Gardens and Parks

The National Forest of the Seven Hills is the main park in Tomar. With about 39 hectares, it’s also called Fence of the Convent of Christ, as it was owned by the Order of Christ until the extinction of religious orders in 1834. Nowadays, the National Forest of the Seven Hills is the ideal place in Tomar for walking, doing sports, and enjoying nature and the outdoors. Here, you’ll find several picnic parks and hiking trails, as well as a children’s playground and other points of interest!

The Villa Sassetti is the perfect fusion of the Cultural Landscape of Sintra, with architectural and landscape details reminiscent of other historic buildings in the Portuguese town. Its history began in 1885 when Victor Carlos Sassetti decided to build a summer house based on the castles of Lombardy. The result was a Mediterranean-inspired “villa”, thanks to the circular tower in Lombard Romanesque style, the terracotta tones, the Portuguese tiles, and the granite from the Sintra Mountains!

The Chalet of the Countess of Edla in Sintra was idealized by King Ferdinand II and Elise Hensler (his second wife) between 1864 and 1869. You can find it in the heart of the Pena Park, less than 2 km from the National Palace of Pena, the highest exponent of romantic architecture in Portugal. Designed in the style of alpine chalets, the Chalet of the Countess of Edla is a modest residence and a country retreat, which allowed the king and the countess to live far away from the Portuguese Court!

The Cerco Garden is a baroque garden located next to the Royal Building of Mafra. It has about 9 hectares and started out as a conventual fence, housing a formal garden, a botanical garden, and several leisure areas. With the extinction of the Religious Orders in 1834, the Cerco Garden became exclusive to the court. After having served as a Conventual Garden and a Court Garden for two centuries, the Cerco Garden opened to the public in 1910. And nowadays, it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site!