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Pena National Palace outside Lisbon in Sintra, Portugal, is about as real as fairy-tale castles get.
- Sintra is a picturesque city located 15 miles outside of Lisbon, Portugal in the Sintra Mountains and home to numerous palaces, villas, mansions, castles, and churches.
- The most stunning of the sights in Sintra is the Pena National Palace, built in 1840 according to the exacting specifications of King Ferdinand, who wanted the palace to be a melting pot of architectural styles and colors.
- The palace is said to have inspired King Ludwig II's German castle Neuschwanstein, which inspired Walt Disney's castle at Disneyland.
- Though the palace and the surrounding grounds are undoubtedly crowded with tourists in summer months, it is an absolutely can't-miss, dreamy sight that visitors will likely never forget.
I almost didn't go.
After spending several weeks running around Lisbon, Porto, the sun-drenched beach region of Algarve, and everywhere in between, I thought why not relax on my last day in Portugal and avoid a place often described as "Disneyland for Adults."
What a mistake that would've been.
Located only 15 miles from Lisbon, the picturesque city of Sintra is about as fairy-tale Portugal as it gets. Designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the city is situated on the Portuguese Riviera and amongst the Sintra Mountains, a verdant range dense with pines, oaks, and wildlife. It's long been known as the setting for numerous myths, legends, and supernatural happenings in Portugal.
The otherworldly air is enhanced by the numerous palaces, villas, mansions, churches, and castles that are ensconced in the forested mountain peaks.
While there are more than half a dozen to visit, the two most stunning, in my opinion, are the Pena National Palace and the Castle of the Moors. The two architectural feats, built in 1840 and the 9th century respectively, best exhibit how Sintra has been a romantic destination throughout the ages.
The Pena National Palace is made from dreams. Often enveloped in fog and located at the top of a hill so that it is visible in every direction, the palace is a tapestry of colors and styles ranging from Romantic to Islamic to Gothic. Surrounded by 500 acres of winding paths, gardens, and exotic trees, you are likely to feel like you are walking into a magical kingdom.
I certainly did on my recent visit to the palace and the surrounding castles and gardens in Sintra. Here's what it was like: