Palácio Nacional de Queluz
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Recommended Reviews - Palácio Nacional de Queluz
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A beautiful palace not so busy with crowds and groups reminded me a lot of the opulence of france's Versailles. We stopped in with our private guide as a part of a day trip from Lisbon to Sintra and Cascais. The complex is quite large but none of the rooms were crowded and with our guide, we explored the history of the Portuguese kings seeing portraits, furniture and exploring the royal apartments. The first room, the ballroom is reminiscent of the hall of mirrors at Versailles and the entire palace was built around the same time as the reign of France's bourbon kings. The other spectacular space was the gilded private chapel. The gardens, while a bit of a work in process were also very serene. The best part was the lack of crowds. An impressive place to visit.
This is a lovely historical site that is infinitely more charming and pleasant than the Pena Palace. One can experience the visit without fighting enormous, ill-mannered hordes of thoughtless tourists. We had time to really enjoy the grounds and exhibits, and actually read the descriptions of the treasures inside. A wonderful piece of Portuguese history that is well worth the visit!
I was not expecting this!!! Many reviewers compare this palace to Versailles, and for very good reason! This palace is not only contemporary with, but as opulent and grand as the little chateau in the Paris country side. In 2016, Queluz is no longer pink, but has been restored to its original colors based on paint chips recovered underneath some of the pillars..it is a beautiful French Blue and Yellow. Our tour was in November and the place was empty. We had it to ourselves, which was far more enjoyable than fighting the throngs and pick pockets at Versailles. We were not hurried along, and were allowed to stroll the palace and the grounds at leisure. This was a wonderful surprise and find in Portugal and it is a *do not miss* stop on any trip to Lisbon!
I love this place. So, why am I not giving it 5 stars? It's not Versailles. Sometimes called the "Versailles of Lisbon," the National Palace of Queluz was once the home of Portuguese royalty. It is a large enough palace, but it's not anything on the scale of a castle such as Neuschwanstein. It is also known as the pink palace, but it's a light shade of pink and the style is either Baroque or Rococo, although I don't really know the specifics of where one ends and the other begins. Either way, elaborate ornamentation is the name of the game. When touring Queluz, one goes through in small groups. However, one can stray a little to ponder something a little longer or take a photograph. Photographs are allowed as long as the flash is disabled. By wandering too far, a security guard will nudge you back to where you should be, as would any herding dog worth their salt. That said, the employees are all nice people and very informative. They know the history of Queluz backwards and forwards. While the exterior of the palace is attractive, the craftsmanship inside is stunning. I find it to be one of Lisbon's most beautiful attractions and most definitely worth repeat visits. In addition to the grandeur of the palace, the gardens of Queluz are also very detailed and worth strolling through, both for their beauty and tranquility. Getting here is easy. If driving, an off-ramp from one of the ring roads, either the CRIL or the CREL, exits practically in front of the palace. If taking the train, one takes the Sintra bound train from Lisbon-Rossio and exits at Queluz Belas. From there, it's an easy 20 minute walk south to the palace. There is even a McDonald's at about the halfway point, at which I once treated myself to the Big Mac combo meal. Three things to note: - the palace has 1 or 2 days of the week where it is closed; check ahead so you won't be disappointed - the Lisboa Card may provide a small discount from the nominal entry fee, but verify that as well - I like Queluz way better than the hilltop castle at Sintra because it is less "over the top," less expensive, less cordoned off, and more "friendly" to photographers
This had to be one of the highlights of our visit to Portugal. Ironically, this was not on our original itinerary. We planned to see a castle farther north, but there were wildfires that had the roads closed to get there. The Palace is extraordinary and so well kept up. The grounds were extraordinary. The gardens were lovely. But the interior was magnificent. The palace was built in the 17th century and was spared from the earthquake that destroyed much of this area of the county. So much is still original, and what needed to be has been restored. I particularly liked the ballroom and the various bedrooms. The ceilings were very nice in some of the palace. Overall, it was an awesome experience. read more
Our first palace visit in Portugal. I would recommend you stay a night at palace hotel the night before your visit. It will give you advantages for entering to the palace next morning without a lot of crown because you beat all tour bus. The hotel just need to walk across the street. The palace and garden actually need minimum 2 hours to visit. There are plenty to see. The horse library has many engineering mechanics about the carriage and horse anatomy. The red room has a lot of Chinese influences decoration and vase. The palace has music room, ballroom, guest room, apartment and more. It is a big compound to explore. Some of the rooms ceilings are beautiful to look at. I like the music room and ballroom ceilings. The palace was built 17th century. It may not the be the royal family favorite. Because it situated between Lisbon and Sintra. Most royal want to either stay at Lisbon or Sintra. read more
A beautiful palace not so busy with crowds and groups reminded me a lot of the opulence of france's Versailles. We stopped in with our private guide as a part of a day trip from Lisbon to Sintra and Cascais. The complex is quite large but none of the rooms were crowded and with our guide, we explored the history of the Portuguese kings seeing portraits, furniture and exploring the royal apartments. The first room, the ballroom is reminiscent of the hall of mirrors at Versailles and the entire palace was built around the same time as the reign of France's bourbon kings. The other spectacular space was the gilded private chapel. The gardens, while a bit of a work in process were also very serene. The best part was the lack of crowds. An impressive place to visit. read more
This is a lovely historical site that is infinitely more charming and pleasant than the Pena Palace. One can experience the visit without fighting enormous, ill-mannered hordes of thoughtless tourists. We had time to really enjoy the grounds and exhibits, and actually read the descriptions of the treasures inside. A wonderful piece of Portuguese history that is well worth the visit! read more
I was not expecting this!!! Many reviewers compare this palace to Versailles, and for very good reason! This palace is not only contemporary with, but as opulent and grand as the little chateau in the Paris country side. In 2016, Queluz is no longer pink, but has been restored to its original colors based on paint chips recovered underneath some of the pillars..it is a beautiful French Blue and Yellow. Our tour was in November and the place was empty. We had it to ourselves, which was far more enjoyable than fighting the throngs and pick pockets at Versailles. We were not hurried along, and were allowed to stroll the palace and the grounds at leisure. This was a wonderful surprise and find in Portugal and it is a *do not miss* stop on any trip to Lisbon! read more
13 years ago
I love this place. So, why am I not giving it 5 stars? It's not Versailles. Sometimes called the "Versailles of Lisbon," the National Palace of Queluz was once the home of Portuguese royalty. It is a large enough palace, but it's not anything on the scale of a castle such as Neuschwanstein. It is also known as the pink palace, but it's a light shade of pink and the style is either Baroque or Rococo, although I don't really know the specifics of where one ends and the other begins. Either way, elaborate ornamentation is the name of the game. When touring Queluz, one goes through in small groups. However, one can stray a little to ponder something a little longer or take a photograph. Photographs are allowed as long as the flash is disabled. By wandering too far, a security guard will nudge you back to where you should be, as would any herding dog worth their salt. That said, the employees are all nice people and very informative. They know the history of Queluz backwards and forwards. While the exterior of the palace is attractive, the craftsmanship inside is stunning. I find it to be one of Lisbon's most beautiful attractions and most definitely worth repeat visits. In addition to the grandeur of the palace, the gardens of Queluz are also very detailed and worth strolling through, both for their beauty and tranquility. Getting here is easy. If driving, an off-ramp from one of the ring roads, either the CRIL or the CREL, exits practically in front of the palace. If taking the train, one takes the Sintra bound train from Lisbon-Rossio and exits at Queluz Belas. From there, it's an easy 20 minute walk south to the palace. There is even a McDonald's at about the halfway point, at which I once treated myself to the Big Mac combo meal. Three things to note: - the palace has 1 or 2 days of the week where it is closed; check ahead so you won't be disappointed - the Lisboa Card may provide a small discount from the nominal entry fee, but verify that as well - I like Queluz way better than the hilltop castle at Sintra because it is less "over the top," less expensive, less cordoned off, and more "friendly" to photographers read more
Just when you thought there was only one Palace of Versailles (duh -- the one outside of Paris, France), this "Palacio de Queluz" is very royally much of the same opulent spirit -- just a bit smaller, but still a feast for the eyes. All you need to know is that exorbitantly rich royals lived here splendidly hundreds of years ago. You will learn the rest when you get here. #debauchery read more
More info about Palácio Nacional de Queluz
Largo do Palácio, s/n
2745-191 Sintra
Portugal
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219 237 300
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