THE MOST BEAUTIFUL ROYAL PALACES TOUR – Option II (8h)
- Mafra National Palace
- Pena Palace (Sintra)
- Queluz Palace
This tour of the royal palaces begins with the visit of the imposing National Palace of Mafra, which is located about 25 km from the capital. It is one of the most magnificent monuments in the world and the most important work of the Portuguese baroque style, built by the king D. João V, in the early XVIII century, with gold from Brazil. This stunning monument consists of a basilica, convent and palace, and its greatest treasures are its library, considered the most beautiful in the country, with an impressive collection of 36 thousand volumes approximately, as well as its two chimes and six organs unique in the world. The Mafra Palace marks the end of the monarchy in Portugal, having hosted the king D. Manuel II, the last king of the country, before his departure for exile in England.
Then, during your tour, we will take you to the stunning town of Sintra, classified as world heritage by UNESCO, where you will visit the majestic Pena Palace, which “seems to come out of a fairy tale”, in the words of the illustrious German composer Richard Strauss. Located on one of the highest points in the Sintra’s Mountain, this palace offers a breath-taking view of the surrounding lush landscape and the Atlantic Ocean.
It was ordered to be built under the remains of a vacant monks' convent, by the consort king D. Ferdinand II, being the most remarkable example of XIX century Romanticism in Portugal. You may stroll through its exotic gardens, which feature more than five hundred tree species from all over the world.
After a delicious lunch and a short walk in the historical centre of Sintra, your tour of the most beautiful royal palaces will continue towards the outstanding National Palace of Queluz, which is one of the most extraordinary examples of Portuguese Rococo style, flanked by sumptuous gardens of French style. Inspired in the Palace of Versailles, in France, the Palace of Queluz was built in the XVIII century by the consort King D. Pedro III, having been initially designed as a summer residence for the royal family, who inhabited it on a permanent basis among the late XVIII century and early XIX century, when the monarch left to Brazil, due to the French invasions. Currently, the Queluz Palace is the residence of foreign heads of state on an official visit to Portugal.
From € 260