A visit to Sintra should be on everyone's Portugal vacation itinerary. Less than an hour from the heart of Lisbon, it is one of the oldest populated cities in the country. Its mountains, lush vegetation, and magnificent, even fanciful mansions and palaces, make it the stuff of fairytales. We first visited Sintra on our 30th anniversary trip just for an afternoon en route to Lisbon, but were back a year later for a week-long family reunion (see Sintra - Part 2).
Our first stop was at the National Palace of Sintra. Located in the city center, the palace is now a museum but it was a favorite residence of Portugal's nobility until the late 19th century. It is instantly recognizable by its two conical chimneys that vented smoke from the large kitchen. It's minimalist exterior belies the decorative state rooms, most of which have elaborate painted ceilings depicting various themes.
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Up the mountain from the town center are two popular tourist destinations: the Moorish Castle and the Pena National Palace. There are a number of ways to get there: private car, taxi, bus, tuk tuk, or by foot. We chose the latter. The switchback meandered up the verdant mountain and we stopped frequently along the way to catch our breath and to take in spectacular views of the surrounding area. It was a long climb, first to the Moorish Castle, which we bypassed in the interest of time (see Sintra - Part 2), and then a little farther to the Pena Palace.
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The Pena Palace is an immensely popular tourist destination which, perhaps, is not surprising as it looks like it belongs in DisneyLand. Even in May, it was crowded. The palace started life as a monastery, built in the 15th century on the site of an ancient chapel. It remained unchanged until it was largely destroyed first by lightning and then shortly after by the great Lisbon earthquake of 1755. King Ferdinand II fell in love with the whole area and hired a German architect, Ludwig von Eschwege, to design a palace that would be a summer home for the royal family. The architect clearly modeled the palace on the romantic castles along the Rhine. However, Ferdinand and his queen, Maria II, were very involved in all aspects of the design. The palace, it is said, was a reflection of Ferdinand's playful personality and was completed in 1854. The palace and the rest of the cultural landscape of Sintra is a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of Portugal's Seven Wonders.
We took a tuk tuk back down the narrow, steep and windy, cobbled road filled with pedestrians and other vehicles. It was hilarious!
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