Sintra, World Heritage site, capital of romanticism. Its micro-climate is behind the exuberant vegetation that was often praised by romantic poets of the nineteenth century, namely Lord Byron. You will have the opportunity to visit various Palaces of Sintra and to taste the traditional pastries.
Next… Mafra. A few kilometres away, where we will visit the most important Portuguese Baroque monument. The National Palace of Mafra was built in the 18th century by King D. Joao V. There are those who claim that it was a promise he made in the name of the offspring, he would get from Queen D. Maria Ana of Austria. Its construction is also the subject of “Memorial do Convento”, a book written by the Portuguese Nobel Prize winner, Jose Saramago. We will visit the library, the infirmary, the hospital, the convent and the basilica with its atrium decorated with Italian sculptures and a set of six organs, unique in the world.
