The magic of its natural scenery and the memory of the men who have passed through Sintra, the mysterious mists and the play of the water with the green leaves define its own special and possibly unique poetic ambience, transforming Sintra into a highly desirable place for artistic endeavour.
If you drive out west of Lisbon, you will notice a mountain rising up majestically, casting a shadow of romantic mystery over the town of Sintra, nestling in the foothills to the north of it.
Sintra’s rich cultural heritage includes the Moorish Castle, Pena National Palace, the Sintra National Palace, and many other buildings of historical interest which, together with the mountains and the Sintra– Cascais Natural Park, are classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Monuments

Sintra National Palace
Made up of various constructions built over successive eras, it is one of the most important Portuguese examples of royal architecture and has therefore been classified as a National Monument.
This palace is thought to have been originally a palace of the Moorish walis. Its current layout results from two phases of building works: the first one, in the reign of King John I (15th century), and the second in that of D. Manuel I (16th century).
It has the greatest collection of Mudéjar tiles in the country. It is topped by two large twin chimneys built over the kitchen, which have become the symbol of Sintra.

Pena National Palace
This palace is the most accomplished and remarkable example of Portuguese Romantic architecture. Built at approximately 500 metres above sea level, it goes back to 1839, when the prince consort D. Fernando II of Saxe-Coburg (1816-1885) bought the ruins of the Hieronymus Monastery of Our Lady of Pena and began to make it into a small palace. To oversee the work, he called Baron Eschwege, whose inspiration for this remarkable edifice came from palaces in Bavaria. Extremely fanciful, Pena’s architecture uses not only Moorish, gothic and Manueline motifs, but also the Wagnerian spirit of Central Europe’s, Schinkel castles. The Pena Palace is located 4,5 Km from the historical Centre.

Gastronomy

Sintra countrymen - known as saloios- have a rich gastronomic history based on strong traditional values that should be encouraged and preserved. Varied and abundant, the cooking around this region can make anyone’s mouth water.
Among the meat dishes, special mention should be made of the Negrais
suckling pig, Mercês pork, roast kid and veal. Fine fish, shellfish and molluscs abound in Sintra’s unpolluted coastline. One can enjoy delicious bass, sea bream, octopus or mussels and barnacles.
With regard to confectionery, the most famous pastries are the Sintra queijadas, small cheesecakes that go back to the Middle Ages. There are others, however, that also deserve to be tasted: Travesseiros, Pena pastries, Colares nuts and Belas cream-cakes, as well as traditional jams made by very ancient methods.
The perfect accompaniment to any meal should be Colares wine, especially the Ramisco label, one of the best of Portugal´s wine list.