Sintra, Ericeira & Mafra

A beautiful town at the foot of the mountain range of the same name, its unique features have led UNESCO to classify it as a World heritage site. It was even necessary to create a special category for the purpose - that of “cultural landscape” - taking into account its natural riches as well as the historic buildings in the town and mountains. Endowed with luxuriant vegetation, the mountains are part of the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park

A traditional fishing village, Ericeira has developed enormously during the 20th century due to the growing interest in it as a summer resort. It has, however, maintained its original characteristics and its own individual atmosphere. A visit to Ericeira is also an excellent opportunity to try the shellfish and fresh fish dishes, the specialty of the regional cuisine.

The sheer magnificence of the monumental architectural design of the palace, convent and basilica of Mafra bears witness to the opulence of the court of king John V (1707-1750). It was king John V who commissioned the building of what provides to be the defining landmark of the Portuguese Baroque era. The design was by Frederico Ludovice who incorporated an architectural language and style Italian in inspiration. The summer residence of the royal family, the Palace includes various collections featuring works by mainly Portuguese, Italian and French artists working to royal order including Baroque painting and sculpture, religious vestments and mural paintings by leading Portuguese artists including Cyril Volkmar Machado and Domingos Dry. The Basilica houses a set of six organs, unique worldwide and they come in addition to two carillons totaling 114 bells - 57 in each tower. Made in Antwerp in the 18th century, they are also the largest of their kind worldwide. The Rocaille Library must be seen. On the eastern wing of the Convent of Mafra, the library is housed in an 83-meter main room, the longest in the complex. It is by far the most important monastic-royal library of the 18th century in Portugal. The Monks from the Convent of Arrabida organized the some 40,000 18th and 19th century volumes into a system that has survived to this day. They drew up a catalog featuring the titles of all books acquired through 1819. This valuable collection includes, 16th, 17th and 18th century books, many of them highly rare, such as the 22 foreign incunabula and 41 maps.

Close to Mafra, you have the chance to discover a typical village from Lisbon's “saloio” region. It is made entirely of clay and has been built in a natural size, being the work of the Portuguese sculptor José Franco. In the village of Cork Oak, close to Mafra, the sculptor Jose Franco dedicated his whole life to the art of modeling clay. It has a perfect life-size village, with shops and houses displaying the typical architecture of the region and furnished on the inside, as well as a windmill, butcher's shop, water-mill, blacksmith's forge, threshing floor, tavern, carpenter's workshop, etc…. all of this is to be found in this village, reminding us of the way of life used to be in Mafra when it was a more rural municipality, with people engaging in various trades and crafts that have gradually begun to disappear with time. The village depicts the true story of the region and undoubtedly arouses the curiosity of the many travelers of all ages that frequently pass through here. In the same space, you can also see a permanent exhibition of the ceramic works of José Franco