Pena National Palace

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.

I decided to take a day trip to Sintra; which, I was told was kind of touristy, but worth the trip. So my expectations of the place were pretty low. After a short 40 min train ride from Lisbon and we arrive just in time to walk through the Pena Palace before they stop admitting people at 6:00pm. The 434 bus took us on a jolting, spiraling, blood rushing ride to the top of the mountain before letting us off at the entrance. Once we entered the giant stone gate, we were blown away by the breathtaking views, decorative details and bright colors. The architecture of the place varies from Neo-Gothic, to Islamic and Renaissance styles. I honestly could not stop taking pictures. Beyond the Pena Palace, there is so much more to check out in Sintra. Check out some of the gardens or the National Palace of Sintra.

At first I was so disappointed that the day I went to Sintra’s Pena Palace that it was foggy. Everyone I knew who had been there had gorgeous pictures of the bright colors of this Moorish palace, as well as the beautiful view. Yet, when looking at my pictures after I was back in Lisbon, I realized how special my pictures were because they were different. ...and how erie the palace was with all the fog was also sort of a special ambiance to experience.

What an interesting ambience pena palace had in the fog...it felt so medieval.

We loved Sinta. It’s a small town and mostly consists of touristy castles plus the restaurants it takes to feed all the visitors. But it’s a pretty, fairy-tale place, as well as a UNESCO World Heritage site. We walked up through the park and fern garden, a welcome natural sanctuary.

The climb through Pena Park to the hilltop of Sintra is worth the burn in your quads, thanks to the magnificent Pena National Palace. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, it feels more like entering a strange, Alice-In-Wonderland-like dream, with two spiraling kitchen chimneys and an intricate clock tower. Even on a cold, misty day, the views from the castle (like this fountain) are enough to warm you to the core.

The Pena National Palace was summer residence of the monarchs of Portugal during the 18th-19th century and is located just outside of Lisbon, Portugal...a very colorful place.

Located high atop the fairytale town of Sintra, the Palacio Nacional de Pena is one of my favorite architectural wonders in Europe. With its quirky and awe-inspiring jumble of colors, styles, and designs, it is like no castle you will ever see.

Just one of the quirky architectural surprises at the fascinating and paradoxical National Palace in Sintra, Portugal.

Sintra is not just a single town, but an entire wooded (unusually so in these arid parts) nature preserve about an hour and a half outside of Lisbon. Definitely well worth the drive and easy to find — the roads and signs in Portugal are outstanding. Plan a half a day, at least, to make the loop through the forest and the half dozen towns and castles and sites within the preserve. From Moor forts (damn Moors were everywhere!) to ornate castles to other follies; the sites are mind-blowing. The must-see is the Castelo da Pena featured a lot in these pics. You can stop and have a nice tourist-clogged lunch in Sintra before heading out and a nice castle there, too. I only saw half the mix with the half day there, so if you have some time, explore more. It’s in all the guidebooks and well worth the trip, a definite must-see. More pictures attached

Sintra is not just a single town, but an entire wooded (unusually so in these arid parts) nature preserve about an hour and a half outside of Lisbon. Definitely well worth the drive and easy to find — the roads and signs in Portugal are outstanding. Plan a half a day, at least, to make the loop through the forest and the half dozen towns and castles and sites within the preserve. From Moor forts (damn Moors were everywhere!) to ornate castles to other follies; the sites are mind-blowing. The must-see is the Castelo da Pena featured a lot in these pics. You can stop and have a nice tourist-clogged lunch in Sintra before heading out and a nice castle there, too. I only saw half the mix with the half day there, so if you have some time, explore more. It’s in all the guidebooks and well worth the trip, a definite must-see.

Sintra is not just a single town, but an entire wooded (unusually so in these arid parts) nature preserve about an hour and a half outside of Lisbon. Definitely well worth the drive and easy to find — the roads and signs in Portugal are outstanding. Plan a half a day, at least, to make the loop through the forest and the half dozen towns and castles and sites within the preserve. From Moor forts (damn Moors were everywhere!) to ornate castles to other follies; the sites are mind-blowing. The must-see is the Castelo da Pena featured a lot in these pics. You can stop and have a nice tourist-clogged lunch in Sintra before heading out and a nice castle there, too. I only saw half the mix with the half day there, so if you have some time, explore more. It’s in all the guidebooks and well worth the trip, a definite must-see.