History

Cavacas and Beijinhos das Caldas are part of the typical gastronomy of the region, being a strong pole of attraction to some of the city’s iconic pastry shops for many generations. For instance, the pastries of Liberdade Street, which connects the famous Fruit Square to Thermal Hospital. The story of its confection is connected to the civil parish of S. Gregório, where the sisters Rosalina e Gertrudes Carlota were born. These two ladies were the confectioners of the Court and were forced to abandon their job after the assassination of King Carlos. Confronted with this situation, the sisters decided to return to their homeland and started to sell their famous sweets in the width of the Thermal Hospital of Caldas da Rainha. Since then, these sweets became the image of the city. Nowadays, it’s possible to find the famous Cavacas das Caldas and other range of products in the Fruit Square and several of the city’s pastry shops, especially the ones located in the historical centre near the Thermal Hospital.