Overview
Website: https://www.penapalacetickets.com/plan-your-visit-pena-palace-sintra/
Tickets: https://www.penapalacetickets.com/
Address: Estrada da Pena, 2710-609 Sintra, Portugal
History
Located on top of a hill in the Sintra Mountains, part of Portuguese Riviera; Pena Palace is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Palace is also part of the Seven Wonders of Portugal.
Palace
The Palace’s origins were of humble beginnings. In Middle Ages a chapel was dedicate to Our Lady Of Pena on top of the mountain. King John II in 1493 made a pilgrimage to the site with this queen. And his successor King Manuel I was also fond of the chapel.
The chapel was damaged in 18th century by lightning and then the earthquake of 1755 caused sever damage to the monastery.
In 1838, King Ferdinand set out to transform the area and began the development of the palace that would serve as a summer residence of the Portuguese Royal Family. A German architect (Wilhelm Ludwig von Eschwege) was brought in to design and help construct the castle. Construction took place between 1842 and 1854.
In 1910 the Palace was designated as a national monument and transformed into a museum.
Park
Surrounding the palace is a vast forested area; dubbed The Pena Park the area spreads over 200 hectares. When the park was being designed, the king ordered trees from diverse distant lands to be planted there. You will be able to see trees from North America, China, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.
Operational Hours
Park and National Palace of Pena:
Park: 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM, Last entry at 6:00 PM
Palace: 9:30 AM to 6:30 PM, Last entry at 6:00 PM
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