Scintillating Sintra

After plunging into Lisbon, a major, modern city, I almost

immediately shifted gears and headed for Sintra, a quaint

historic retreat less than an hour away. Easily reached by

train from the Rossio station, Sintra was first settled by

Neolithic peoples in 5,000 B.C. before it became a Moorish

city around the 8th century, which is quickly evident. You

can explore a marvelously restored fortress overlooking

the ocean that conveys the power and influence of the Arab

Empire. Portuguese royalty and aristocracy ultimately

claimed this haven for themselves and who can blame

them? Somewhat remote, the refute is peaceful and

sublimely beautiful.

The easiest way to access the most important historic sites is via the 434 bus, which makes a loop from the Sintra train station all the way up to the Moorish castle, Pena Palace and Quinta de Regaleria, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. After boarding the bus, it will become clear why it is preferable to ride than to walk! In fact, it is amazing how those huge buses are able to climb the steep mountain road and navigate the sharp turns. The $13.50 ticket allows for unlimited rides for 24 hours. I did notice people hiking up the wooded paths, but honestly, if you have experienced the gardens of the estate, no need to trample through the forest, too.

Sintra’s landscape is quite beautiful with hillsides covered with trees and ferns, which thrive in its moist ocean air. I already knew that visiting Sintra was at least an overnight trip, but I would have enjoyed staying a third day to appreciate its sites. The Pena Palace was designed by the Baron Wilhelm Ludwig von Eschwege between 1842 and 1847 for Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, the husband of Queen Maria II. It has been said that the Virgin Mary appeared atop this hill and I can believe it. Thus, a chapel was originally dedicated in her honor. Later, Manuel 1 built a monastery. The 1755 Lisbon earthquake all but destroyed that, so King Ferdinand naturally turned the ruins into his summer palace.

Built on a hilltop, surrounded by fabulous gardens, the opulent palace has the appeal of a storybook castle with multiple towers, turrets, domes and archways painted red, gold and grey. Its architecture typifies 19th-century Romanticism. The monarchy ended in 1910, so the palace is frozen in time. After the revolution, it became a national monument surrounded by a spectacular park, included in the price of admission.

Quinta da Regaleria was built at the end of the 19th century for Augusto Carvalho Monteiro with designs by a scenographer-architect Luigi Manini. Carvallho inherited a family fortune made in the Portuguese colony of Brazil, by exporting precious stones and coffee. Then he married a wealthy woman from Braga! He had little to do thereafter but develop this fantastic estate that embodies his interests in nature and mysticism.

In addition to a palace surrounded by gardens with statuary, fountains, grottos, waterfalls, caves, ponds, a chapel, an 88-foot-deep initiation well made of stone is adorned with pagan symbols. You can wind your way up and down through a spiral staircase, which they say might have something to do with experiencing rebirth or death. The well's nine platforms represent the circles of Hell or maybe nine skies in the theological poem, “Divine Comedy.” Monteiro was connected to Rosicrucianism, a secret society founded in the occult. Anyway, pretty cool and also weird.

There are two other palaces to see, including the Monserrate and National Palace, but I chose to explore the Moorish castle, which stands over the wild cliffs, pitted against the ocean breezes. This is a children’s dream to dash up and down the stairs and along the narrow passageways, and there are many who do. To a point, I could before vertigo kicked in. The soldiers lived in the village below, following the trails to assume their guard shifts. This place really stirred by imagination. Not that I wouldn’t love living in a palace, but the fort captures the essence of empire.