Point of interest
Sintra
in Lisboa, Portugal
Fairytale palaces (Pena, Quinta da Regaleira) in green hills, 40 min by train – a worthwhile day trip.
Where it is
A small town in the wooded hills of the Serra de Sintra, about 25 km north-west of Lisbon and reachable by train.
What it is
Sintra brings together fairy-tale palaces, castles and lush parks: the colourful Pena Palace, the Moorish Castle, the labyrinthine grounds of Quinta da Regaleira and the National Palace in the town centre. Its cool, mist-wreathed woods give the place a distinctive atmosphere. A classic day trip from Lisbon, best started early.
History
For centuries Sintra was the summer retreat of the Portuguese nobility seeking to escape the heat of the capital. In the 19th century it became a centre of European Romanticism: from 1838 King Ferdinand II turned a ruined monastery into the colourful Pena Palace. In 1995 the Cultural Landscape of Sintra was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.