DK Travel : Lisbon : Sintra

Sintra

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Recognized in 1995 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Sintra was the summer retreat of Portuguese kings from the 13th to the late 19th centuries. It still possesses many of the classic qualities of a hill station: a cooler climate than the city, ample greenery and an atmosphere conducive to indulging romantic whims. The older town is pretty but crowded, and the surrounding landscapes and sights are an essential part of any visit. Access from Lisbon is straightforward, by motorway or by train from Rossio Station.
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. Go during the week, and avoid the middle of the day in summer. Centrally placed 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 and have a drink in one of its small, colonial-cosy public rooms. English poet Lord Byron, an early visitor to Monserrate, extolled the beauty of the place in his Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage.

Top 10 Features

1. Palácio Nacional

1. Palácio Nacional

Twin chimneys mark the former royal palace. Begun in the 14th century and altered and extended in the 16th, it is a captivating mix of styles from the Moorish to the Baroque.
2. Castelo dos Mouros

2. Castelo dos Mouros

The 8th-century castle seems to hover above the town between boulder-littered crags. It was captured from the Moors by Afonso Henriques in 1147. Dom Fernando II partially rebuilt it in the 19th century. Inside are a ruined chapel and a Moorish cistern.
3. Palácio da Pena

3. Palácio da Pena

Dom Fernando II, Dona Maria II’s German-born king consort, had this fabulous toyland palace built in the mid-18th century. The intriguing work of a hyperactive imagination, it exhibits all his eclectic and romantic tastes, and has been preserved as it was when the royal family last lived there.
4. Parque da Pena

4. 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 romantic magic. It contains the chalet he had built for his mistress, a German opera singer whom he later married.
5. Quinta da Regaleira

This extravagant palace looms up on a steep bend in the old road to Sintra. It was built around 1900 for António Augusto Carvalho Monteiro, an eccentric millionaire. He was a bibliophile and keen dabbler in alchemy and other esoteric subjects.
6. Parque da Liberdade

The tree-thronged town park occupies the top of the valley below the old town. There are steep steps and paths, and some good picnic spots.
7. Museu do Brinquedo

7. Museu do Brinquedo

One man’s extensive toy collection from the 1930s on is housed in the old fire station. It has a toy restoration workshop and a small shop.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. Monserrate

10. Monserrate

The beautiful but neglected gardens of Monserrate, with their fantastic Moorish-style palace, were laid out by English residents.

Practical Information

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. Go during the week, and avoid the middle of the day in summer. Centrally placed 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 and have a drink in one of its small, colonial-cosy public rooms. Tourist information Praça da República 23, Sintra 21 923 11 57 Sintra lies 30 km 18 miles northwest of Lisbon. Trains run frequently from Lisbon’s Rossio Station