!!!Cascais, Portugal

Photos by Stanislav Sedov and
Dmitry Moiseenko,
members of the [AirPano Team|Geography/About/Consortium/AirPano,_Team] that is a member of the [global-geography Consortium|Geography/About/Consortium]. \\

30 July 2021

with kind permission of [AirPano|http://www.AirPano.com]

At the westernmost corner of Europe, there is the cosy and charming town
of Cascais. According to a major version, the name of this settlement
goes back to "monte de cascas" meaning "seashell mountain". It recalls
the fishing history of Cascais and its famous shellfish, but now this
name is primarily associated with the popular resort.

[{Image src='01_Cascais.jpg' caption='Cascais, Portugal\\© [AirPano|https://www.AirPano.com]' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='508'}]

1356 is considered the year when Cascais was founded: earlier it had
been a fishing village under the control of Sintra, but King Peter
(Pedro) I the Just approved the petition of local residents for an
independent status of the settlement.

Cascais had achieved total independence from Sintna by 1516, and from
that time it began to develop as one of the main ports of the kingdom.
Its excellent geographical position had a major influence in that
process: it is located on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean and, at the
same time, on the western edge of the mouth of the Tagus River. Ships
heading inland went through Cascais, and this town, in its turn, became
an important strategic point in the defence of Lisbon.

[{Image src='02_Cascais.jpg' caption='Cascais, Portugal\\© [AirPano|https://www.AirPano.com]' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='411'}]

On November 1, 1755, a powerful earthquake turned Lisbon into ruins; the
same fate befell Cascais that had become prosperous by then. The
rehabilitation of the country was carried out by the Marquis of Pombal,
prime minister of King José I. He successfully coped with his task and
even strengthened the economy of Cascais by establishing the Royal
Factory of Wool in the village.

King Luís I of Portugal wrote a new chapter in the history of the town,
making Cascais the summer residence of his family in 1870-1908.
Following him, the nobility came here to rest and build magnificent
mansions for themselves. One of them is located right on the coast: this
is the palace of the Dukes of Palmela, designed by the architect Thomas
Henry Wyatt in the English neo-Gothic style. Initially, the building was
surrounded by a giant park but the railway that connected the city with
the Portuguese capital cut the territory into pieces.

[{Image src='03_Cascais.jpg' caption='Palmela Palace. Cascais, Portugal\\© [AirPano|https://www.AirPano.com]' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='349'}]

One of the most famous beach destinations in Cascais is Queen's Beach:
it is a 50-meter-long fenced-off area with a stone in the middle. They
say that it was the place most preferred by Maria Amelia of Orleans, the
last queen of Portugal.

[{Image src='04_Cascais.jpg' caption='Cascais, Portugal\\© [AirPano|https://www.AirPano.com]' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='522'}]

The growing popularity of Cascais as a resort caused more and more
hotels to appear here and even skyscrapers grew on the coast. Modern
shopping malls and road junctions coexist with cosy houses that delight
the eye with their bright orange roofs. A large 650-berth marina opened
in 1999; many sailing events are held here.

We hope you enjoyed your holiday trip with AirPano to the westernmost
part of Europe!

[{Image src='05_Cascais.jpg' caption='Cascais, Portugal\\© [AirPano|https://www.AirPano.com]' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='582'}]

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[5 panoramas of Cascais|Geography/Europe/Portugal/Pictures/Panoramas_of_Cascais]

[{SET customtitle='Cascais (AP)'}]












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