Private guide in Sintra, guided tours in Sintra, Portugal

Top Attractions in Sintra

Monserrate, The Royal Palace, Pena park with Pena Palace, Palace of Pena(Sintra), Quinta da Regaleira, Convento dos Capuchos, Moorish Castle

Sintra
Portugal

Population: 363,749
Language: Portuguese
Currency: Euro (EUR)

Information about Sintra

Most people call Sintra simply the Portugal’s fairytale town on the edge of Europe. This nickname appeared due to the city’s mystical hills, extravagant villas and fairytale palaces that have bewitched visitors for centuries. The city’s name originates from “Cynthia”, the Roman goddess of Moon, seeing as the Romans made Sintra a place of moon worshipping.

The Moors were the next ones to completely fall in love with the city’s lush vegetation and build a beautiful palace, a hilltop castle and several fountains around the town. Some centuries later Sintra became the summer residence of the Portuguese royal family. This fact attracted lots of noblemen to the city and they built luxury mansions there. Even Lord Byron called Sintra the “glorious Eden” and wrote that it was “in every respect the most delightful in Europe”. Sintra is an extraordinary place indeed noteworthy for its surreal mixture of fantasy and history. No wonder it is protected by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

All these facts make Sintra an extremely popular tourist destination, especially taking into consideration the fact that it’s in a 30-minutes drive from Lisbon. The National Palace, dating back from the beginning of the 14th century is among tourists’ favourite attractions of the city.