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Preplanned City Guides and Travel Itineraries

Pena National Palace - Sintra

On this page you find practical information, photos and videos about Pena National Palace - Sintra.

Pena National Palace - Sintra features in these preplanned City Guides:

5-day Lisbon City Guide

Why visit / Interesting facts:

  • One of Europe's most stunning palaces
  • UNESCO World Heritage site
  • One of Portugal's most visited monuments

Time required: 120 minutes

Web site: http://www.parquesdesint...

Opening hours:

Time period Opening hours
Apr 1 - Sept 15: 9:45am - 7pm
Oct 16 - Mar 31: 10am - 6pm
January 1 and Dec. 25: Closed

Admission:

Ticket type Charge
Apr 1 - Sept 15: 12 €
Oct 16 - Mar 31: 9 €
Park: 6 €

Public transport:

  • Bus nr.434: Palacio da Pena stop

Address: São Pedro de Penaferrim, 2710 Sintra

Photos: (see more photos)

Photo: szeke

Things you need to know:

  • Sintra is a fairytale town 35 km (22 mi) from Lisbon to the west. The town is home to Pena National Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage site
  • The name Sintra comes from 'Cynthia', the Roman goddess of the moon. In Roman time it was a place of moon worshiping. The Moors also liked it and built a hilltop castle
  • Later the town became the royal family's favorite summer retreat. Many aristorcrats moved here and built lavish palaces and mansions in the town
  • On top of the hill above Sintra stands Pena National Palace, a fairytail-like Romanticist palace. King Ferdinand built it in the 19th century as a summer residence
  • The palace features everything a fairytale castle needs: drawbridge, turrets, ramparts, battlements, domes, gargoyles; all washed in an array of pastel colors
  • The castle displays a number of styles: Neo-Gothic, Neo-Manueline, Islamic and Neo-Renaissance. The interior is richly decorated in late Victorian and Edwardian styles
  • Pena Park surrounding the palace features ponds, fountains, statues, lovely walks and a number of exotic plants from former Portuguese colonies

What to do there:

  • After arriving to Sintra go to the Scotturb Terminal (opposite the train station) and pick up the timetables
  • Take the bus 434 to Palacio de Pena bus stop (if you have to wait for the bus, use the time to walk around in the old town)
  • From the bus station take a walk (15 min uphill) or take the minitram (2 EUR) to the Palace
  • Admire the Palace from outside and inside
  • Explore the extravagant interior: rich ornaments, paintings, and priceless porcelain
  • Other highlights include the spacious ballroom, the marvelous "Arab Room", and an impressive 16th-century chapel altarpiece
  • Enjoy the amazing view from the rooftops and the towers
  • Take a walk in the mystical Pena Park (5 EUR) filled with a variety of trees and exotic plants

Tips & Insights:

  • If you already have a Lisboa card you can use it to get to Sintra for free. Once in Sintra the cheapest way of getting around is buying a bus pass that offers unlimited travel on Scotturb buses in Sintra and in Cascais. The pass (called Bilhete do Circuito da Pena) costs 4.8 EUR
  • If you don't have a Lisboa card buy a combined day pass in Lisbon. It will give you access to trains (from/to Lisbon) and buses (unlimited travel on Scotturb buses in Sintra and in Cascais). The day pass costs 12 EUR
  • It is not allowed to take photos inside the palace
  • Print at home and take with you the this table presenting the opening hours and entrance fees
  • If you are planning to visit other attractions consider buying a combined ticket with the Castelo dos Mouros or Palácio e Parque de Monserrate or Convento dos Capuchos

Pena National Palace - Sintra features in these preplanned City Guides: