NATIONAL PALACE OF SINTRA
GPS Coordinates: 38º 47’ 50.50” N 9º 23’ 25.87” W
BY BUS: Scotturb buses No. 434 and 435, run from the railway station to the National Palace of Sintra. BY FOOT: Train Station – National Palace of Sintra (10-15 minutes) 
9h30 – 18h00, last ticket 17h30 
Ticket for adults (18 – 64 yrs) – 8,50 euros
Ticket for youths (6 – 17 yrs) – 7 euros Ticket for seniors (over 65 yrs) – 7 euros 
To benefit from a reduction on your visit to several sites, choose combined tickets.
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The thousand-year-old history of the Palace of the Town of Sintra began during the Muslim occupation of the Iberian Peninsula. Already mentioned in texts from the 11th century, the original Moorish Palace became the property of the Portuguese Crown after the conquest of the city of Lisbon by Afonso Henriques, the first King of Portugal, in 1147. It was first subjected to alteration work in 1281, in the reign of King Dinis, and new extensions were later added to the building over time, in the reigns of the kings Dinis, João I and Manuel I, although it has largely maintained its present-day outline since the mid-16th century. The vertical arrangement of its spaces, adapting to the nature of the terrain; the intimate organisation of the interior courtyards, outdoor spaces in which one can hear the sound of running water; the windows with their surmounted arches; and the walls covered in glazed tiles with rich geometrical patterns, are all features that underline the Moorish links of the craftsmen who built and embellished the Palace.
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MOORISH CASTLE
GPS Coordinates: 38º 46’ 58.48” N 9º 26’ 8.86” W
10h00 – 18h00, last ticket 17h00
Ticket for adults (18 – 64 yrs) – 6,50 euros
Ticket for youths (6 – 17 yrs) – 5 euros Ticket for seniors (over 65 yrs) – 5 euros 
To benefit from a reduction on your visit to several sites, choose combined tickets.
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Sat upon one of the peaks overlooking the Sintra Hills, the Moorish Castle is a fortification built in around the 10th century following the conquest of the Iberian Peninsula by the Moors. Two rings of walls run irregularly around both the granite boulders that dot these hills and along the peaks of sharp and steep cliff faces. Along the sentry walkways, there is the opportunity to admire the unique landscape that in the foreground features Sintra town and its Town Hall, the Palace of Pena and the hills and, beyond, in the background, the extensive plain running northwards and the Atlantic Ocean.
The current configuration of the Moorish Castle derives from a series of building campaigns and events and particularly highlighting the interventions taking place during the first dynasty, begun by Afonso Henriques following the taking of Lisbon and Santarém (1147); through to the utilisation of the fortification during the reign of Fernando I (1383); the damage caused by the 1755 earthquake; the restoration work undertaken by Ferdinand II in the 19th century within the Romantic tastes of that era and as well as the interventions carried out by the General Directorate of National Buildings and Monuments in the 20th century. Through to the implementation of the global “Conquering the Castle” requalification project carried out by Parques de Sintra-Monte da Lua, the Castle experienced no other major alterations. |
PARK AND NATIONAL PALACE OF PENA
PALACE AND PARK
Ticket for adults (18 – 64 yrs) – 11,50 euros Ticket for youths (6 – 17 yrs) – 9 euros Ticket for seniors (over 65 yrs) – 9 euros PARK Ticket for adults (18 – 64 yrs) – 6,50 euros Ticket for youths (6 – 17 yrs) – 5 euros Ticket for seniors (over 65 yrs) – 5 euros 
OPENING TIMES UNTIL 31ST MARCH 2016:
9h30 – 18h00, last ticket 17h30 
To benefit from a reduction on your visit to several sites, choose combined tickets. |
The Palace of Pena stands atop a rocky peak, which is the second highest point in the Sintra hills (the only place higher than the palace itself is the Cruz Alta, 528 metres above sea level). The palace is situated in the eastern part of the Park of Pena, which one has to pass through to reach the steep ramp built by the Baron of Eschwege that provides access to the castle-like building. The palace itself is composed of two wings: the former Manueline monastery of the Order of St. Jerome and the wing built in the 19th century by King Ferdinand II. These wings are ringed by a third architectural structure that is a fantasised version of an imaginary castle, whose walls one can walk around and which comprises battlements, watchtowers, an entrance tunnel and even a drawbridge.
In 1838, King Ferdinand II acquired the former Hieronymite monastery of Our Lady of Pena, which had been built by King Manuel I in 1511 on the top of the hill above Sintra and had been left unoccupied since 1834 when the religious orders were suppressed in Portugal. The monastery consisted of the cloister and its outbuildings, the chapel, the sacristy and the bell tower, which today form the northern section of the Palace of Pena, or the Old Palace as it is known. View galleryKing Ferdinand began by making repairs to the former monastery, which, according to the historical sources of that time, was in very bad condition. He refurbished the whole of the upper floor, replacing the fourteen cells used by the monks with larger-sized rooms and covering them with the vaulted ceilings that can still be seen today. In roughly 1843, the king decided to enlarge the palace by building a new wing (the New Palace) with even larger rooms (the Great Hall is a good example of this), ending in a circular tower next to the new kitchens. The building work was directed by the Baron of Eschwege. |
QUINTA DA REGALEIRA
There many different kinds of visits. Please check the prices in the official website at http://www.regaleira.pt/
January, November & December 10h00 -17h30 last visit17h00
February, March & October - 10h00 - 18h30 last visit 18:00 April - September - 10h00 - 20h00 - last visit 19h00 |
A Quinta da Regaleira is one of the most surprising of all Sintra’s monuments. Located on the outskirts of the town, it was built 1904 e 1910, in the last days of the Portuguese monarchy.
This romantic property formerly belonging to the Viscondessa da Regaleira, was acquired and enlarged by António Augusto Carvalho Monteiro (1848-1920) as his favourite country estate. His vast fortune earned him the nickname of Monteiro dos Milhões, (Moneybags Monteiro). He commissioned this unique project of house and landscape from the Italian set-designer and architect Luigi Manini (1848-1936) whose genius, along with the mastery of sculptors, stonemasons, craftsmen who had formerly Palace Hotel do Buçaco, created this magical place. |
PARK AND PALACE OF MONSERRATE
PARK: 10h00 – 18h00, last ticket 17h00
PALACE: 10h00 – 17h00, last ticket 16h30 
PARK AND PALACE
Ticket for adults (18 – 64 yrs) – 6,50 euros Ticket for youths (6 – 17 yrs) – 5 euros Ticket for seniors (over 65 yrs) – 5 euros 
To benefit from a reduction on your visit to several sites, choose combined tickets.
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Four kilometres from Sintra’s historic centre, and bearing witness to the eclectic tastes of the 19th century, are the peerless Palace and Park of Monserrate, where the exotic vegetal motifs of the building’s interior decoration extend harmoniously to the gardens outside. The lawn in front of the palace offers you the chance to enjoy a well-earned rest as you set about discovering one of the richest botanical gardens and one of the most beautiful Romantic landscapes ever created in Portugal.
The estate of Monserrate was rented by Gerard de Visme (1789), a wealthy English merchant, who built a house there in the neo-Gothic style. William Beckford then subleased Monserrate in 1793-1794, but, in 1809, when Lord Byron visited the property, the house was already in ruins. The estate’s sublime appearance was a source of inspiration for the poet, who sang of the beauty of Monserrate in his poemChilde Harold’s Pilgrimage, after which it became obligatory for foreign travellers to visit the property. This was especially true for English visitors, who made vivid descriptions of Monserrate in their countless travel reports and illustrated it in many engravings. |
CONVENT OF THE CAPUCHOS
GPS Coordinates: 38º 46’ 58.48” N 9º 26’ 8.86” W
10h00 – 18h00, last ticket 17h00
Ticket for adults (18 – 64 yrs) – 5 euros
Ticket for youths (6 – 17 yrs) – 4 euros Ticket for seniors (over 65 yrs) – 4 euros 
To benefit from a reduction on your visit to several sites, choose combined tickets.
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A Franciscan convent built in direct contact with nature and in keeping with a philosophy of extreme architectural and decorative simplicity. The Capuchos Convent is extremely small in size, being notable for the great poverty of its construction. It is also known as the “Cork convent” because of the extensive use of cork in the protection and decoration of its tiny spaces. Its rustic appearance and great austerity are indissociable from the surrounding vegetation, since the building is completely integrated into the natural environment, to the extent that enormous granite boulders have been incorporated into its construction.
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