Explore More UK Winter 2020-2021

DISCOVERY
MATEUS PALACE, PORTUGAL
The house and gardens of Casa de Mateus are fine
examples of baroque Portuguese design and thought
to be the work of Italian-born architect Nicolau
Nasoni. Built in the 18th Century, the exterior is
made up of the manor, the enchanting winery and
the chapel. Every intricacy of the building, it’s spires
and surrounding lush greenery reflect elegantly onto
the garden’s pond and make for the perfect photo
opportunity. Inside, the library is home to one of the
first illustrated editions of Luis Vaz de Camoes’ Os
Lusiadas, Portugal’s most famous poem among other
fascinating finds and treasures in the wine cellar.
The Portugal’s River of Gold trip includes an
excursion to this beautiful palace and gardens.
MARKSBURG CASTLE, GERMANY
A romantic 13th-century castle perched high above
the sleepy Germanic town of Braubach, Marksburg
stuns tourists with its magical turrets and spiralling
towers. The castle’s location right on the Rhine means
visitors get spectacular views as the river bends and
arches its way through sprawling German countryside.
Its hilltop location has proved famously impenetrable
since its initial erection in 1117. A tour takes you
round its Gothic hall and what was once a torture
chamber. Today, the castle belongs to the German
Castles Association, which carefully preserves medieval
fortifications for future generations.
Learn more about this landmark during an
excursion on a Grand European Tour journey.
Clockwise from
above: Reichsburg
Castle towers
above the Moselle
River, in Germany;
Schönbrunn
Palace is a
UNESCO World
Heritage Site and
one of Austria’s
most-visited
tourist attractions;
Mateus Palace, in
Portugal, reflected
in all its glory
PHOTOS: © ISTOCK
36 VIKINGCRUISES.CO.UK | WINTER 2020/21
WINTER 2020/21 | VIKINGCRUISES.CO.UK 37