A Romantic and Magical Town on the Serra (Sintra (Portugal))

Member Name: Praskipark

Product:	Sintra (Portugal)
Date:	03/12/08 (151 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A town and mountain area of sheer beauty

Disadvantages: Steep climb to the Palacio da Pena

Sintra - what a magical place this town is. The fiirst time I visited Sintra was twenty one years ago when my son was 9 months old. We were staying in Lisbon at the time and decided to take a day trip to Sintra. I was so enchanted with the town; it's lush scenery and quirky castles. It's natural beauty captivates you immediately. I went back to visit a year ago with my parents and this time stayed for two days. The whole area hadn't changed too much over the years. I was still captivated with the fairy tale castles and I remember looking over the town from the highest point and wishing I had been born in the romantic times of the great poets if only to live in this wonderful place. Even if you aren't a romantic I bet you will still fall in love with this mystical town.

Why is Sintra so magical?. Apart from the wonderful palaces and mansions it has its own microclimate and when the sun is shining all over Portugal, a bank of cloud will probably shroud this small mountain region by the coast transforming it into a ghostly but charming land. In high summer the Serra da Sintra is considerably cooler than Lisbon and over the centuries it has become popular with wealthy city dwellers. Two royal palaces and countless country mansions built by the nobility bear witness to that. The moist microclimate creates the ideal soil conditions for an abundance of vegetation, and English poets such as Lord Byron have expressed their love of the countryside around Sintra. For him it was a 'glorious Eden' and if you ever visit you will know exactly what he meant. When in the 19th century, landscape gardening became a fashionable pursuit for the wealthy middle classes, a number of amateur botanists sought fame by designing exotic parks and gardens. The landscape is green and dense and gives the area an air of great majesty. Sir Francis Cook, an English textile tycoon, was responsible for the gardens at Monserrate which is situated about 3km outside Sintra. The German Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg laid out the Parque da Pena and also transformed large areas of the stony Serra by planting trees.

The moorish town of Sintra was conquered in 1147 by Alfonso Henriques, but it was some years later before Portuguese kings and noblemen discovered the benefits of the cool hillsides in summer. Apart from the palaces, which are obviously the highlights of the town from the coach tour operators point of view, it is also pleasant to take a stroll along the lanes and winding paths of Sintra. Delightful quintas overgrown with camellias and pale roses lie in the quiet shade of palms and cedars.

Palaces
~~~~~

Palacio Nacional
~~~~~~~~~~

From the 14th century to the beginning of the 20th century the Palacio Nacional was the summer residence of the Portuguese royal family. The building, a mixture of various styles is crowned by two huge conical towers of the palace kitchens which have now become a distinctive symbol for the town of Sintra. The palace dominates the town with its imposing stature.

Moorish traditions are still in evidence with rooms arranged in a haphazard way around small shaded courtyards. Walls in many of the rooms are covered with fine Portuguese azulejos (hand painted styles). Those in the Hall of Arabs were manufactured in Seville in the 15th and 16th centuries and they are said to be the finest collection on the Iberian peninsula.

Moorish traditions can also be seen in the wooden ceilings that cover the rooms like the lid of a chest. The Mudejar ceiling in the chapel is particularly striking. Note also the beautifully tiled floor here, said to date from the 15th century. Most of the rooms were built during the reign of Manuel 1 who much preferred to spend his time in Sintra as Lisbon was badly affected by plagues. Apart from the azulejo frescoes and the painted timber ceilings, many of the furnishings are simple. Lavishly decorated wall hangings, carpets and cushions give the room colour and warmth. As late as the 18th century, the royal family and courtiers still preferred floor cushions in Arab style to chairs. The turretted wall of the old Moorish castle, the Castelo dos Mouros, can be seen from the entrance to the palace. It winds across the hill like a miniature Great Wall of China.

Opening Times:- Thursday - Tuesday - 10am- 1pm, 2 - 5.30pm
Ask at the tourist office in Sintra for information.

The Castelo dos Mouros
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A visit to the Castle is a must see so I hope you will be feeling energetic when you visit, as it is a steep climb but once there you are able to see the views over the town and from the top you can see the Atlantic Ocean to the west and Lisbon in the south east. The frst time I visited the Castelo I walked up the road with a pushchair and I don't recommend following the immediate route from the town. It can be very windy, busy and extremely narrow in places. Take the short cut from the town through Rua Marachal Saldanha. It is much quicker. Once you arrive at the castelo you will be able to walk along the battlements at a couple of the points to view the forest which is so verdant and deep. The 360 degree panoramic views are worth the trek even in the heat of the summer.

Palacio dd Pena
~~~~~~~~~~

The pseudo-medieval Palacio da Pena looks down from Sintra at the highest peak. It is often called the 'Portuguese Neuschwanstein' after the fairy tale castle in southern Germany. The steep hill, castle and garden which cover an area of 270 hectares provide an early example of the way 19th century designers sought to combine architecture and landscape in order to create a harmonious and romantic setting.

Work on the the royal summer residence started in 1840 on the site of an abandoned Manueline monastery. The original building was once occupied by the Jeronimos monks dating back from 1503. The work was commissioned by a German prince, Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg, who invested huge sums of money in the project right up to his death in 1885. The Portuguese Royal Family fled the castle to England in 1910 when Portugal became a republic.

The castle lies on huge rocks and dominates the skyline. The building is a mixture of styles (Neo-Gothic, Neo-Manueline, Neo - Islamic, Neo-Renaissance) and although, quite bizarre in lots of ways this display of styles was intentional as the romantic mentality of the 19th century was unsually fond of the exotic. It is crowned by pink coloured towers which have now become a distinctive symbol for the town of Sintra, As you approach the palace you will be welcomed by King Neptune looking down on you from above his arched doorway which is decorated in the finest coral and shells.

Inside the rooms, the wallls are adorned with excellent plaster works, mural paintings and several coatings in glazed tiles of the 19th century. The rooms are furnished with pieces of the time and you can see that King Ferdinand II (known as the Artist King) was partial to an art collection or two from the collections of Portuguese art and bric a brac on display. The Pena Palace to him was his dream come true - the architectural expression of Romantic ideals.

A restoration programme has been in action over the years and by the end of the 20th century the programme had improved the structural construction of the building and also transformed the colours of the ensemble from faded grey to its original colours of pink, yellow and purple. The palace is one of the most popular attractions in Portugal and it is was declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco in 1995.

The monastery cloisters and chapel with a splendid marble altar by Nicolas de Chanterene were preserved from the remains of the old monastery and incorporated in a new section that features a wide terrace and a clock tower. This terrace is the best spot for capturing an overall picture of the architecture of the palace.

Opening Times - Tuesday to Sunday 10am - 1pm , 2-5pm
Information regarding this castle can be obtained from the tourist office in Sintra.

Parque de Pena
~~~~~~~~~~~

The huge English looking park which stretches over the hills also required the expenditure of considerable energy and resources. The park has been planted with the most varied exotic and rich arboreal species. Features include a rose garden, tropical ferns and lakes, exotic summer houses and a wood with Japanese fir trees and Chinese yews. There are running steams, tall redwoods with massive trunks, and beautiful camellias. I have to say I was fascinated with this park and did actually get lost amongst the pathways. We seemed to be in the park most of the day because every time we thought we had found an opening on to the road we had just taken a path deeper into the park. At one stage we found ourselves amongst some ruined stone cells which were left over from the oiginal monastery. The cells were so tiny. I tried to lie in one of the stone beds which were built into the wall but I was far too tall. I was intrigued by the cells but they must have been very damp and claustrophobic inside and I am sure the poor monks must have suffered terribly from rheumatism becuase although Sintra is wonderful in the summer it is very damp in the winter. If you didn't wish to visit the castle you could spend at least half a day in this park as it is truly amazing.

Thus the park and the Pena Palacio make up a remarkable ensemble and I thoroughly recommend a visit. Guided tours are available but you will have to join a group.

Museu do Brinquendo
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is a fascinating museum and children and adults of all ages will fall in love with the amazing collection of old toys. The collection consists of over 20,000 toys from around the world and ranges from clockwork trains, teddy bears, Barbies, Meccanno sets and toy soldiers. The museum owner is very passionate about his collection and can tell you a short or long story depending on how much time you have on any one of the toys on display.

You can find the museum on Largo Latino Coelho
Closed on Mondays but open from Tuesday until Sunday. Times 10 -12.30, 2-6pm
Prices - Adults 3 euros/ Concessions - 1.50 euros
Disabled Facilities

Hotels
~~~~~

On my second visit we stayed in the Hotel Tivoli for two nights. This is situated in the Praca de Republica. It is a modern hotel in the historic centre next to the palace. The stay was very enjoyable although I thought the hotel had seen better days. A liittle on the expensive side but the food and service was very good. There are villas in the hills that you can stay in but I suggest it is probably cheaper to stay in Lisbon.

There are good restaurants in Sintra but the restaurants in the district of Sao Pedro de Sintra are better and not as tourist orientated as those in the centre. Again it is possibly cheaper to eat out in Lisbon which is only an hour away by train and they depart every 15 minutes.

My thoughts
~~~~~~~~~

I think my review says it all. I have travelled far and wide but never come across such a magical and romantic place as this. Whenever you visit Lisbon take time out to go to Sintra - you will not regret it. I cannot find enough words to express its beauty.

Summary: A Mystical Place