Sintra
| Sintra is a charming city about 1 1/2h by train from Lisbon's Rossio station. Its main attractions are the Palácio Nacional and the Palácio da Pena, but the city itself is very nice, with narrow steep streets in which you often find restaurants and souvenir shops. Sintra was nominated World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1995. | |
| The National Palace, in downtown Sintra, was formerly a residence of the royal family. Many of its rooms are decorated with painted tiles, a Portuguese tradition. From the outside, the kitchen chimneys call attention for their height. It was built mainly in the 15th and 16th centuries. |  |
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Pena Palace is outstanding. On top of Sintra's highest hill, it was built in the 19th century by Ferdinand of Saxe Coburg-Gotha, husband of Queen Maria II. He brought an architect from his homeland Bavaria to create this extravagant mixture of styles, in which Romantic prevails. |
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| From the palace, you can see the ruins of a Moorish castle. Like in Spain, the Moors influenced Portugal's architecture and language. |  |
Vila de Sintra, by Luis Noronha Cardoso
Sintra, by Virtual Portugal
Sintra, World Heritage, by José Antunes
Sintra Turismo, by the Câmara Municipal de Sintra (in Portuguese)
Copyright © Maria Adelaide Silva
No reproduction is allowed without the author's agreement