2-371-058 - Samuel Magal/Sites & Photos/Heritage Images

Monserrate Palace, Monserrate Park, Sintra, Portugal, 2009. Monserrate Palace is a neo-oriental palace which dates back to the 18th century. It and its gardens are located 4km away from Sintra city centre. Monserrate Park is a romantic 30-hectare garden; wooded hillsides feature a vast range of exotic flora, from roses and conifers to Chinese weeping cypress, dragon trees, eucalyptus, Himalayan rhododendrons and more than 24 species of palm. The history of Monserrate goes back to the times when Portugal was dominated by the Moors.