Top 6 Lakes around Queluz

The Gulbenkian Garden, located in the center of Lisbon next to the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, is one of the most emblematic green spaces of modern Portuguese urbanism. It was designed in the 1960s by landscape architects Gonçalo Ribeiro Telles and António Viana Barreto and inaugurated in 1969.

The Gulbenkian Garden is an oasis of nature and peacefulness in the city of Lisbon, the perfect place to escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. The garden's history goes back several centuries: it began as a recreational farm (in the 18th century), became Santa Gertrudes Park (in the 19th century) and, years later, became Lisbon's first Zoo. In the 20th century, the Zoo became a local fair, and later the venue was acquired by the Gulbenkian Foundation. Thus, was born the Gulbenkian Garden, a project by landscape architects António Viana Barreto and Gonçalo Ribeiro Telles.

The park has three distinct areas: the Central Nave of Quinta das Conchas, the Woods and the Lilacs. The Central Nave, the largest area, is made up of large lawns dotted with trees and offers open views, which invite you to play ball and have picnics on the grass. It is bordered at the highest point by a group of olive and olive trees and, at the bottom, next to the large lake, there is a mass of large eucalyptus trees, classified as a grove of trees of public interest, where there are picnic tables, in an excellent area for relaxing. The Woods, a denser forest area with more intact nature, is made up of a varied set of tree species, with a stand of trees of the ZelKova Serrata species, also classified as a public interest, standing out, as well as Himalayan cedars and Buçaco cedars. In some places, there is a dense cover of shrubs, such as adernos, sanguinhos, elders and hawthorns, which are very important for several species of birds as shelter, feeding and nesting sites. Separated from Quinta das Conchas by a wall, we have Quinta dos Lilases, a more secluded environment, with its famous artificial lake, of romantic inspiration, representing the islands of São Tomé and Príncipe. The vegetation is marked by the alignment of olive trees next to the wall of Quinta das Conchas and by the presence of eucalyptus, poplars, ash trees, gleditsias and species of the Quercus genus. The shrub layer is reduced, with pomegranate trees and notable groups of old and large box trees standing out. The clearing areas are covered in dry grassland. This farm has a community orchard area, recently built as part of a Participatory Project. The existence of diverse habitats gives this Park great value in terms of biodiversity, with a higher number of species than usual for urban green spaces.

The name of the park indicates that in the past there were two large quintas here. Quinta is a tough word to translate, it is similar to the French château or country house. Those quintas were called Conchas and Lilases. The quintas were built in the 16th century and were always inhabited by prosperous Portuguese families who traded in coffee. Since 1966 the quintas have been managed by the city of Lisbon. For a long time nothing was done with the quintas and the surrounding lands. In 2005, the quintas were opened to the public and the park was laid out.

This is a wonderful place to linger and unwind

The Jardim Amália Rodrigues is a pleasant park located just north of Parque Eduardo VII and the Estufa Fria. It opened in 1996. The garden, which consists of a grassy hillock and a lake, was named in 2000 after the famous fado singer, Amália Rodrigues (1920-1999). The area is one of the highest points in the city and has excellent views

QUINTA DE MOLHA-PÃO Quinta do Molha-Pão near the village of Tala, Sintra, stands out for its rich architectural heritage, inserted in a walled area and 37 hectares, spreads over a landscape of great beauty, in a slightly sloping area isolated by a wall. According to Anne Stoop, its picturesque name is due to a popular soup offered every week to the poor (Stoop, 1999). The current area is one third of the original 90ha where a beautiful manor house, spacious gardens, agricultural fields, orchards and pine forest produce horticultural products that today still feed Lisbon's markets. The first known references to Quinta do Molha-Pão refer to a document by which Antão Gonçalves undertook to pay the fee relating to the Quinta to Senhor de Belas, dated 1633 (STOOP, 1999). courtesy: https://www.jardinshistoricos.pt/ad/741

Beautiful little garden with shady benches, green meadows and ducks in the centrally landscaped body of water!