In this event we'll get to know the magnificent National Palace of Sintra, as well as a pleasant walk through the Sintra Mountains, passing by such spectacular places as Quinta da Regaleira, Seteais Palace, Pena Palace and Vila Sassetti.

Sintra National Palace:

The National Palace of Sintra, located in the historic centre of the town, is a unique monument that cannot be missed for its historical, architectural and artistic value.

Of all the palaces that Portuguese monarchs had built during the Middle Ages, only Sintra has survived to the present day practically intact, maintaining the essence of its configuration and silhouette since the mid-16th century. The main building campaigns after the Christian Reconquest (12th century) were promoted by kings D. Dinis, D. João I and D. Manuel I, between the end of the 13th century and the middle of the 16th century. These works of adaptation, extension and improvement determined the palace's physiognomy.

The first allusions to palatial structures in Sintra predate the Reconquista. The Arab geographer Al-Bakrî (11th century) mentions two extremely solid castles in Sintra (source: Al-Himyarî, Muslim geographer and historian). These were the one located at the top of the mountain, which is still called the Moorish Castle, and the one that existed on the site of the current palace, located next to the town, in the old Almedina. It would have served as the residence of the Moorish rulers and, after 1147, of the Christian kings, following the conquests of Santarém and Lisbon.

In a Royal Letter of 1281, King Dinis, aware of the maintenance needs of the Crown's buildings in Sintra (mea palacia, as they are referred to by the king himself), grants the free Moors of the neighbouring town of Colares privileges for the conservation and renovation of their Paço de Sintra: the Moorish Paço belonging to the Crown by right of conquest, located within a walled enclosure.

Walking:

After the visit to the National Palace of Sintra, we'll go for our usual walk through the Serra de Sintra, passing among many other places of great beauty, such as Quinta da Regaleira, Seteais Palace and the beautiful Vila Sassetti trail.