Pena Palace in Sintra, Lisbon, Portugal

Pena Palace is a 19th-century Romanticist palace on a hilltop in the Sintra Mountains, about 30 kilometers northwest of Lisbon, Portugal. Known for its vivid colors, eclectic architecture and dramatic location, it is one of Portugal’s most iconic landmarks. It is part of the Cultural Landscape of Sintra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1995, and its terraces offer panoramic views of the surrounding forests, the town of Sintra and the Atlantic Ocean.

History

The site was originally occupied by a small monastery of Hieronymite monks, founded by King Manuel I in the early 16th century and badly damaged by the 1755 Lisbon earthquake. In 1838 King Ferdinand II bought the ruins and the surrounding hill, and between 1842 and 1854 he had a new palace built around the old monastery to designs by Baron Wilhelm Ludwig von Eschwege. It served as a summer residence of the Portuguese royal family, and after the fall of the monarchy in 1910 it became a museum.

Architecture

Pena Palace is renowned for its eclectic architectural style, vivid color schemes, and ornate decorative elements. Key features include:

• The Palatial Structure: A mix of towers, terraces, domes and battlements painted bright red and yellow, with parts of the walls covered in tiles. Neo-Gothic, Neo-Manueline and Neo-Moorish motifs are combined in a deliberately theatrical way, as in the Triton Gate.
• The Interior Rooms: Furnished much as the royal family left them in the early 20th century, the rooms include the Great Hall, the Arab Room with its trompe-l’oeil paintings and the Stag Room. The chapel and cloister of the old monastery survive, with a 16th-century alabaster altarpiece by Nicolau Chanterene.
• The Terraces and Courtyards: Visitors can walk along terraces that offer expansive views of the Sintra Mountains, the Atlantic coast, and the town of Sintra below.
• Pena Park: Surrounding the palace is a vast forested park with winding paths, exotic trees, lakes and follies, including the Chalet of the Countess of Edla and the High Cross, the highest point of the Sintra hills.

What Makes It Famous

Pena Palace is famous for its colorful façade, unique blend of architectural styles, and dramatic hilltop setting. Its Romanticist design represents one of the finest examples of 19th-century Romantic architecture in Europe.

Visiting Pena Palace

Pena Palace is open every day except 25 December and 1 January. Palace tickets are sold for a specific time slot and always include the park, so booking online is recommended, especially in summer.

Opening hours:
The park is open from 9:00 to 19:00 and the palace from 9:30 to 18:30, with last admission to both at 18:00.

Admission fees:
The Essential Visit (park, New Palace and the Chalet of the Countess of Edla) costs €20 for adults and €18 for ages 6–17 and over 65. The Complete Visit, which adds the royal family’s private apartments in a small accompanied group, costs €45. A park-only ticket costs €12, and children under 6 enter free (2026).

How to Get There

By car:
Sintra is about 30 kilometers northwest of Lisbon via the IC19. Private cars are not allowed up to the palace, so leave the car in one of the car parks in Sintra and continue by bus or on foot.

By train and bus:
Trains run from Lisbon’s Rossio Station to Sintra in about 40 minutes. From Sintra station, Scotturb bus 434 climbs to the park entrance in about 15–20 minutes; from the gate it is a steep 10–15-minute walk up to the palace.

By organized tour:
Many day trips from Lisbon include Pena Palace as a highlight, often combined with visits to the nearby Quinta da Regaleira, Moorish Castle, and Sintra town.

On foot:
From the historic centre of Sintra, the marked Santa Maria Trail climbs to the palace in about an hour (1.8 km), passing close to the Moorish Castle.