Sintra just one of many attractions awaiting you during the 2013 RI Convention in Lisbon, Portugal
by Susie Ma
The Rotarian -- July 2012
Perched in the hills 20 miles from Lisbon, Sintra is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Perched in the hills 20 miles from Lisbon, Portugal, is the village of Sintra, a UNESCO World Heritage site that Lord Byron called a “glorious Eden.”
Rotarians attending the 2013 RI Convention, 23-26 June, will find enough cultural attractions and stunning scenery to make the 40-minute train ride worth their while.
Pena Palace, a former summer residence of Portuguese royals, offers million-euro views of the coast. Spend an afternoon touring the yellow, purple, and pink castle and wandering the trails through the parklike grounds.
The 9th-century Moorish Castle was taken over in the 12th century during the Christian reconquest of Portugal. After a 1755 earthquake caused serious damage, it fell into romantic ruin. The National Palace in Sintra’s historic center offers a better-preserved example of a Moorish-style castle.
At the turn of the 20th century, a Portuguese millionaire decided to turn his mystical dreams into reality. The result is the Quinta da Regaleira, or Regaleira Estate, whose strange and wonderful grounds are full of winding paths leading to delightful hideouts, lush gardens, grottoes, fountains, and towers. The adventurous visitor can traverse the property via a pitch-black tunnel system. (Bring a flashlight.)
The Sintra Museum of Modern Art, which offers a respite from climbing castle stairs, houses part of the collection of millionaire Joe Berardo, including works by Picasso, Mondrian, Warhol, de Kooning, Calder, and many Portuguese artists.
Register for the 2013 RI Convention in Lisbon.