"Cascais / Costa do Estoril" a Cascais Travel Page by Mundus

Many forts along the coast remind us the attack of the corsairs and the many attempts to landing by the spanish, french and english forces. Recently the estoril coast becames wellknown as the place were kings and aristocrats used to choose during their exile.

Everything starts when D. Luis demand to connect by road Sintra to Cascais, and also to restore the old governor's palace in his summer residence. The court was settled here. In cascais kings used to ride by coach or on horseback and even to go for a walk. At night D. Carlos used to play bridge in cidadela. He also used to sail. Cascais starts to be the place where elegant people used to stay during summer,near the sea.

With the end of monarchy portuguese kings had disappeared, but european royalty becames to appear and choose estoril coast to live during the war, that's when estoril coast becames so cosmopolitan.

In 1926 the railway was inaugurated and in 1930 opens the best hotel of the country at the time - Hotel Palacio. One year later Casino Estoril opens and soon becames one of the most famous in europe.