5/5 Aron G. 1 year ago on Google
We
visited
the
Mafra
National
Palace
as
part
of
a
private
tour
and
it
was
amazing
(a
word
I
rarely
use).
We
had
the
palace,
essentially,
to
ourselves.
It
was
the
most
impressive
palace
we
saw
while
in
Portugal
and
yet
it
has
not
become
a
tourist
hotspot.
We
highly
recommend
visiting
the
Mafra
National
Palace
if
you
are
interested
in
Portuguese
history
and
architecture.
The
palace
was
built
as
a
promise
to
God
by
King
John
V
after
the
birth
of
his
first
son.
The
king
was
so
grateful
for
the
birth
of
a
male
heir
that
he
vowed
to
build
a
grand
palace
and
monastery
in
honor
of
the
Virgin
Mary.
The
palace
was
designed
by
the
German
architect
Johann
Friedrich
Ludwig
and
construction
took
over
30
years
to
complete.
Here
are
some
of
the
highlights
of
our
visit:
The
grand
staircase:
The
staircase
in
the
palace
is
one
of
the
most
impressive
features.
It
is
made
of
marble
and
is
decorated
with
statues
and
gold
leaf.
The
basilica:
The
basilica
is
a
large
church
with
two
towers
and
six(!)
organs.
The
organs
are
some
of
the
largest
in
the
world
and
are
played
every
Sunday.
The
library:
The
library
is
one
of
the
largest
in
Portugal
and
contains
over
36,000
volumes.
The
library
is
open
to
the
public
and
is
a
great
place
to
learn
about
Portuguese
history
and
culture.
We
preferred
it
to
the
Coimbra
library.
Even
"unfinished"
it
was
a
breathtaking
sight.
The
palace's
collection
of
art
and
artifacts:
The
Mafra
National
Palace
is
home
to
a
collection
of
art
and
artifacts
that
is
truly
impressive.
We
were
particularly
impressed
by
the
palace's
collection
of
Baroque
paintings,
and
the
collection
of
antique
furniture.
Overall,
we
had
a
wonderful
experience
visiting
the
Mafra
National
Palace.
It
is
a
truly
impressive
building,
and
its
history
and
architecture
are
fascinating.
We
highly
recommend
visiting
the
palace
as
part
of
a
private
tour,
as
this
will
allow
you
to
get
the
most
out
of
your
visit.
