Portugal – Sintra (En)
Yesterday Monday we arrived in Sintra and we stayed in Wise camper a motorhome shop that has 10 spots for parking with electricity included, filling and emptying of grey and black water, all for 8 euros. It is located outside the city so you must take an Uber to get to the centre. Sintra, the Moon Hill, is a place full of magic and mystery, where Nature and Man have combined in such a perfect symbiosis that UNESCO has granted it World Heritage Site status. The things to see are many as the National Palace and Park da Pena, one of the best palaces in Europe with its facade of colours and an interior reconstructed to its 1910 appearance when the Portuguese aristocracy fled from the country.
We took an Uber and the driver told us to go first to the Pena Palace as it is on the top of the mountain and from there we could walk downhill to the city centre. So we went to the palace and we paid to see the park and the palace outside. The park is huge and has a lot of things to see as the Valley of the lakes, the greenhouse, the fountain of the birdies and the Camellia garden. Took more than an hour to see it all.
To go down from the mountain to the city centre you could go walking or take a tuk-tuk, a motorbike which carries people on the back is really cool and they are going up and down the mountain like crazies! We decided to go walking to the Quinta da Regaleira, which is a 19th-century palace, although it looks older, boasting impressive decorations laden with Masonic references. On our way down we saw the Castle dos Mouros, built in the 8th and 9th centuries and extended after the Reconquest, it bears witness to the Islamic presence in the region. We also saw the House Biester built at the end of the 19th century that looks like a fairy tale palace and where the movie The Ninth Gate was recorded.
From there we walked to the city centre where we arrived at the National Palace square with its two distinctive cone-shaped chimneys. From the late 14th century, it was a summer resort for many Kings throughout the history of Portugal. Each room is decorated differently and has its own history to be learned. We walked through the narrow pedestrian streets with its cute shops and bars and we walked on the top of the city to the Town Hall, in the way we saw many art sculptures and amazing views of the Castle dos Mouros and the National Park. The Town Hall is a magnificent building of Neo Manueline style, standing out is his tower finished with battlements and its pyramid-shaped cover, lined with colourful tiles.
Completely exhausted after walking hours we took an Uber back to the motorhome at 8 pm in the evening. Sintra is spectacular, all the buildings are incredible, and it is like being in a fairy tale city. We really recommend coming and seeing it if you are in Portugal. It is really worth it! And tomorrow Wednesday we are taking the train to Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, and you can see it in the next post!
