Palacio Nacional da Pena, Sintra

It's been described as Disneyland for adults, and they're not wrong. Lord Byron called Sintra a Paradise on earth - but I don't think he had the crowds.

We deliberately avoided going at the weekend. And we got there before Easter, but everywhere was heaving. We queued for the bus. We queued for tickets We queued to get in. And we slowly walked round the Palacio Pena in single file.

But it was still magical.

Sintra was made a World Heritage Site in 1995 as "the first centre of European Romantic architecture". It was once the royal family's summer retreat and that made it a magnet for aristocrats and social climbers who built fancy houses and laid out fine gardens mixing native and exotic plants.

It was glorious, even with the hordes. (I think Spain was probably empty today)

It is certainly a special place to add to your list.

But remember - not at weekends.