 Occupied intensely from April to November, the warm sulphur-rich waters are popular with elderly and those with rheumatism, muscular-skeletal illnesses and respiratory conditions (such as rhinitis and sinusitis).The thermal spas in the region were recognized as far back as the 15th century, when a shelter constructed by a deacon from the Sé Cathedral of Viseu, to gather the poor who needed this form of treatment.On 11 September 1985 a train crash occurred along the CP's Beira Alta railway line near Alcafache, resulting in the deaths of 56 passengers (officially), yet causing many still unaccounted for deaths.