Whilst in Lisbon I decided on an excursion to Sintra. If you hadn't already noticed that I have a huge fascination with palaces and castles... well now you know.
Sintra is a resort town in the foothills of Portugal’s Sintra Mountains, near the capital of Lisbon. A longtime royal sanctuary, its forested terrain is studded with pastel-colored villas and palaces - definitely my kind of place.
We took the train from Rossio train station- which completely looks more like a theater or a lavishly adorned palace with it's horseshoe arched doorways because it was built at a time when train stations were seen as temples of technology... in fact I do think its a tourist attraction as well. This monumental Neo-Manueline building is located between Rossio and Restauradores square and it took us roughly 40-50 minutes to reach Sintra.
On our arrival there were buses directly to Pena Palace however we decided to follow the road signs and make our own way - which was the right decision by a mile.
This was the beginning of our walk from the train station when I stopped to catch some sun while my cousin used the restroom of a small cafe the other side of the road. I'm forever craving a Tan and no matter where I go in the world I still come back to England as pale as I was before I left.
We walked through the wonders of Sintra taking in all of the spectacular views, including this beautiful moorish fountain on the main road. The whole town is in the mountains so we weren't short of any sights and photo opportunities.
It was roughly a 20 minute walk before we arrived at:
Palácio Nacional De Sintra- The national Palace of Sintra is the best-preserved medieval royal palace in Portugal and was a favourite with the Portuguese nobility. The minimalistic gothic exterior of the palace hides a wonder of decorative state rooms which unfortunately we didn't get a chance to see. However we were mesmerised by the view of the palace and the minimalism of the structure and had time for a few snaps while we were there.
Although we went in October/November it was still boiling hot, the palm trees were a lovely reminder of the tropical climates and Moorish influence of this town.
After Exploring the grounds of the palace we decided on some Gelato (which isn't quite as delicious as Italian Gelato) but it was tasty enough to get us through the scorching heat. We bought it from one of these beautiful shops pictured bellow.
We were then left with a choice of a 2hr trek up the mountain (which were were unprepared for) to Pena Palace or a €5 return bus ride... So of course, we opted for the bus ride up the mountain. The Bus stop is unmarked - apart from the obviously British sunburnt tourists crowding around the same spot - So do keep an eye out. It's roughly opposite the shops captured above.
The fantastic thing about the Bus to Pena Palace is that it drops you off at the gardens of the Palace, you still have to walk further up the mountain for around 20 minutes through wonderfully landscaped woodland before you see this sight:
The multi coloured exterior of the palace is a mixture of different architectural styles ranging from North African Islamic through to gothic medieval. The palace was a favourite with the Portuguese royal family and it was that Queen Amélia spent her last night in Portugal before fleeing to Brazil during the revolution of 1910.
Every detail is calculated and accounted for. In this shot I tried to capture the contrast of the different eras in one.
The views from every angle of the palace are phenomenal and stretch out to cover the whole of Sintra.
You can walk around just about every inch of this Palace, this includes around the turrets and also up them.
This shot was taken just around the corner of the red Turret.
At the entrance of the palace. On the left hand side are the lavatories and also a lovely gift shop.
Mosaic galore.
I think we can all agree the place is an architectural marvel which combines the Kings request for the building to represent that of an opera.
I'm personally a huge fan of UNSECO world heritage sights (as you will come to know) precisely because of places like this.
Castelo Dos Mouros - The Moorish Castle The origins of the castle date back to the 8th century and invasion of the Muslim Moors from North Africa - Hence my eagerness to return and see it for myself. The position of the Castelo dos Mouros was selected as it provided a suitable vantage point over the River Tagus and offered protection to the town of Sintra. Arab chronicles detailed that the Sintra region was very rich in cultivated fields and the Castelo dos Mouros was one of the most important castles in the region, even more important than the castle of Lisbon.
Unfortunately we ran out of time - Because we made plans in Lisbon that evening so we had t head back a little earlier so we Didn't get a chance to visit The Moorish Castle, however I am very pleased to have at least captured it from Pena Palace on this occasion.
We got on the bus back from Pena Palace and stayed on right the way through to Sintra train station - you do have the option to be dropped back on the high street, but if you're pressed for time it works out perfectly. We grabbed a quick bite to eat at Pizza Hut (mainly because it is just outside the train station) and got on the train back to Lisbon.
I truly loved my time in Sintra and I am already planning a return trip with my family in which I plan to cover more of the UNSECO World Heritage sites.
Tips:
- Decided weather you would like to do they Hike up the mountain to the palace in advance so you can prepare for it.
- Take plenty of snacks and water with you on this trip. Although the town is thriving with cafes, the further up the mountains you go the less options there are and you will get hungry exploring.
- I would suggest spending the whole day in Sintra to explore all of the palaces and castles because they're all so unique. There is so much history to be absorbed in this town.
- Wear comfortable shoes - I personally don't do trainers, I find my solitude in sandals, do whatever works for you.
- It can get pretty windy at the top of the mountains so account for poor weather and pack an extra layer.
- Ensure you are at the front of the bus queues, otherwise I suggest waiting for the next bus or catching it from directly from Sintra train station. It's a very bumpy and steep ride up the hill, and with limited seats I wouldn't recommend standing.
- You can purchase a combined ticket for all three of the Palaces in Pena and the gardens at a discounted price of roughly €23 - which is brilliant.
