Photos

When we stayed in Lisbon, we made a one day trip to Sintra. You can easily get there by train. The first monument we visited was the Palacio Nacional or Palacio da Vila, a building with a very eclectic style, mainly contrasting the Manueline decorations (from the era of the discoveries: very adorned) with muslim art. Despite the eclectic decoration, which is even more noticeable in the Palacio da Pena, it is a very interesting place to visit.

Ot is hard to get a complete picture of the palace from the city, but we walked up to visit the Castelo dos Mouros and the Palácio da Pena (I strongly recommend you to take the bus, unless you have a lot of spare time and enjoy walking) and from the castelo you get this view.

I slightly sharpened it, increased contrast, cropped the bottom of the shot (half a roof) and resized.

A bit on the town:

"Sintra has always attracted kings and aristocrats, who built fairy-tale palaces in the area. At least five major palaces and convents are tucked amid the lush vegetation and soaring mountains. A World Heritage site since 1995. In the town centre stands the National Palace, built in the 14th century and notable for its Gothic influences. King Manuel I carried out renovations in the 16th century, this time with Moorish influences. Also notable are a 13th-century Moorish castle and Pena Palace. The latter was built in the 19th century for the husband of Queen Maria II. This unique building incorporates architectural styles from around the world."

From: http://www.fourseasons.com/lisbon/attractions.html#attraction_27

And on the palace:

"The Sintra National Palace (Portuguese: Palácio Nacional de Sintra), also called Village Palace (Palácio da Vila) is located in the village of Sintra, in Portugal near Lisbon.

It is the best preserved mediaeval Royal Palace in Portugal, having been inhabited more or less continuously at least from the early 15th up to the late 19th century. It is an important tourist attraction and is part of the Cultural landscape of Sintra, designated World Heritage Site by UNESCO."

Taken from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sintra_National_Palace