Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
taken by Christian forces in 1147. What you'll climb on today—while dramatic—was sig-
nificantly restored in the 19th century. The Moorish Castle, with its own bus #434 stop, is
a 15-minute hike down from Pena Palace's main entrance (10 minutes down to the palace
bus stop, then a five-minute trek up to the castle), and a 30-minute hike from town.
Cost and Hours:
Castle-€7; combo-ticket with Pena Palace and gardens-€16; daily
mid-June-mid-Sept 9:00-20:00, May-mid-June and mid-Sept-Oct 9:30-20:00, Nov-April
10:00-18:00, last entry one hour before closing, free flier includes English info and rough
map, tel. 219-237-300,
www.parquesdesintra.pt
.
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National Palace (Palácio Nacional)
While the palace dates back to Moorish times, most of what you'll see is from the 15th-
century reign of King John (João) I, with later Manueline architectural ornamentation
from the 16th century. This oldest surviving royal palace in Portugal is still used for of-
ficial receptions. Having housed royalty for 500 years (until 1910), it's fragrant with his-
tory.
