Historic Sintra and Monserrate Palace, Portugal

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Lisbon is the capital of Portugal, and has been for hundreds of yers. But even its royalty needed somewhere to escape to during its hot summers. That place was the mountain town of Sintra.


Sintra City Hall


The town of Sintra has been tied to Lisbon since Roman times, but it was the Moors, in the 8th century CE, who first built a castle to protect their claim to the land. After the Moors were expelled from Portugal in the 12th century, the area’s fertile ground drew many of Lisbon’s Catholic brotherhoods to open monasteries around Sintra to help grow food for their city brethren. While the rich and royal of Lisbon maintained castles and mansions, it was after the earthquake of 1755 that Sintra really began to grow, as they looked for safer places to live.


Catching the train at Rossi Terminal


The easiest way to visit Sintra from Lisbon is to take a train from either the Rossio or Oriente terminals. Both trains are local, making many stops, and used by people getting to work or school. When you arrive at the Sintra station, the last stop on the train, it is about a 15 minute walk to the historic center of town, but there is a bus that will take you there.

 






The historic part of Sintra is built on a hillside the is steep, however it is worth exploring the area. This is where you will find shops that range from touristy to fine art, and many very good restaurants. At the top of this hill is the Pena Palace.







Monserrate Palace and Gardens 


Monserrate Palace by Jorge Lobo via wikimedia

Francis Cook by Herbert Cook via wikimedia

 

About 6 Km (3.5 miles) from historic Sintra is the Monserrate Palace and Gardens. The area has a history of chapels to Mary that dates back to the 11th century. It current formal gardens were first designed in the early 1800’s, when the land belonged to William Thomas Beckford, a British writer and politician. In 1856 Francis Cook, an English merchant, leased the property, later buying it. He expanded the gardens and had a large mansion that was dubbed the Palace built. The building was constructed in a style influenced by Romanticism and Moorish Revival movements. It served as the family’s summer home until after World War II.
























In 1949, Portugal bought the estate, as a “property in the public interest.” In 1995 the park and palace were named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.


Sintra Station



Nuts and Bolts


  • Train to Sintra - trains run from the Rossi and Oriente terminals to Sintra. They run twice an hour from around 5:20 AM - 12:30 AM. Return trains follow a similar schedule. The fare is € 2.30 each way. Historic Sintra is the last stop on the train.
  • Monserrate Palace and Park is open from 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM. Entrance fee for the Palace and Garden is € 13 for adults/ € 10 for seniors students. The fee for just the garden is € 6 adults/ € 4.50 seniors and students. You can get to Monserrate by ride share for around €10 each way.
Location: Sintra, Portugal

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