Portugal, being in the west coast of Europe is a popular destination for beach lovers. Resorts in Algarve, Azores, Costa Azul, just to name a few, always top the lists in travel websites. Our friend from Portugal suggested that we take a day-trip to Sintra, while we were in Lisbon. We checked the Sintra tourism website and fell in love with what we saw. We ended up staying there for two days. There's really more to Portugal than as a stereo-typed beach destination. Sintra became the first centre of Romanticism in the 19th century. Thanks to King Ferdinand II! His passion for art and love for opera transformed the vast plots of land into magnificent and colourful castles. His creativity resonated though the use of mixed architectural elements: Gothic, Egyptian, Moorish and Renaissance. Sintra with its lush highlands, verdant landscapes, and fresh air, then became the favourite summer home for the Portuguese royal family. Since 1995, Sintra is a World Heritage by UNESCO in the category of Cultural Landscape. It is only 25 kilometers from Lisbon city and accessible via train from the Rossio station with a journey time of approximately 40 minutes. The one-way fare is around €2.50. When in Sintra, here's a list of must do: 1. Take an early morning walk. Whenever we are on holidays, here or abroad, I always insist on walking. I really love walking. It makes me easily assimilate with the culture of my destination. It gives me a different kind of satisfaction, allowing me to pause and admire the beauty in front of me. This is why we rarely take city bus tours or the HOHO (hop-on, hop-off) types of tours. Sintra is no exception. With the cool breeze and calm neighbourhood, it's a perfect formula for a good walk. After our breakfast, we walked from our hostel to the town centre passing the streets of Volta Duche lined with sculptures. 2. Bring a piece of art. As you wander around Sintra, or probably in every Portuguese city, it is very common to see structures cladded with colourfully-painted ceramic tiles. These traditional tiles are known as azulejos. It has been said that azulejos have been used as decorations for public spaces and even private homes since the 13th century when the Moors invaded Portugal. In the winding and narrow alleyways of Sintra's old town, you can find a large array of these artwork on display. Ask them to customise a piece for you and take it back home as a lovely souvenier. 2. Visit the Palacio de Pena, the crown of the Sintra region. If you're physically fit and healthy, you can walk for about 3km to Pena from the town centre. However, since the road is very steep and narrow, it is a very arduous and long walk. As we were pressed for time, we took Bus No. 434 (Circuito da Pena Route) from the tourist office and paid a little over 5 Euro. The bus dropped us off just outside the main gate of the palace. We took a short walk up to get to the palace entrance; it was a great introduction to the scenery. In the olden times, this was a monastery and chapel to honour the Virgin Mary called “Our Lady of Pena.” It became an important pilgrimage site after news of apparition of the Virgin Mary. In 1755, the place was heavily damaged during the Great Earthquake that struck Lisbon. Miraculously, the chapel survived unscathed. In 1838, then King consort Ferdinand II acquired the monastery and the surrounding lands. He did not just rebuild the monastery but also constructed Pena Palace to rival the Neuschwanstein castle in Bavaria. The palace served the Portuguese royal family until 1910 during the Portuguese revolution ending the constitutional monarchy. Often likened to a marzipan cake with its colourful facade, this palace is really a treat to see! It is so well-decorated that it looks like something taken from a fairy tale book. Its ceramic-tiled courtyard, the bold red and faded yellow-colour combination, the unique details of its walls, interiors & pillars, the arches, and the turrets will surely captivate one's attention. It's up in the mountains with extraordinary views. From the vistas, we saw a bird's eye view of Sintra town and the remnants of the Moorish castle. 3. Walk up the steps of Castelo dos Mouros. From Palacio de Pena, we took Bus No. 434 again to get to the Moorish castle. The castle is a fortification build high above the mountains of Sintra by the North African Moors around the 10th century. It went into heavy disrepair when Portugal was conquered by Christians. With King Ferdinand II in command, the castle was restored as a romantic ruin during the 19th century. Because of its winding steps and steep climb to the towers, it reminded me of a mini-version of Great Wall of China. We really enjoyed our walk here; we walked up to the highest tower. The steps though uneven are well-maintained and the castle remnants are very well-preserved. There are also walking trails that you can follow. Here are some interesting facts about the castle: * The large granite rocks used to build the walls throughout the castle grounds were formed by a volcanic activity. * What's not green is granite - everywhere! * The castle grounds has the remnants of Sintra's first Christian church. * In 2008 & 2009, the "Conquering the Moorish Castle" initiative attracted tourists to help dig and discover the castle's past. We stayed at the castle for 2 hours and took the same Bus No. 434 to go back to the old town. We had a blast on our two-day stay in Sintra. I think a trip to Lisbon is incomplete without having to see this charming town. It's obvious why the royal families fell in love with this place. It's now up to us to enjoy what they have built for us. So, the next time you are heading to Portugal, include Sintra in your destination radar!
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WANDER
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Dates
October 2018
About MeI am a software engineer based in Ireland; a qualified accountant who made a 360-degree career shift to Information Technology during the Y2K era. Joey (my husband) and I have big appetites for travelling, learning new cultures, and a passion for experiencing varied cuisines. Follow us as we chronicle life's little perks! |