A short drive outside of the city—the perfect day trip from
Lisbon—lies the town of Sintra. Surrounded by palaces, an-
cient castles and stunning gardens, the region is a sanctuary
for the royals, and its landscape—lying at the edge of the
Sintra Mountains on the edge of the coast—looks as though
it has come straight out of a fairytale. Most notable was
the National Palace of Pena, which is separated into three
different exteriors. It emerges from the hills looking like three
different castles. Built in the 19th century, King Ferdinand II
wanted the facade of his summer home to reflect an opera. A
ruby red clock tower, purple-tiled wing and yellow minaret
blend together several different styles of architecture. The key
to visiting this palace is to order your tickets beforehand and
not wait in the two-hour line for interior viewing. The palace
is much more spectacular on the outside, and this will give
you more time to explore the other four palaces in the area.
After visiting Sintra, there is no doubt in my mind that Portu-
gal hosts a magical element, and I understand fully why it was
the key inspiration for J.K. Rowling when she was writing the
“Harry Potter” book series. Rowling moved to Porto, Portugal,
while drafting the first book and borrowed sights, culture
and history of the medieval city to create the book’s theme.
Porto, which sits on the mouth of the Douro River, has
a more authentic feel than the southern city of Lisbon. The
architecture of Porto feels completely untapped, and the city
boasts its 18th- and 19th-century charm like a painting come
to life. I arrived midday by train at the São Bento Railway
Station where the walls boasted a display of 20,000 azulejo-
tiled murals sitting intact from 1915. The composition of the
art tells stories of battle, transport and ways of life. It was a
perfect welcome to the city.
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The vestibule of the São Bento
Railway Station in Porto.
The sun shone perfectly on Ribeira, the old district of the
city. Tile-covered buildings boasted colors of yellow, blue
and red. The tiles in Porto had more dimension than those in
Lisbon with raised flowers and ornamental designs. A walk
along the Douro riverfront is a must with charming cafés
situated to view the many port wine cellars across the river.
Although I have been to many European metropolises, Porto
felt old-world European to me, not yet touched by commer-
cialism and embracing its individuality.
Coffman at the Pena Palace, which sits
at the top of the Sintra Mountains.