Moorish Castle – Sintra Monuments Surrounding two hills in Sintra, the Moorish Castle dates back to the early days of the Moorish occupation of the Peninsula – the 8th century. After many attempts, it was finally taken by D. Afonso Henriques, the first king of Portugal, in 1147, and the city’s first Christian chapel was built, dedicated to Saint Peter of Penaferrim. During the Romantic period, in 1860, the walls were restored under the supervision of D. Fernando II, husband of D. Maria II, who planted trees in the surrounding areas and gave new dignity to the old medieval ruins. Highlights include the Moorish Cistern inside and the so-called Royal Tower. Located about 3.5 km from the historic centre of Sintra.

Pena National Palace and Park Museums and Palaces Pena National Palace Visit the fantastic Pena Palace, an example of 19th-century Romanticism in Portugal. Situated at the top of Monte da Pena, the palace was built on the site of an old monastery. It was commissioned by D. Fernando de Saxe Coburgo-Gotha, who married Queen Maria II in 1836. Falling in love with Sintra, he decided to buy the convent and surrounding lands to build a summer palace for the royal family. A restaurant has been set up in one of the wings of the palace, with a terrace offering beautiful panoramic views over the Sintra Mountains and the coast.

Centre historique Sintra, ville classée au patrimoine mondial de l'UNESCO, est un site du patrimoine municipal. Visitez le centre historique de la ville romantique de Sintra, où subsistent de nombreux bâtiments et vestiges de différentes époques et mouvements culturels.

National Palace of Sintra Museums and Palaces The National Palace of Sintra is unique among Portugal's medieval royal palaces and the most distinctive building in the town of Sintra. Since the country's earliest dynasties, Sintra has been a favourite haunt of Portuguese kings and queens, although the palace we see today was the initiative of King João I, who rebuilt it, and King Manuel I, who enriched the building's decorative character and added a new wing. The decoration is remarkable, being a combination of various artistic styles that depended on the tastes of the kings who lived here, and designed to give different names to the various rooms. In particular, visitors are drawn to the Swan Room, the Weapons Room, the Magpie Room or Reading Room and the chapel. On the outside, the most striking and distinctive element of the palace are the two large conical chimneys in the kitchen, each 33 metres high, today adopted as the symbol of Sintra.

Palais et domaine de la Regaleira Musées et palais La Quinta da Regaleira, située à proximité du centre historique de Sintra, est l'une des attractions touristiques les plus énigmatiques de la ville. La Quinta da Regaleira a été construite au début du XXe siècle par le millionnaire António Augusto Carvalho Monteiro (1848-1920), qui a réalisé l'un de ses rêves avec l'aide de l'architecte et scénographe Luigi Manini (1848-1936). Entouré d'une végétation luxuriante, le palais de la Regaleira est une découverte fascinante. Le palais a été construit dans un style néo-romantique, imitant les formes architecturales et décoratives gothiques, manuélines et Renaissance, mêlées à un symbolisme mythique et ésotérique. Mention spéciale pour la chapelle de la Sainte Trinité, où les visiteurs peuvent descendre un escalier en colimaçon jusqu'à la crypte pour découvrir le puits d'initiation monumental qui, au fond, mène à travers une grotte à un magnifique lac caché au milieu des jardins.