Only 20 minutes northwest of Lisbon is the town of Queluz. It makes a perfect day trip out of Lisbon and is easily accessed by car, train or bus. When you arrive, head straight for the Queluz Palace.
In the early 1800s the town’s proximity to Lisbon and pristine country setting made it the perfect location for the royal family’s estate and hunting lodge. In the latter part of the century the country estate was converted into a grander Summer Palace by the Infante Dom Pedro, and was the home of Queen Maria I during her reign. Today the Summer Palace and its gardens remain one of the finest examples of late 18th C. Portuguese architecture; it is often referred to as the “Portuguese Versailles.” For more information on the Palace, click here.
If you would like to experience what it was like to stay in one of these fine buildings firsthand, you now can, as one of the buildings on the palace grounds once used by the Royal Guard of the Court is now a hotel – the Pousada de Queluz (Dona Maria I). For more information and reservations, click here.
Book a private tour! You may want to consider booking a private tour with an English-speaking guide, if you want to visit Queluz as a day trip from Lisbon. Your personal guide can provide you with information on the city and its historic sites. For more information on our Lisbon Day Trip that includes Queluz, click here, and for information on all of our Lisbon & Lisbon Day Trip tours, click here.
Photo credit: Joaquim Alves Gaspar (CC BY-SA 4.0) / Photo of Palácio Nacional de Queluz
For assistance with your travel plans, including hotel and private tour reservations, click here.