A Quick Stop in Sintra
When researching Portugal, we knew right from the start a day trip to Sintra was a must. Sintra is a small town near Lisbon, known for it's popular villas and palaces. The most well-known attraction there is the Pena Palace. On our last full day in Lisbon, we headed to Rossio Station to catch the next train there. We made sure to leave a bit earlier, around 9 a.m., in order to beat the crowds and long lines when walking around the palace. After about a 40 minute train ride, we were standing in Sintra's train station. Since it was our first time there, we were not 100% sure on how to get from the train station to the palace. Thankfully, most people on the train were heading in same direction as us and we stumbled upon bus no. 434 with a direct route to the Pena Palace for 5.50 euros round trip. Although some people decided to walk up to the palace, we were grateful that we took the bus since it was way farther than we imagined and the roads were quite narrow. As we got off the bus, the palace was in walking distance right up the road. We knew we were finally there, as we were greeted by the famous bright yellow and red palace poking out from the fog and trees.
The Pena Palace stands tall, looking very whimsical and fairytale-like. It didn't seem real to me as I stood in front of it, gazing up. A bit of background on how the palace came to be: the grounds were originally a monastery until the Great Lisbon Earthquake in 1755, reducing everything to ruins. The ruins remained untouched until 1838, where King Ferdinand transformed the grounds to a palace with the purpose to serve as a summer residence for the Portuguese royal family. The commission was given to German architect, Wilhelm Ludwig von Eschwege and what he created is the iconic palace that is known today.
As we entered, there were a decent amount of people taking photos and admiring the outside views. We were surprised to find a line filled with people already to enter the palace. When you get there, you are able to walk through the palace with the option of walking through it with a guide. We decided not to walk through with a guide based off of the limited time we had and our personal preferences. I enjoyed taking photos of the architecture, so I spent more time at the lookout spots outside of the palace, rather than in the rooms with the walking tour inside.
In total, we spent around two hours walking around in and outside of the palace, including some time spent grabbing a quick bite to eat. There is a very nice cafe that has sandwiches, chips and pastries. Famished, we decided to eat there with a stunning view of the palace around us. As we left the sun came out, making the colors of the palace pop out even more. By this time (around 1 p.m.) the line grew exponentially, wrapping around the palace. We were so happy that we arrived earlier, dodging the lines and then having the rest of the day to head back to Lisbon and explore more. Overall, the palace was an unforgettable site to see that showcased Portugal's creative and colorful ambience!