Sintra Palace was the summer residence of the kings and of the Moorish lords of Lisbon. It’s the best preserved mediaeval Royal Palace in Portugal. Sintra is a tourist attraction for people from all around the world and is a part of the World Heritage Site by UNESCO. 

The Palace was built in 1839, when the King Consort Dom Fernando II (the German husband of the Queen Maria II) bought the ruins of the Hieronymite Monastery. It is located at a height of 1500 m on one of the rocky peaks of the Serra de Sintra and offers a wonderful romantic view from the city.
The Palace was inspired by the German castles but mixed with Moorish, Gothic, Arabic and Manueline styles. It has 2 chimneys, 33 m high each, which are the most characteristic feature of the town. The interior has the oldest collection of glazed tiles, made in the 15 and 16 centuries. Many of its rooms take names after the motives painted in their ceilings – the Swans Room, the Magpie Room, the Mermaids Room, the Cresta Room, the Room of the Sirens and etc.
This was the palace where Portuguese kings organized maritime expeditions and received navigators returning from their trips, like Columbus, Vasco da Gama and others.