Pena Palace in Sintra near Lisbon
Do you know that the Pena Palace must be a essential visit if you have time to take a tour of the Lisbon surroundings?
In these surroundings you have numerous tourist attractions, but when it comes to a monument to visit, there is nothing comparable with the Pena Palace.
Located in an incredible enclave, high on the mountain that is located in the center of the peninsula that extends from Lisbon, he Pena Palace it will really seem like a realfairytale castle.
Triton window in the Pena Palace in Sintra near Lisbon
At your feet is the tourist town of Sintra and all in an environment of lush forests where other interesting palaces such as the Quinta de Regaleira or Monserrate.
It is currently one of the most visited monuments in Portugal, with an architecture that is a sample of the so-called Manueline style.
Curiosities and history of the Pena Palace
The Pena Palace It is the best expression ofPortuguese romanticism19th century
Palacio da Pena in the Sierra de Sintra near Lisbon in Portugal
Its construction is due to the impulse of the king consort Fernando II, who at the beginning of that century ordered to build this palace with the purpose of being summer residence of the royalty.
Precisely the special climatology of the Sintra Saw, with its lush forests, which make it thePortugal's most important tree area, led that since the times of the occupation of the Arabs this area was chosen to build palaces, gardens and summer houses.
Known asSintra Park it comes to occupy about 900 hectares, and the entire landscape and monumental enclave of the Sintra Saw, in 1995 it was declaredWorld Heritage by Unesco.
On the other hand, do you know that the privilegedPena Palace site Was he previously occupied by a monastery?
Indeed, since 1503 was the Jerome monastery ofOur Lady of the Rock, which was built from a chapel of the twelfth century.
Palacio da Pena in the Sierra de Sintra near Lisbon in Portugal
With the earthquake of 1755, the monastery suffered serious damage, and finally, in 1838 it was acquired by the King Ferdinand II To build the palace.
In you visit of the Pena Palace you can see that, apart from the different architectural styles, the castle is divided into two clearly defined buildings: on the one hand, the one that occupied the old monastery, and on the other, the one known as New Palace.
The remodeling of the first and the construction of the second took place between 1842 and 1854.
Since its completion, thePena Palace It was the residence of five kings of Portugal, whose epochs of reign and dynasties you can see in detail in a large panel that during your visit you will find in the cloister of the old monastery.
Manuel II was the last king who resided in the palace, and from the implantation of the republic in Portugal In 1910, it became a museum open to visitors.
Pena Palace in the Sierra de Sintra near Lisbon in Portugal
Excursion to Sintra and Pena Palace from Lisbon
Looking to visit this enclave, from Lisbon you have the option to sign up for a excursion to Sintra and the Pena Palace, in which in an 8-hour day accompanied by a guide in Spanish you will also visit Cascais.
If you prefer, you have the option ofprivate excursion to Sintra and Cascais, in which you can include the visit of the Pena Palace.
These guided tours in Spanish They are suitable for a family group or friends and allows you to organize visits to your needs.
How to climb the Pena Palace from Sintra
If you are going to visit it on your ownby car, I warn you that there are hardly any parking areas at the top of the hill. and if your visit coincides with a weekend or during a time of great tourist influx, it is sure that you do not even have a place to leave the vehicle.
Entrance to the Pena palace enclosure in Sintra near Lisbon
Precisely on one of the first visits I made to Sintra, that reason made me give up visiting the palace, because I arrived at its doors and there was no way to park.
Of course, it was a massive holiday bridge ...
You have the option of getting on the bus line that goes up to the palace from the town of Sintra.
How to visit and what to see in the Palacio da Pena
When you get up, you will find yourself at the entrance of the so-calledPena Park Surrounding the palace.
Entrance to the Pena Palace in Sintra near Lisbon
Here you will find the ticket offices, but you will still have a section to walk up to the entrance of this curious fortification.
For only two euros you have the option of getting on a small decorated bus as if it were a tram, and if you opt for it, with the same ticket you can then get off in that vehicle.
And before the imposing palace, you will be struck that its architecture is a mixture of styles that includes theManuelino, an evolution in Portugal of the Gothic combined with the Mudejar.
You will verify that the palace has two clearly defined areas.
Building of the old Jerome monastery
The visit will start in thecentral cloister, then enter the building of theold jerome monastery that had been in that place since the sixteenth century, which from 1842 was adapted for this summer palace.
Cloister at the Pena Palace in Sintra near Lisbon
The first rooms you will see, all of small dimensions, are the old family dining room, the king's assistant room, and the office of theKing Carlos I.
On the second floor of this old monastic area of the palace you will see the rooms of the queen and her assistants, where the ceilings decorated with different stuccoes will attract your attention.
With traditional Portuguese furniture, you will also see theQueen's dressing room and theReading room, and one of the most outstanding rooms of this plant is the so-calledArab hall.
Arab hall in Pena Palace in Sintra near Lisbon
Terrace of the Queen in Pena Palace
Then you arrive at theQueen's Terrace, from where you have thebest panoramic views from the Pena Palace, including those ofLisbon.
Finally, from the aforementioned terrace you already access the area of the new palace, a building that was added to the old monastery to finish configuring the summer residence.
Here, above all, the so-calledIndian Hall, with its striking wooden furniture.
Indian Hall of the Palace of Pena de Sintra
El Tritón window in Palacio da Pena
On the exterior facade of this addition is the icon corner ofPena Palace, hePorch of the Triton.
It is a large window with a lush decoration, which highlights the figure of a kind of monster calledTriton.
The also known as theTriton Window It is an allegory of the creation of the world.
With a basic structure of neo-Gothic style, characteristic ofPortuguese Manuelino, all of it presents a profuse decoration of vegetation and forms of corals.
El Tritón window in Pena de Sintra Palace
It is said to be a maritime interpretation of Manueline style.
Undoubtedly the element that stands out in this set of porch and window is theTriton figure, which is half man and half fish, and also adopts the position of a tree trunk.
When you see thePorch of the Triton, it will give you the feeling that the monstrous figure is supporting the entire window on its backs, which is also surrounded by the branches and lush vegetation of said tree.
For the realization ofThe newt the architect was inspired by the Manueline style window of the sacristy of theConvent of Christ, inDrink (which I still don't know), dating from 1513.
Figure of the Triton in Pena Palace of Sintra
One final tip: to see more in detail theTriton window, you can do well from the aforementionedQueen's Terrace
To end the visit, you will pass through the living room whose walls are covered by dozens of stuffed deer heads, and a large room that emulates the palace's old kitchens.
In sum, oneessential visit around Lisbon, because it is a building that maintains its ornate decoration and furniture,
I anticipate that you can certainlyfeel how the Portuguese kings lived during their summer stays.
Kitchen of the Palace of Pena de Sintra
Below you have the useful information for your visit of this monument, one of the most visited in Portugal.
Palacio da Pena opening hours
The visiting hours of the Palacio da Pena they are, in high season, from May to October, from 9.45 to 19 hours, the last entry being 18.15 hours ...
You can visit the park that surrounds this palace from 9.30 am to 8 pm, with last access to the park one hour before.
In low season, from November to April, the visiting hours are from 10 a.m. to 5.30 p.m., and the park, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Pena Palace of Sintra near Lisbon
Ticket prices Palacio da Pena
The Ticket prices of the Palacio da Pena They vary according to high or low season.
You can also buy combined tickets to visit other monuments of the Sintra parks, As the palace and park of Monserrate, he Capuchin Convent or the Castle of the Moors.
Here you can check the updated rates of Pena Park and Palace.
And here you can buy in advance of your trip the tickets to visit Pena Palace with priority access, which will allow you to avoid the frequent ones that form in this monument that, I remind you, is one of the most visited in Portugal.
