The Portuguese town of Sintra consists entirely of magnificent palaces, exotic parks and picturesque natural landscapes. From here, the famous Cape Roca and Sintra-Cascais National Park are just a stone's throw away. The city is located 27 km. from the Portuguese capital, so you can get there quite easily.
Sintra has a milder climate due to the proximity of the ocean, a calmer and more peaceful atmosphere, and the abundance of historical monuments and a large flow of tourists, it seems, does not at all disturb the peaceful course of provincial life. Since the 12th century, the city has been the summer residence of the Portuguese aristocracy. People came here to enjoy nature and clean sea air, think about the meaning of life and calm their nerves.
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What to see and where to go in Sintra?
The most interesting and beautiful places for walking. Photos and a short description.
Pena Palace
In the 16th century, on the site of the palace, there was a monastery built in honor of the birth of the heir to King Manuel I. But the monastery was destroyed in the 1755 earthquake. Only the chapel and the altar survived. In 1840, a palace began to be built on the site of the ruins, which was later used as a royal residence. The architectural complex is surrounded by a magnificent landscaped park with exotic vegetation.
Sintra National Palace
The palace complex was erected under the ruler Joan I in the 14th century and rebuilt in a pseudo Moorish manner under Manuel I. The walls of the building are decorated with unique Seville tiles of the 15th-16th centuries. The interior decoration of the palace is rather modest; the carved wooden ceilings made in the Arabian style are of particular interest. The complex was declared a national monument at the beginning of the 20th century.
Quinta da Regaleira
A park complex with a neo-Gothic palace, one of the most visited sights in Portugal. Previously, the estate belonged to a member of the Masonic lodge and millionaire Monteiro. According to his idea, the architecture of the palace and park design had to correspond to his philosophical ideas about life. As a result, a project was realized in which styles, unusual fantasies and whims of an eccentric Freemason were mixed.
"Well of initiation"
In the park of the Quinta da Regaleira complex, there is an amazing place that is wildly popular with tourists. This is a wide well, a stone "underground tower" with stairs and arches, built in accordance with the ideas of the Masonic doctrine of the structure of the universe. The "well of dedication" is an allegorical staircase that connects heaven and earth, at the bottom a person dwells in darkness, and at the top he cognizes the light and goodness of spiritual knowledge.
Castle of the moors
The castle stands at the top of the Serra da Sintra, it is surrounded by a picturesque landscape park. The building was erected in the VIII century, when the entire Iberian Peninsula was under the rule of Arab conquerors. In the XII century, the fortification passed to the Portuguese. Until the complete expulsion of the Moors, the castle performed defensive functions. After the earthquake of 1755, the building lay in ruins for a long time, the restoration took place in the 19th century, but the castle lost its historical appearance.
Montserrat Palace
The history of the building goes back several centuries; the last major restoration took place in the middle of the 19th century by the order of the English industrialist and millionaire F. Cook. The palace is a whimsical and harmonious intertwining of several architectural styles, with Indian and Moorish influences in the interior and exterior. In the middle of the 20th century, the complex passed into the possession of the state and became available for visits.
Capuchin monastery
The abode is located in the Sintra-Cascais National Park. It was founded in the 16th century and existed until the 19th century (until the order to dissolve the monastic orders). Nowadays, the monastery has fallen into decay, and is gradually collapsing - the walls are overgrown with ivy and moss, only the facades remain of the buildings. The monastery complex is located in a rather secluded and remote place, which can only be reached by car or on foot.
Chalet of Countess Edla
The mansion was built at the request of the second wife of King Fernand II - Eliza Hensler, Countess of Edla. She remained in the memory of the Portuguese as an artist, actress, singer, architect and botanist. Her cozy chalet is hidden among the lush vegetation of the Pena Palace Park. In 1999, there was a big fire, as a result of which the rear ones were destroyed. In 2011, after a partial restoration, the site became accessible again for visits.
Sintra tram
The tram runs on a 13-kilometer line from Sintra to the city of Praia dash Masansh. He makes eight stops along the way. The line was built in 1904, and eleven historic tram cars regularly run on it. The tram is mainly used as a tourist attraction. For more than 100 years of its existence, the line has been repeatedly closed due to lack of funding for modernization.
Cape Roca
The extreme point of the Eurasian continent is 18 km away. from Sintra. The cape is located in the Sintra-Cascais Natural National Park. The place is a rock towering 140 meters above the ocean, it has always been fanned with legends and a romantic halo. A lighthouse is installed on the cape and there is a small souvenir shop, where for a few euros the traveler will be issued a certificate of visiting the westernmost point of Europe.
