Sintra and the fairytale landscape

How I longed for my visit to fairyland! “Sintra” sounds like an enchanted place, a thousand and one nights, majestic appearances, knights and princesses, battles and festivals – in short, a place that has something to offer. When we planned our trip to Portugal, it was clear from the beginning that Sintra would be a fixed point in the rather densely packed program. The small town, located about 20 km northwest of Lisbon, is famous for its royal palaces and has also been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1995.

Sintra can be easily reached from Lisbon by public transport. The train journey takes about 40 minutes and the “Sintra Line” runs from Rossio station at 15′ intervals during the week. We set off early in the morning so that we could reach the popular tourist destination before the big crowds.

The first highlight of Sintra, the Palacio Nacional de Sintra, can be reached from the train station either by a short walk uphill or by shuttle bus. We opted for the former and marveled at the magnificent town hall and the various art installations on the way.

The old town of Sintra is dominated by the massive Royal Palace with its two characteristic fireplaces. Although it was only 10 o’clock in the morning, a few tour buses had already arrived and the forecourt to the palace was bustling with activity. It was not our goal for the day to see every palace from the inside. It was important for us to experience the cultural landscape of Sintra. Therefore, after a short stop at the Pastelaria Piriquita, an old queijadas factory near the palace, we continued towards Castelo dos Mouros. High above Sintra sits the mighty castle, which was built under Arab rule. This also explains why Sintra evokes such Far Eastern associations.

A beautiful and steep path leads through wooded area up to the castle. Even if the reconstructed castle complex does not correspond to the original, the view from the fortress walls is bombastic. If I had been an Arab ruler, I would have built my fortress up here as well. The entrance ticket to the castle costs 7 euros for adults and can be purchased at the castle entrance. Combined tickets for the castle and the Palacio Nacional de Pena are also available for 17 euros.

The beautiful circular route through the cultural landscape leads from the castle directly to the Palacio Nacional de Pena – which really does meet all the requirements for a clichéd fairytale castle. King Dom Fernando had the castle built for his wife Dona Maria II – well, I still need a man to build such castles for me. The Palacio Nacional de Pena is a colourful patchwork of Romanesque, Gothic, Baroque, Moorish and Indian style elements and is probably the terror for every architectural purist. However, in my opinion, the colorful castle fits perfectly with Sintra. In front of the ticket booth there were also huge crowds of tourists. The insider tip is to go directly to the castle early in the morning, buy the combined ticket there and then take a leisurely walk to the Palacio Nacional de Pena.

The circular route finally led us through the pretty district of São Pedro de Sintra back to the Sintra train station. The walk, the fresh air (in Sintra, it can be chilly even in summer, it is recommended to have a windbreaker with you) and the fairytale castles made us hungry. Actually, we wanted to go to the Fabrica das Verdadeiras Queijadas da Sapa. Despite the open door, we were turned away with the words “it’s closed”. For a short time, I feared that Sintra would be the same culinary disaster as Bélem. Café Saudade (Av. Miguel Bombarda, 6) fortunately saved my mood. Right next to the train station is this super nice café with nice service, huge latte cups and delicious local specialties. My very personal fairy tale in Sintra and the reconciliation with Portuguese coffee houses.