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Program: Walking Sintra
Reception of the participants and Briefing - 9:00 AM.
Meeting place: Sintra or Cascais train station.
Circular: start and finish in Sintra.
LEVEL: MEDIUM
DISTANCE: 6 KM
APPROXIMATE DURATION: 4 HOURS (including the visit to the garden)
ACCUMULATED CLIMB: 350 M
ACCUMULATED DESCENT: 350 M
MAXIMUM ALTITUDE: 481 M
MINIMUM ALTITUDE: 212 M
The tour starts at the Sintra train station (in the guided option, your guide will be there waiting for you).
After a short walk you arrive at the heart of the village, home of the National Palace of Sintra. Featuring its two unique chimneys, the palace is located at the urban centre of Sintra. It is the most important building constructed for the Royal Court in Portugal, and dates back to the 15th and 16th centuries. It is now time to visit one of the many famed coffee shops of Sintra - Piriquita - to savour a coffee and a regional cake, while watching the palace skyline.
Then you'll head towards the romantic Hotel Lawrence - the oldest hotel in the Iberian Peninsula and mentioned in the novel "Os Maias", of the famous Portuguese writer Eça de Queirós. Many known people slept in this hotel, including Lord Byron, who made it internationally famous.
Continuing along the beautiful and characteristic streets of Sintra, you arrive at Quinta da Regaleira*. Quinta da Regaleira is a singular palace with intricate carvings in wood and stone that tells us about Portugal and the mythological tradition of the Portuguese people. It was acquired at the end of the 19th century by the millionaire António Carvalho Monteiro, who brought from Italy the architect Luigi Manini. Most of its beauty comes from the fact that it was constructed on the ruins of a medieval convent, and that it displays a mixture of three styles - gothic, manueline and renaissance.
*If you want to make this a whole day trip, we advise you to visit the Quinta! Adult ticket - 10 .
Further on, find the Quinta de Seteais*. This neo-classic “quinta” was built in 1760 for the Dutch consulate and trader, Daniel Giedmeester. Legend says that when the bill was presented to the owner, he heaved seven (sete) sighs (ais) and so, inadvertently, gave the quinta his name. Today it functions as a luxury hotel with interior frescoes in the salons, painted in the graceful style of Jean Pillement.
*The visit of the gardens is free, so go ahead and enjoy the view!
Afterwards, turn left into a narrow road, all surrounded by luxuriant vegetation, leading to the magic Pena Palace*, implanted in a rocky formation with its stunning gardens that are the exponent of romanticism of the 19th century, having more than five hundred species of trees from all over the world.
*The visit of the Gardens is included in this tour. If you have time, before getting to the Gardens, visit the Palace (ticket sold separately).
Once the visit to the Palace finishes, you will start the descent back to the historical center, passing by Vila Sassetti, acquired in 1885 by Victor Carlos Sassetti on the slope of Mouros Castle, designed by the architect Luigi Manini who later became the architect of Quinta da Regaleira. On this track from the Gardens back to Sintra, make sure you look up to spot the castle!
Now you have the rest of the day to keep enjoying Sintra, or to get the train/bus back and explore other areas! On the guided option you can choose between going back to the train station with your guide, or staying in Sintra.
Price per person - 35€*
* guided option avaible from 45€ per person
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