Landscape of sensations!

Sintra Mountain is one of those examples where nature never ends, resulting from the constant renewal of the vegetation, atmospheric conditions and, mainly, of our own state of mind…For a long time I wished to return to this place. The visit to this pilgrimage site is mandatory and the sun from the first days of spring created the ideal conditions for my visit. In the morning quite early and loaded with cameras, binoculars and tripod, I went towards S. Pedro de Sintra. My approach to the Pena Park was made on foot, the nature is beautiful in this road and I avoided the traffic jam near the entrance.

Since I was a small boy I have a permanent contact with this place, and it’s curious I never get bored, there is always something there to surprise me and makes me  want to come back again and again. Pena Park is especially interesting for the way it was conceived, for the variety of botanical species and for the palace itself. The woods in the Park are for me one of the most interesting aspects and I think, less seen by the thousands visitors that come to this place every year. Maybe the labyrinthine aspect of the paths and the gloomy ambience given by the leafy trees, the park may look fierce and drive away the visitors? We are facing a botanical tour in a perfectly natural environment of rare beauty and high scientific importance. This Park represents a landscape project that transformed a mountain range, on those days totally wild, in an arboretum that contains several historical gardens, in a total area of 85 he that benefits of amazing geological and climate conditions. We all know that botanic is very important, but it’s the scenario ambience that really thrills me. Both lighting and darkness, closed areas where the sun hardly gets in, or the open sunny places, the big rocks, huge , the small foetus, mushroom or moss, and the different perspectives from the Palace as we go along, transform this walk in a unique and always renewed experience. It’s difficult to choose a spot of preference, but I dare say the Queen’s Feteira. Some places strategically located are ideal for an attentive observation of the views; I point out  Cruz Alta and the Queen’s Trone.

Pena Park

The Palace dates back to 1839, when the King Consort Dom Fernando II of Saxe Coburg-Gotha (1816-1885) bought the ruins of the Hieronymite Monastery of Nossa Senhora da Pena and started to adapt it for use as a residence, according to his Romantic taste. What we can see today results from the inspiration of the King and all the tendencies, artistic and intellectual from the XIX century. The king worked together with the architect Baron von Eschwege and the engineer Barn Kesseler in the Palace and in all the surroundings of it. Refusing the formality of the classical gardens and considering the ground full of ups and downs, the fertility of the soil, the climate so special   of this mountain range and the views seen from here,  King Fernando II planed the Park in a way it would be as natural as possible. In the pursuit of this and according to what he himself planned for the interiors of the Palace, the inspiration came from the opera sceneries and far away landscapes and he also imagine for the park contrasts,  exotics and everything extraordinary. To materialize this idea he put in his projects some vestiges left by the Hieronymus monks as well as in the Palace. Projected lakes linked by cascades and planted   forests and woods with imported species from all over the world. Criptomeiras from Japan, foetus from New Zealand, cedars from Lebanon, araucarias from Brazil and tuias from North America – alongside with Portuguese species, in a total of more than 2000. He also built throught out the Park pavilions in several architectural styles, fountains, small hideaways and belvederes.

Most significant species:

On our tour we can get acquainted with some species that on account of the way they stand out or because they are rare, it’s mandatory to have a closer look: Sequoia semprevirens, Abies pinsapo, Liriodendrum tulipifera, Ginkgo biloba, Thuja plicata, Fetos – arbóreos, Araycaruia angustifolia, Cupressus macrocapa, Cupressus lusitanica, Taxus baccata and Camellia susanqua.

Useful Information

Coordinates: 38º 47´16.21´´ N

9º 23´25.46´´W

Location: Sintra Mountain Range, Portugal

Opening Times

Closed 1 January and 25 December
High Season. 27 March To 15 October
Park of Pena. 9h30 to 20h00 – last entry at 19h00
Palace of Pena.9h45 to 19h30 – last ticket at 18h45 and last entry at 19h00

Entrance:

Children until 5 / free

Teenager until 17 / 5 euros

Adult until 64 / 6 euros

Senior / 5 euros

Internet: www.parquesdesintra.pt/