Beautifully, interesting palace. Extremely large - you will do lots of walking - but very interesting and the displays are in both Portugues and English, making it easy to follow the history. The long halls and rooms are well laid out. Our favorite was the library, which was outstanding. It was raining so didn't see much of the grounds. The exterior is quite photogenic.

To know the palace cited by José Saramago in "Memorial of the Convent", was the realization of a dream of mine. The place is huge, you walk a lot in the interior and you can get an idea of the megalomania of King Don Juan V. He needs a painting on the outside. It is worth seeing the library and the cathedral with its six tube organs and baroque decoration. The wing of the hospital and the nursery also impress. The cathedral does not open on Tuesdays. We went on Wednesday and we could only enter the church at 2:00.

Before visiting the Palácio, we went to the integrated church, which is itself a landmark. At Palácio, leaving the cash register behind, you can explore everything on your own. There is a lot to see - about monastery cells and a hospital with adjoining kitchen, representation rooms, private rooms of king and queen (extremely far apart...), dining room, music room and a room with interesting gaming tables up to the actual treasure - the library! Here you should bring enough time, because when you visit the "dimensions" of the buildings you really become aware! Also, one should not forget to visit the beautiful, adjacent garden. We can only recommend the Palácio Nacional! This day in Mafra we really enjoyed...

My wife and I stopped by the Palace on our Drive to Coimbra and are glad we did. The palace is beautiful from the outside and interesting on the inside, highlighted by a beautiful library at the end of the visit. Each room brings something different as to how the royals lived. Some rooms were your typical set ups to show what they looked like when kings stayed there and others were much more humorous and entertaining. These were highlighted by the portraits of past royals and their hairstyles. Apparently mirrors weren’t invented yet, or they just had questionable judgement (more likely) with their decisions of how they preferred to be immortalized (evidenced by the individual who appeared to favor a hairstyle of 3/4 perm 1/4 bed head- attached picture #1). The funniest room however is the hunting room in which every piece of furniture is made of dead animals (including a bench in which anyone sitting in the middle seat would have to contend with the head of an angry badger for space and is likely to be left with a tooth in their bum (attached picture 2-of the bench, not the other part- you’re not allowed to sit on it, likely due to liability reasons). The portraits in the room depict royals showing off dead carcasses they seem to have dragged into the course and laid out on the carpet (???- picture 3 attached) and made for what is likely my favorite piece of art of the trip. So, if you’re looking for a mix of culture and humor, this is your spot. Arrived early to avoid the glares of the staff and tour guides who are trying to promote a sense of seriousness in this palace.

I understand that European Palaces seem to come "a dime a dozen" however this one is quite special. While the Palace and Basilica are relatively new (1700's construction) they are enormous, have some of the best life size marble statues of the 30 or so Catholic Saint's I have ever seen, rooms are filled with regal relics et al, contain a magnificent library that rivals Trinity College's Long Room and the Palace and grounds are free of the hordes of tourists (think Sintra and Lisbon's attractions). Must see if spending a day in the Mafra area or heading north from Sintra.

Located in Mafra, this is one of the reference monuments in Portugal. The structure is imposing and the most important Baroque style in the country. The public is only allowed to visit part of the palace. Various rooms and real accommodation are included. The majestic library is one of the greatest highlights and holds unique relics in the world. I recommend the visit!

The palace and basilica are very beautiful, and there are many beautiful photo ops through the entire site. It is recommended to get there right when it opens to avoid the crowds. It is easy to spend at least 1-2 hours here if you go at a leisurely pace.

A beautiful historic palace, truly an interesting building, filled with paintings, furniture and sculptures that were brilliant. The views are great and the location with its gardens probably one of the best palaces I’ve seen in Europe. The entry is cheap and there’s free parking. It’s an undiscovered gem. The cathedral next door is also worth a visit.

We came by bus and it seems to appear out of nowhere. It is huge, probably about 30 rooms opened. So interesting, explanations in English and portugese. Very reasonable entry fee. Nice gardens even in Oct.

Huge, impressive castle with a monastery, hospital, cathedral and impressive library. Worth seeing and not overrun with tourists. Good direct bus connection to Lisbon - also possible via Sintra.