UNESCO-listed Sintra is one of the most unusual places in Portugal. At the foot of the Sierra de Sintra Mountains, the town became an oasis in the 19th century for the Portuguese elite, who built palaces and villas surrounded by magnificent parks.
During the Moorish rule, Sintra was one of their fortresses and the seat of the authorities. The Arab palace stood at the foot of the mountain, and at its top there was a stronghold, whose walls are still the attraction of the village and a great viewpoint on the surrounding area. After reconquest Sintra became the summer residence of the rulers of Portugal, but it really became fashionable in the 19th century, when Portuguese aristocracy began to build their homes here. The most important monument from this period is the Pena Palace standing on one of the hills surrounding the town. Surrounded by a large park, the romantic palace looks like moved from a fairy tale.
Gardens are the most important feature of Sintra's landscape. The hillsides towering over the town are covered with an English-style park with numerous walking paths. You can walk through the gardens of subsequent residences to the Moorish Palace. This trip takes all day and you have to prepare for it as you go to the mountains. Sintra can also be visited by driving up to the entrances to individual palaces by a city bus, which saves long hikes, but also deprives some of the views.
