The vast wealth which came from Portugal’s maritime empire in the 16th and 17th century funded and inspired the creation of a host of mansions and palaces as well as their elaborate gardens in the countryside surrounding the city of Lisbon. In the company of expert horticulturalist Kirsty Fergusson, we will discover private homes and gardens – some of which are not open to the public – and royal palaces in the majestic pine forests which cloak the hills of the Serra de Sintra.