Palácio de Monserrate

Monserrate stands on the road from Sintra to Colares, around 30 km from Lisbon, inside the Cultural Landscape of Sintra, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The park covers about 50 hectares on the northern slopes of the hills, planted with exotic trees and flowers from around the world and arranged as themed gardens, from the Mexican Garden and the Rose Garden to the Fern Valley.

The palace was created for Francis Cook, a British industrialist and art collector, by the architect James Knowles Jr. and is now run by Parques de Sintra. It is a public monument, not a hotel, so a wedding here is built around a handful of set spaces and set hours.

There are three outdoor ceremony spots. The Entrance Square, with its fountain in front of the palace, seats 80 and is yours alone after 7pm. The Romantic Ruin, a mock chapel among the trees near the lakes, seats 25 once the monument closes. The palace Balcony takes six, made for an elopement in opening hours.

Dinner moves inside to the Music Room, the biggest room in the palace, seating 60 with exclusive use until midnight. The Hall of Columns, 100 metres away, seats 80 for the party afterwards. Ask the team about legal ceremonies, catering and how the current roof restoration affects photos.

There are no bedrooms at Monserrate, so guests stay in and around Sintra or in Lisbon, about 30 km away. Ask the team which hotels they suggest for your group size.

The days around the wedding fill easily. A daytime ticket opens the palace and the gardens, from the Japanese Garden to Beckford's Waterfall and the Indian Arch, and Parques de Sintra also runs Pena Palace and the Countess of Edla's Chalet. Lisbon International Airport is around 30 km from Sintra. The CP Sintra Line runs daily from Oriente, Rossio and Entrecampos in Lisbon, and buses 1253 and 435 link Sintra station with the park.