Search results for

The castles, palaces, and monastaries scattered across the Portuguese countryside are more than just relics of a time gone by.

Just because a hotel isn’t part of a big brand doesn’t mean that loyalty goes unrewarded.

Behind the Masks of Photographers Iris Brooks and Jon Davis

Overview

The Moorish Castle is strategically located on one of the top hills of Sintra to defend both the local territory and the maritime access to the city of Lisbon. The castle was built around the 10th century by the Muslim populations that occupied the Iberian peninsula. The castle acted as a control tower for the Atlantic coast and the land to the north, mostly serving as an outpost for the city of Lisbon. The castle’s Muslim rule ended in 1147 when King Afonso Henrique conquered Lisbon. In 1995, UNESCO listed Sintra hills as a Cultural Landscape, World Heritage, including the Moorish Castle. Highly recommended to climb and walk along the walls of the castle, carved out of the rock, to have a panoramic view over Sintra and its castles and palaces.

While the tourist hordes in beautiful Sintra, Portugal, are flocking to Pena Palace, head instead to Monserrate. The gardens here are massive and have been recently restored. We wandered here for hours without hardly seeing another person. The palace itself, although not as large as Pena, is just as grand, if not more so. Every inch of the architecture is covered in delicate carving. The Moorish and Indian influences work together to create a cohesive and beautiful design.

The Park and the Palace of Pena are the finest example of the 19th century Portuguese Romanticism and the integration of natural and built heritage of Portuguese Royal family. The Pena Palace is built on a mountain in Sintra, surrounded by a natural park and forest. The builders of Pena Palace were Dona Maria and Don Fernando, the King and Queen of Portugal. (1847) In 1995 the palace was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the Seven Wonders of Portugal. It is also used for state occasions by the President of the Portuguese Republic and other government officials. The Park of Pena is a remarkable project by itself. It has a vast variety of trees and plantations imported from North America, Japan, China and Australia and New Zealand. If you have to choose between the castles in Sintra, don’t miss out on the Palace of Pena.

The Rossio railway station was designed between 1886 and 1887 by Portuguese architect José Luís Monteiro. It makes connections with the village of Sintra, and the 2,600-meter tunnel was excavated under the city. It is considered one of 19th-century Portugal’s most important works of engineering. It has a beautiful Neo-Manueline façade, where two intertwined horseshoe portals stand at the entrance, a clock sits in a small turret, and the sculptural decoration is abundant. Inside you can now find a Starbucks, Lisbon Destination Hostel, and a souvenir shop.