itineraries, in the middle of the nature and the culture, as a way of leisure, not only to those who make Thermal Therapeutic or Spa, but also for allwho visit this place.We think this kind of product/ itinerarypresentsan opportunity for tourism development in this region, above all after the heaviest period of the pandemic COVID-19.After the introduction, where we will make some considerations about the importance of Literaturein the development on the cultural tourism experience, we will providesomeinformation about Portuguese healing waters and thermal resorts, especially this one of Luso. Then, we will present the Forest of Bussacoand the texts and writers who can be associated to this possible new experience. We will finish with somereflexionsabout this matter. The methodology adopted is qualitative, based on the fieldsof Literature, History, Heritage, Artsand itinerary design
