Lake Palace
Gone are the days when you needed a royal title to spend the night in a castle.
Palácio Belmonte
Built atop fortified Roman and Moorish walls, the Palácio Belmonte is the oldest building in Lisbon and the oldest palace on our list. Built on foundations dating back to 130 BC, and occupying a hilltop with views of the cobblestone city and the river, the Palacio’s incarnation as a hotel is a fairly recent one, thanks to a major multi-million, six-year renovation that restored its regal status. Its last private owners, the Earls of Belmonte (and their descendents), resided here for 500 years; you can spend a night in one of eight palatial suites decorated in colorful silks, with sitting areas and to-die-for terraces with superb views. But that’s not all. There’s an extravagant black-marble swimming pool on site, a 4000-book library, Roman fountains, African and Japanese artifacts, 7th-century brick ceilings, black-veined marble bathrooms, and close to 30,000 18th-century Portuguese tiles that have been combined with imported antiques to create a luxurious and refined air.
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