The Monastery of Serra do Pilar has been a Cultural Heritage of Humanity site since 1996 and provides an unequalled view of the city of Porto. Its construction began in 1538 and it was completed in 1670. It housed the Augustinian Friars of the Monastery of Grijo until it became occupied by the Liberal army during the Civil War of 1832-1834, during which it was damaged. The Royal Brotherhood of Nossa Senhora do Pilar, established in 1834 and, later, the Group of Friends of the Monastery of Serra do Pilar, created in 1925, helped save the monastery.
The church with its circular floor plan is unique in Portugal, as is the Cloister, which is also circular and is lined with 36 Ionic columns. It currently houses North Heritage. In the cloister, note the statue of D. Afonso Henriques, by Soares dos Reis, which is the plaster version of the one in bronze at the Guimarães Castle. It is worth taking the guided tour which includes a climb to the dome. It's a 100 steps to the circular terrace that surrounds the dome of the church, but the panoramic view over Porto is spectacular.
Serro de Pilar is part of the UNESCO World Heritage site Historic Centre of Oporto, Luiz I Bridge and Monastery of Serra do Pilar.
References:Linderhof is the smallest of the three palaces built by King Ludwig II of Bavaria and the only one which he lived to see completed.
Ludwig II, who was crowned king in 1864, began his building activities in 1867-1868 by redesigning his rooms in the Munich Residenz and laying the foundation stone of Neuschwanstein Castle. In 1868 he was already making his first plans for Linderhof. However, neither the palace modelled on Versailles that was to be sited on the floor of the valley nor the large Byzantine palace envisaged by Ludwig II were ever built.
Instead, the new building developed around the forester's house belonging to his father Maximilian II, which was located in the open space in front of the present palace and was used by the king when crown prince on hunting expeditions with his father.