A few kilometers from Lisbon, in Queluz, there is a palace that many know as the “Portuguese Versailles,” even though it is much smaller than the original French palace. Construction of the National Palace of Queluz began in 1747, under the direction of architect Mateus Vicente de Oliveira, when Prince D. Pedro decided to turn a country house into his summer residence.
It served as the home and setting for the lives of three generations of the royal family, and as fashions changed, it incorporated Baroque, Rococo, and Neoclassical styles. Today it is open to visitors and managed by Parques de Sintra. With the skip-the-line ticket, admission to the palace and gardens costs €13, with no booking fees, and children 5 and under enter free.
30 October 2026 09:00 + more dates
Palácio Nacional de Queluz
A throne room for state banquets
The most imposing room is the Throne Room, built around 1770. There are mirrors everywhere, giant chandeliers that make them sparkle, and, in the corners, pairs of gilded wooden figures serving as columns. It was the setting for grand court parties and receptions, and even today it hosts banquets hosted by the President of the Republic for foreign heads of state and monarchs.
Another must-see is the Don Quixote Room, decorated with scenes from Cervantes’ novel. It was there that D. Pedro IV, the first emperor of Brazil, was born and died.
The canal where the royal family used to ride in gondolas
In the French-influenced gardens lies the Canal dos Azulejos. Construction was completed in 1755, and the tilework was finished the following year. A system of floodgates allowed water to be dammed up for the court’s outings in small boats or gondolas.
What’s new: the apartments of Princess Carlota Joaquina
Since October 20, there has been a new stop on the tour. Next to the Throne Room, the chambers of D. Carlota Joaquina, wife of D. João VI, have been opened to the public. Thanks to research by Parques de Sintra, it is now known that it was in this wing that the queen lived out her final years and died at the age of 54—not in the Robillion Pavilion, as was previously believed.
There are five rooms: the entrance hall, the antechamber, the oratory, the bedroom, and the dressing room. The palace houses furniture, paintings, and devotional objects that belonged to the queen, some of which are on display for the first time, such as an Italian reliquary cross from the early 19th century that was eventually auctioned off after her death and which the palace staff identified and brought back home.
Useful Information
Where: Largo do Palácio de Queluz, Queluz
Hours: palace from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and gardens from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. (last admission at 5:30 p.m.)
Tickets: skip-the-line, €13 for ages 6 and up, no booking fees; children 5 and under are free
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