I spent ten days visiting palaces and gardens in Sintra, Portugal, and I fell entirely in love with Monserrate. This palace is all about the drama: Moorish arches and circular rooms and swoon-worthy gardens. Here are the best things to see at Monserrate Palace — and all of the reasons that you, too, may find yourself falling in love.

A Romantic Masterpiece

The notion of love seems appropriate for a palace and garden so thoroughly steeped in Romantic sensibilities. I know that the Romantic movement was not about romantic love — its focus was on the distant past, on nature and on the beautiful and the sublime. But still, if Romanticism was in part about evoking strong emotion, then Monserrate did it for me.

The masterminds behind this Romantic 1863 extravaganza were the owner, Francis Cook, and his architects, the British father-and-son team of James Thomas Knowles and James Knowles Jr. Their influences ranged widely, but were largely Italian; they drew from Tuscan palaces, the Florence Duomo, and the Venetian Gothic aesthetic.

The Knowles duo also worked to incorporate Moorish, Arabic, and Indian motifs into the palace — so you end up with, in the words of one sign, “a new and exuberant architectonic shaping of eclectic style.”

Repeating Arches

The major architectural focus inside is on the repeated use of arches, both enormous …

… and more modestly sized.

Columns, Ceilings, and Plasterwork

Other features include spectacular columns …

… in each of the giant round rooms.

One of the best things to see at Monserrate Palace is the elaborate plasterwork, often featuring foliage motifs.

Empty Rooms

Unfortunately, the palace fell into disrepair in the early 20th century, so there are almost no furnishings left today. They’ve put a few pieces in some of the downstairs rooms to evoke what they might have felt like, such as the music room …

… and the sitting room.

But in general, the rooms are so empty that your imagination is forced to do most of the work. As for the upstairs, there’s nothing at all. But you can walk through the starkly painted white rooms and get a very detailed (and well done) history of the palace.

While I loved the palace itself, I may have enjoyed the gardens even more.

Landscapes From Around the World

As the Knowles team sat down in the 1860s to organize the Monserrate building project, British landscape architects were putting together an intricate garden scheme. Designer William Stockdale, botanist William Neville, and master gardener James Burt worked with Francis Cook to acquire plants from all around the world. They structured the garden largely by geographic regions, so they had areas that included a Japanese garden, a Mexican garden …

… and a largely Australian fern valley featuring over forty different species of fern.

The winding walking paths are wonderful.

Floral Extravaganza

The garden design is incredible, but the flowers steal the show. Even in February, it’s like walking in a little slice of Eden.

Romantic Garden Touches

This garden has it all, from wide open lawns to hidden grottos to meandering springs. True to the Romantic vision of the place, there are touches such as lakes, waterfalls …

… mossy benches …

… the “Staircase on the Scented Path” …

… stone tunnels …

… inlaid tiles …

… and the ruins of an eighteenth-century church, the Chapel of Our Lady of Monserrate.

… that’s now being subsumed by an Australian banyan tree.

Even the drainage fits seamlessly into the naturalistic feel.

You could certainly do it in less, but I spent three very happy hours here. And I’m already dreaming about the time that I’ll get to go back again!

For tickets, you can purchase in advance here or buy them at the gate.

Explore More Sintra Highlights

• Want to see how Monserrate compares to the rest? My complete guide to Sintra’s palaces breaks them all down.
• If you’re looking for ornate interiors, don’t miss the National Palace of Sintra.
• Ready for sweeping views and medieval ramparts? Continue your journey at the Moorish Castle.
• Starting your trip in Portugal’s capital? Here are 14 fun things to do in Lisbon before heading to Sintra.