Just to recap, just a few kilometers away from Lisbon, Sintra displays some of the most outstanding Romantic architecture in Europe. Ferdinand II was the one to mark the destiny of the city in the 19th century, when he restored a ruined monastery and turned it into a castle and surrounded it with an exotic park. The architectural mix is unique on the continent.

If you want to walk through the most beautiful gardens in town, Monserrate is the place. Sheltered by the curving Serra de Sintra hills, the estate displays an ample landscape of sub-tropical flowers and shrubs. The vegetation is very diverse. The gardens are large, designed in the English style. This is not surprising, since the land was owned by several Englishmen. Between 1793 and 1799, William Beckford improved the water features and later, Sir Francis Cook built a Moorish castle that towers over the garden.

The Portuguese love their children, so in Sintra, they have built a Toy Museum (locally known as Museu do Brinquedo). The history of toys is unraveled in a fun way here, with the oldest toys coming from ancient Egypt. There are cars, planes, a beautiful 17th-century doll house and beautiful late-19th-century wooden toys.

Founded in 1560, the Convento dos Capuchos is another amazing tourist attraction in Serra de Sintra. The monastery functioned for 300 years and today functions as a museum. You will surely be touched by the austere chambers, the kitchen and the cellars, proof of the modest life led by the monks back then.

How to navigate the enchanted maze of Sintra? Employing some cheap Lisbon transfers, you will enjoy the comfort of a great drive and have an even better journey!

Located in the Grande Lisboa region, Sintra is truly emblematic for its 19th-century romantic architecture, as well as for the lavish fairytale atmosphere. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and frankly speaking, I haven’t met anyone so far to dispute the city’s right to this title. Sintra is truly beautiful and there are dozens of attractions to explore.

There are two palaces in Sintra that are truly memorable and they are not to be confused one with the other. First, there is the Pena National Palace, the fairytale colorful castle, built by the Prince Consort Ferdinand Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, husband to Queen Mary II of Portugal. The man was a true artist and if you think the outside is impressive, decorated with colorful towers and facades, you should see the lavish interior as well! It is a true romantic dream.

The second castle worth mentioning is the Sintra National Palace. Its construction began in the 8th century, under the Moorish rule, although there are no relics left from that age. Built in the middle ages, in the 14th century, the castle was restored after the 1755 great earthquake and is the oldest surviving castle in Portugal.

The 19th-century Palacio dos Milhoes looks a bit imposing from the outside (if not downright spooky).  No wonder it served as a movie set for Johnny Depp’s movie “The Ninth Gate”. Surrounded by mazes and interior gardens, the palace is a wonderful mystery just waiting to be discovered.

This is just the beginning of our trip through Lisbon. With some Lisbon airport transfers to Sintra, you can visit the city and be back in Lisbon the same day.