"Keeweechic's Cascais" a Cascais Travel Page by keeweechic

Cascais lies on the west coast of Portugal and around 26kms north of Lisbon. When early sailors approached the River Tagus, this was the last piece of land that they saw as they headed off into the Atlantic Ocean.

In 1579 the town was occupied by the Spanish Duke of Alba. Then the French took over in 1807 when General Junot set up his army headquarters in Cascais. He used the Palacio da Citadel and then converted it into his own summer residence. A major event for the city was when the railway line from Lisbon to Cascais became electrified in 1926 which was the first in Portugal and had a significant effect on the economy. When World War II broke out, many royals of neighbouring European countries fled to the area for refuge. They were followed by politicians, wealthy locals as well as writers and actors swelling the population to more than 20,000 during this time.

Once a small fishing village and port, the tradition still continues today. Cascais has been a holiday getaway for more than a century and is popular for water sports and fishing, cliff climbing and horse riding. There are several museums to visit including the Maritime Museum and the Town Museum.