September is a great time of year to head over to Portugal as it’s not too hot and not too cold either. Being in the same Time Zone as the UK, you will feel like you’ve had a beautiful break somewhere warm and sunny, without the jet-lag! Sintra is a great city to visit, located on the South-West coast, just North of Lisbon, within a National Park, there is plenty to see in a weekend. You can also visit Lisbon for the day if you decide to hire a car.
Pena Palace: This beautiful Palace stands on the rocky peaks of Serra de Sintra and just blends into it’s background of green hills. The palace dates back to 1839 and is Portugal’s finest example of Romantic architecture. Definitely a site to see as well as the beautiful views from the top of the hill.
Moorish Castle: This castle was built during the 8th or 9th Century AD and is situated on two peaks of the Serra de Sintra. Surrounded by several towers and walls, it had undergone repair by King Consort Fernando of Saxe Coburg-Gotha. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site it is one of the main tourist attractions in Sintra. The Pena Palace and the Royal Palace located within the city of Sintra can all be seen from the castle which has magnificent views.
Queluz Gardens and Palace: Built in 1760 and onward these gardens have a beautiful mix of ponds, fountains, canals, rocco statues and marbles vases with extreme precision to detail. The main attraction within the garden is the Portico dos Cavalinhos, a garden temple by two sphinxes and allegorical equestrian statues depicting Phemes a personification in Greek mythology whom spread gossip and rumours. Here you will also find the first artificial waterfall to be constructed in Lisbon. The Palace is open for public viewing and is beautiful inside with French artisans design.
This is just a taster of sights to see in Sintra, with your car hire in Portugal you are able to explore many other sights to see such as St Mamede Church which is the traditional pilgrimage for the blessing of livestock, or the Toy Museum which houses over 20,000 toys and collections that are over 50 years old. You can also drive to places such as Lisbon or Cascais and enjoy your time in this beautiful country. Don’t forget to try the Nata’s if you head to Lisbon! They are delicious!
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