Casino Estoril

From Forte da Cruz , a large park runs deep into the coast, at the end of which is one of the largest casinos in Europe, thanks to which the small resort town of the Lisbon Riviera has become world famous. The building has a completely futuristic look, and it is hard to believe that the project of architect Filipe Nobre de Figueiredo was developed a century ago.

In the first decade of the 20th century, the fishing village of Estoril, 15 kilometers from Lisbon, became increasingly popular as a holiday destination for residents of the Portuguese capital. The idea to raise the resort to an international level came from businessmen Fausto Cardoso de Figueiredo and Augusto Carreira de Sousa in 1913. They developed a business plan, which was approved by the Parliament, and in 1915 the Estoril Society was established to implement it.

One of the key facilities for attracting the public was the casino, which was built in 1916. The time was wartime, then Europe was recovering from the world war II for a decade, and construction was slow. The casino was opened only in 1927 and became the largest gambling establishment in Europe, which it still is today.

During the Second World War, neutral Portugal became a haven for many emigrants from warring countries. Estoril was chosen by the runaway elite, deprived of power at home, and they formed the main clientele of the casino, becoming it also a good advertisement. After the war, the Atlantic resorts were flooded with employees of the special services of the opposing sides, who rested here from their dark affairs. Among them was Her Majesty's Secret Service agent Ian Fleming, who learned a lot from communicating with former allies and opponents for his spy novels, the first of which was Casino Royale.

Inside, the building looks fantastic - the mirrored floor, ceiling and walls create a unique feeling of flying in space. In addition to the gambling halls (they seemed quite small to me), the casino also has a cinema, a concert hall, and art exhibitions are held here.

From the expensive sports cars that can be seen in the parking lot in front of the casino, you can draw a conclusion about the public that comes here. Estoril is home to several royal families and many famous personalities from the world of politics, business and art.