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Pena National Palace

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    • TravelerCamino De Santiago - Portugues
      1
      Day 3

      Pena Palace

      April 6 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 59 °F

      Today we tried something different and joined a bus tour that took us out of Lisbon to Pena Palace, then to the town of Sintra, next to Cabo da Roca, and finished up in Cascais. It turned out to be a very full day.

      The Pena Palace began as a monastery and then in 1755 an earthquake practically turned it into a ruin. In 1836, Queen Maria II married Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, a prince from Belgium. Ferdinand began renovating the monastery and expanded it to the palace of today to hold his family of 11 children.      Read more

    • TravelerFlitterwochen Portugal
      Day 19

      Palacio de Pena

      September 10 in Portugal ⋅ 🌬 21 °C

      Von dem märchenhaften Wald ging es in ein märchenhaftes Schloss, namentlich „Palacio de Pena“, ein relativ junges und sehr fiktiv angehauchtes Schloss, welches aber Träume wahr werden lässt. Hier kann man nur sagen, dass die Könige des Landes damals viel Geld und viel Fantasie hatten, um dieses Schloss entstehen zu lassen. Vor als auch nach der Besichtigung der Räumlichkeiten und der Anlage an sich verweilten wir in der riesigen Parkanlage, welche mit einen malerischeren Weg nach dem nächsten lockt und zum verweilen einlädt. Insgesamt ein sehr reizvoller und visueller Ausflug, welcher uns am Abend erschöpft ins Bett fallen und traumlos durchschlafen lies.Read more

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    • TravelerEurope 2023
      Day 8

      Pena Palace

      April 29, 2023 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

      The day started off with light cloud in Lisbon; Nancy who hates being cold packed her mid-layer and rain jacket, Doug who hates being warm went in a short sleeve and the felt he could have used his long. Train from Lisbon Rossio Station to Sintra took 40 minutes with the scenery noted to be high rises all the way even when there appeared to be undeveloped hilly land that would not be ideal for agriculture. All high rises have outdoor clothes lines and one thinks you had better have good clothes pins as some surely must be lost and travel down many stories. Nancy reflected on how much space and privilege we've enjoyed as a family in our housing as she saw a little boy peek out to look at the train from his fourth floor balcony hung with childrens' clothing out to dry. Reaching Sintra we felt we were "out in the country" and for the first time saw houses and on our way up the mountain to the Pena Palace, mansions, obviously a getaway place for others with $. Sintra was shrouded in mist, bus to get up to the top, line ups of people and tour groups allowed in by timed entry but rather disorganized. Once in the castle the route was well defined and we agreed that an audio guide was not necessary. In addition it appeared having a tour guide was not particularly worthwhile in that only a few people close to the guide could hear and sometimes the explanations were not as accurate as what was posted on the sign describing the room you were seeing.

      The history of Sintra’s Pena Palace begun in the middle ages as a chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Pena. In the 16th century King Manuel I ordered the construction of a monastery on the site.

      It became a site for peaceful meditation for hundreds of years until the Great Lisbon Earthquake in 1755 destroyed it.

      The site remained ruins for a while until King Ferdinand II decided to transform the site into a summer palace for the Portuguese Royal Family.

      Reconstruction of the Pena Palace started in 1842 and lasted until 1854. It is an eclectic mix of architectural styles but is widely regarded as a wonderful exotic taste of the Romanticism architecture.

      After frequently being used by the royal family for a few decades, it was purchased by the Portuguese State in 1889 and by 1910 it was classified as a national monument.      Read more

    • TravelerSpain and Portugal, 2024
      11
      Day 15

      Sintra, Portugal, Day 2

      May 1 in Portugal ⋅ 🌬 15 °C

      We visited the Palacio de Pena and the Castelo de Mouro. Both are on hills so we had to walk up (because the bus we were on got stuck in traffic) and then walk down a pretty nice path into town. The last kings and queens of Portugal lived part time in the Palacio de Pena which was a convent before royalty converted it into a palace. The Castelo de Mouro dates back to the 12th century when the Moors controlled the area.Read more

    • TravelerCamino de Santiago
      111
      Day 45

      Pena Palace

      May 6 in Portugal ⋅ 🌬 17 °C

      I'm aware I have a slight reputation for thinking I'm always right, but days like today really shore that up and after a while you do sort of have to look at the stats and reach a conclusion.

      The garden only ticket is the way to bloody go. There's f i v e h u n d r e d acres of cool stuff, tiny unsigned paths you can get lost on, buildings, lakes, animals, and rocks you can climb.

      What's more you can go round the entire outside of the castle, and not have to a) select a time slot when you buy your ticket and then stress about being there on time and b) stand around in the probably 400m long queue to shuffle through an interior which by all accounts is less interesting than the exterior.

      You can walk past them and have a squiz and leave. It was EXCELLENT. And it was cheaper. I am right.      Read more

    • Die Dauers on Tour 🇪🇸 🇵🇹
      1
      Day 27

      Palácio Nacional da Pena

      May 12 in Portugal ⋅ 🌬 15 °C

      Tag zwei unserer Sintra-Tour beginnen wir mit einem Alpine-Start. Um einen der wenigen Parkplätze in der Stadt zu ergattern, stehen wir früh auf und fahren ohne Frühstück los.
      Dabei dürfen wir am eigenen Leib erleben, warum es in Sintra so dermaßen grün ist.
      Die Wolken bleiben an den umliegenden Hügeln hängen und erzeugen ein besonders kühles und feuchtes Klima. Genau das hat den alten Adel in den heißen Sommermonaten hierhergezogen, aktuell ist es eher ungemütlich. Nichtsdestotrotz brechen wir auf zum Palácio Nacional da Pena, dem portugiesischen Neuschwanstein. Wir parken das Auto am Ortsrand von Sintra und machen uns erst einmal zu Fuß auf den Weg zum Bahnhof. Dort wollen wir in einen der Touri-Busse steigen, der uns hoch auf den Hügel bringt. Aber erst einmal haben wir Hunger. Wir entdecken eine Bäckerei in Bahnhofsnähe und haben vor etwas zum Frühstücken zu kaufen. Weil die angebotenen gefüllten Brötchen/Empanadas/Pizzateilchen (oder wie auch immer man sie nennen mag) so genial aussehen nehmen wir direkt mehr, um auch noch welche zum Mittagessen zu haben. Dann steigen wir in den Bus und fahren zum Schloss. Nachdem wir schon eine ganze Weile in der sich nicht bewegenden Ticketschlange stehen, merken wir, dass es nebenan auch Ticketautomaten gibt und 3 Minuten später sind wir drin und suchen uns erstmal einen Platz zum Frühstücken. Dabei stellen wir fest, dass die Bäckerteile 1. extrem geil sind und 2. extrem sättigend. Unser Abendessen wäre also auch direkt gesichert. Dann steigen wir durch den Park auf zum Palácio, welcher oben auf dem Hügel thront. Und schon der erste Anblick ist einfach nur freaky. Nicht nur, dass der Palast aus gelben, roten und blauen Teilen besteht, hinzu kommt eine wilde Mischung aus romanischen, gotischen, maurischen, manuelinischen, indischen und barocken Stilelementen.
      Heraus kommt ein Stilmix, der jetzt nicht unbedingt besonders hübsch, aber definitiv besonders ist und auf jeden Fall sehenswert. Nachdem wir das Schloss aus allen möglichen Blickwinkeln bewundert und uns immer wieder gefragt haben, was den exzentrischen Architekten dabei bitte geritten hat, ziehen wir weiter in die Gartenanlage. Wobei Garten eigentlich das falsche Wort dafür ist. Das Schloss ist umgeben von einer riesigen waldähnlichen Parkanlage mit einem Labyrinth an Wegen. Darauf wandern wir eine Weile etwas ziellos durch die Gegend und entdecken Grotten, alte Gewächshäuser, kleine Kapellen, Brunnen, Teiche und Co. Dann beschließen wir, dass es uns reicht und wir verlassen diesen Park, um durch die Hügel Sintras zum nächsten Palast weiterzuwandern. Und weil dieser genauso abgefahren ist, hat er einen eigenen Footprint verdient. [Fortsetzung folgt].      Read more

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    • TravelerPORTUGAL 2023
      Day 3

      Pena Palace

      March 27, 2023 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

      Instead of takin the bus from the train station, we were enticed by a smooth talking tour guide to get a ride up the hill in the comfort of his car and listen to the history of Peña Palace. Just to make sure you’re paying attention, there is a quiz at the end. The bus cost is 7 euro and his informative and educational conveyance is only 10 euro.
      We got underway almost immediately, stopping only to try and rope in another customer from the train station as there was one empty seat in the car. He talked non stop for the 12 minute journey covering history from the Muslim occupation of the Iberian Peninsula to King Ferdinand II and his actress second wife. We had a photo opportunity once when we stopped behind the bus we didn’t take. He rolled down my widow for an unobstructed view.
      Dianne and I realized when we parted company that the bus ticket was round trip. We would have to walk back to town..      Read more

    • Portugal
      1
      Day 3

      Schloss Sintra

      June 28 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

      Gleich nach dem Aufstehen haben wir uns aufgemacht zum Schloss in Sintra. Das hieß natürlich erstmal aufwärts aufwärts aufwärts. Oben hat man dafür sicher eine tolle Aussicht. Ja, hat man bestimmt aber heute war da eine dicke Wolkendecke die einfach nicht gehen wollte. Die tauchte dafür das Schloss und den umliegenden, wunderschönen Park in etwas mystisches.
      Ins Schloss konnten wir nicht mehr, es gab keine Karten mehr und die Schlange war auch furchtbar lang. Aber man konnte einmal drum herum gehen.
      Wir haben den Park genossen, noch einen Blick in die Altstadt geworfen und waren dann pünktlich zum großen Regen wieder am Auto.
      Wir sind dann jetzt auch bereit für schönes Wetter 😬👍🏼      Read more

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    • TravelerCamino 2024
      1
      Day 5

      A fairytale palace

      June 30 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

      The Palace of Pena is beautiful but more in the way an eclectic museum is beautiful than a royal palace. Intentionally built for leisure, it looks like a storybook castle. The architecture draws inspiration from Big Ben, the Taj Mahal and the Neuschwanstien castle.

      Definitely worth seeing but it all felt very ‘Disney’. The art and furniture and decorations were opulent- meant to impress and demonstrate wealth. I kept feeling as if they lacked character. Sometimes at historic sites, i get a feel for the people. There is something relatable about them. Sometimes their humor shines through. But not here. I don’t say that with criticism- i say that with a lot of empathy.

      The castle was built during the downfall of the portuguese monarchy. King fernando II built it for his first wife as a demonstration of his love for her. He also imported trees and greenery from all over the world - turning a once dry and barren region into a lush rolling forest. Together they had 11 children but only 6 survived. After the death of his first wife, he fell in love with and eventually married a commoner. Their forbidden love was a source of scandal and stress for many years.

      King fernando’s son and his family enjoyed a few years of leisure here before the monarchy was overthrown and they were all assassinated or exiled.

      All of which to say, this family knew tragedy and hardship which might explain the lack of character in the palace.

      Except for king triton. He did not look or feel ‘disney’ at all. I loved the detail on him and laughed out loud at his weird nipples.

      My favorite part of the visit was walking through the vast gardens. I explored the ruins of the Moor Castle from 1100 and chased lizards and earned a huge scoop of gelato.      Read more

    • TravelerPortugal
      Day 5

      Day 188: Sintra

      July 16 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 66 °F

      Today we took a day trip to the city of Sintra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. According to UNESCO, “In the 19th century Sintra became the first centre of European Romantic architecture. Ferdinand II turned a ruined monastery into a castle where this new sensitivity was displayed in the use of Gothic, Egyptian, Moorish and Renaissance elements and in the creation of a park blending local and exotic species of trees.”

      On a mountain top, stands the Palace de Pena, sanctioned by King Ferdinand II and Queen Maria II for their home. It is now one of the most visited sites in Portugal and used by the government today for national addresses or meetings. It’s possible to taxi and bus up to the palace, but there is also a hike. The catch is that the hike is straight up hill and stairs. We power climbed up to the castle to make our 12:30 entry time.

      The castle was astonishing with colorful tiles and architecture from Moorish times. They also had original furniture and fabrics from 1908. On the outside, it’s possible to hug the walls around tight bends while marveling at the nature and ocean. y
      You just can’t beat combining yellow, pink, and blue colors on a castle with tiles and archways.

      After touring the castle, we hiked down much slower and actually got to enjoy the view. They had flowers and waterfalls built along the path in the Vila Sassetti. The village of Sintra is also cute with colorful houses and tiles. We tried sour cherry liquor (ginja) in a chocolate cup and port.

      Around 5pm, we trained home on our very last Eurorail train 😢😢😢 it’s been an amazing 90 Days with unlimited trains and we will miss the convience this pass brought us. Attached data related to our travels if anyone is interested.

      Restaurant: Tulhas

      Food:
      Octopus
      Iberico Grilled Pork
      Tomato Salad

      Spots:
      Sintra
      Palace e Parque de Peña
      Vila Sassetti      Read more

    You might also know this place by the following names:

    Pena National Palace, Palácio Nacional da Pena

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