SINTRA
Recognized in 1995 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Sintra was the summer residence for Portuguese kings from the 13th to the late 19th centuries. It still possesses many of the classic qualities of a hill retreat: a cooler climate than the city, ample greenery, and an atmosphere conducive to romantic whims. The old town is pretty but crowded, while the surrounding landscapes and sights are an essential part of any visit.
Map of Sintra
NEED TO KNOW
18 miles (30 km) NW of Lisbon; trains from Lisbon’s Rossio and Entrecampos stations
Tourist information: Praça da República 23, Sintra; 219 231 157; www.cm-sintra.pt, www.parquesdesintra.pt.
- Sintra’s romantic and refreshing qualities may be seriously challenged on summer weekends, when tour groups and locals collide in the square in front of the Palácio Nacional de Sintra. Go during the week, and avoid midday in summer.
- Bars and cafés in the old town fill up quickly and charge inflated prices. For a different atmosphere, walk past the Tourist Office to Lawrence’s Hotel (Rua Consigliéri Pedroso 38–40) and enjoy refreshments in one of its cozy, colonial-style public rooms.
1. Monserrate
A fantastic Moorish-style palace dominates the gardens of Monserrate, which were laid out by English residents.
Monserrate
2. Palácio Nacional da Pena
Dom Fernando II, Dona Maria II’s German-born king consort, had this fabulous toyland palace built in the mid-19th century. The work of a lively imagination, it exhibits his eclectic tastes, and is preserved as it was when the royal family lived there.
Palácio Nacional da Pena
3. Quinta da Regaleira
This lavish palace looms on a steep bend in the old road to Sintra. It was built around 1900 for António Augusto Carvalho Monteiro, an eccentric millionaire who also owned Peninha (N247). He was a bibliophile and keen dabbler in alchemy and other esoteric subjects.
Quinta da Regaleira
4. São Pedro Market
Antiques are a feature of the lively market held in the suburb of São Pedro on the second and fourth Sundays of each month.
5. Parque da Pena
Filled with exotic trees and shrubs, the park around the Palácio da Pena is another of Dom Fernando II’s contributions to Sintra’s magic. It contains the chalet he had built for his second wife, Elise Hensler, an American opera singer.
6. Palácio de Seteais
Built in 1787, Seteais (now a hotel) got its Neo-classical façade later. It’s best to visit well dressed, for tea or a meal.
7. Parque da Liberdade
The town park, with its steep paths running among the trees, occupies the valley below the old town.
8. Castelo dos Mouros
This 10th-century castle was captured by Afonso Henriques in 1147. Dom Fernando II partially rebuilt it in the 19th century. A chapel, with an exhibition about the castle’s history, and a Moorish cistern, are inside.
Castelo dos Mouros
9. Palácio Nacional de Sintra
Twin conical chimneys mark the former royal palace. Begun in the 14th century and extended in the 16th, it is a captivating mix of styles from Moorish to Renaissance.
Palácio Nacional de Sintra
10. Centro Cultural Olga Cadaval
Sintra’s main cultural venue, a modern center hosting dance, theatre, concerts, and films, was built in 1987, after a fire destroyed much of the Carlos Manuel cinema.
THE ARTIST KING
Ferdinand Saxe-Coburg-Gotha was known in Portugal as Dom Fernando II, the “artist” king. Like his cousin Prince Albert, who married the English Queen Victoria, he loved art, nature, and the new inventions of the time. He was himself a watercolor painter. Ferdinand enthusiastically adopted his new country and devoted his life to patronizing the arts. His lifelong dream of building the extravagant and beautiful Palace of Pena was achieved in 1854; he died in 1885.
