Tag Archives: Parks And Gardens

The Portuguese UNESCO City of Sintra

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Tourist are Welcomed by Sintra

sintraThe beautiful city of Sintra is just what anyone needs to give them a feel of romanticism and feel refreshed for days to come. This romantic city gives off an aura of uniqueness and individuality. Perhaps, many tourists enjoy returning to Sintra because of these qualities
The Royal Palace is undoubtedly the dominant architectural feature of Sintra, situated in the center of the town. Probably constructed on the site of the Moorish Alcazar, its buildings result from two main periods (15th-16th centuries). The interior contains much painted and tiled decoration, but one of the most important features is the facing with tiles (azulejos ), the finest example of this Mudejar technique on the Iberian Peninsula.

Choose Romantic Features to View

Sintra is well known for its romantic architecture after Ferdinand II decided to transform a ruined monastery into a romantic castle. The castle featured many styles, Renaissance, Moorish, and Egyptian. Ferdinand II is well known for his incredible work and will forever be remembered by the town of Sintra where he put his mark. There is something for every visitor to catch each eye laid on the beautiful masterpiece. The interesting parks took over the scenery with elegant beauty that formed a visual with exotic and local tree species.

Other structures, built along the same lines in the surrounding area, created a unique combination of parks and gardens which influenced the development of landscape architecture throughout Europe.

Duoro Cruise

Located between Lisbon and Oporto, a visit to Sintra can be made as a pre or post Douro Cruise visit. We offer several cruise lines with cruises ranging from 5 – 7 nights on the Douro River.

For more information contact: Europeanbarging, 888-869-7907, jan@europeanbarging.com

Chateau de Chantilly Castle Near Paris

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Chateau de Chantilly Castle is one of the most popular French monuments. This beautiful Castle is a prominent part of one of the largest forests near Paris. The estate spreads over 7,800 hectares and the castle has a park which is around 155 hectares in size. Since the Middle Ages from the late 1300’s to virtually the end of the 1800’s, the Chateau de Chantilly Castle and the whole estate has been owned, built up and modified by different owners. This French chateau was never sold as it was always in a process of being passed on by inheritance to generation after generation belonging to the same family.

Chantilly Castle Opens To The Public

However, when the Chantilly Castle and the estate came to Duc d’Aumale by inheritance, he had no one to pass it on as his sons were no more and so the place went to Institut de France. Now Chateau Chantilly, the Conde Museum that it houses, along with the Grandes Ecuries, which is home to the La Musée Vivant du Cheval and the Parks and Gardens are a place everyone can visit and enjoy.

Besides the interesting history associated with Chantilly Castle, the place is also renowned for housing one of the finest museums of historical paintings in France and is second only to The Louvre in Paris. Actually, it is the only museum in France not including The Louvre that has 3 Raphael paintings. The castle displays around 1,000 paintings, 2,500 drawings and 2,500 engravings. Also the Chateau Chantilly and the Conde Museum have a library full of rare books and precious manuscripts. There are around 30,000 books and about 1,500 manuscripts in this library.

The Glorious French Garden at Chantilly Castle

The French garden is spectacular with its magnificent fountains and ponds. It was designed by Andre Le Notre, who also designed the gardens at the Chateau de Versailles and is pleasant to walk around and admire! The Chateau’s chapel is dedicated to Saint Louis, where a prominent statue stands that dominates the exterior façade and was constructed in 1882 around the same spot where the old chapel stood before the French Revolution.

The Chateau de Chantilly is a captivating place but often overlooked in favour of places like the Chateau de Versailles. However, you can really enjoy a lot with family at Chateau de Chantilly and you can also book parties here. With so many treasures hidden inside it, the Condé Museum of the Chateau de Chantilly is a prestigious place to entertain and gala dinners can be held for up to 350 people. The Chateau de Chantilly also has a very large park including the French-style garden with fountains and ponds as mentioned above.

With so many attractions associated with it, Chateau de Chantilly is an inviting and mesmerizing place which you can’t miss visiting. Get aboard our France Cruise and visit the very picturesque Chateau de Chantilly Castle for a wonderful experience!