A quick 40-minute train ride from Lisbon lands you in the picturesque town of Sintra, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We were immediately taken with the romantic landscape. Following a path away from the masses of tourists, we found a picture perfect lunch spot overlooking the Palace of Sintra, built by the Moors in the Middle Ages. With only an afternoon, we chose two fairy tale scenes to discover.

Our first stop was the Moorish Castle, or what looks like the setting for Game of Thrones. This military fort was built just before the 10th century by the North African Moors. After falling into disrepair, is was restored by King Ferdinand II in the 19th century, and has since become a major tourist attraction.

We walked its lengthy walls and up its watchtowers. From a distance the Pena Palace was visible, our next stop.

The Park and Palace of Pena make up the most important part of Sintra’s cultural landscape. Arriving to this architectural marvel, it’s easy to understand why. The brightly colored palace is a balance of nature meets 19th century Portuguese Romanticism. In a word, stunning! I quickly learned that it was rebuilt after an earthquake destroyed this former 18th century monastery. It was King Ferdinand II who transformed it into a palace, creating the summer residence of the Portuguese royal family. We spent the rest of the afternoon discovering the elaborate interior while marveling at the exterior facades. What an extraordinary work of art!

While we could certainly have stayed overnight in Sintra, I was happy to head back to Lisbon and continue our adventure. All the while during our return I wondered, how quickly could we return to Portugal?

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