Museu Nacional dos Coches

Museu Nacional dos Coches Review

In a former royal riding school whose gorgeous painted ceiling makes it worth a visit in itself, the National Coach Museum has a dazzling collection of gloriously painted and gilded baroque horse-drawn carriages. The oldest on display was made for Philip II of Spain in the late 1500s; the most stunning are three conveyances created in Rome for King John V in 1716. The museum, Portugal's most visited, is right next door to the official residence of the President of the Republic, whose Museu da Presidência tells the story of the presidency, profiles the officeholders, and displays gifts they have received on state visits.