In 1838 the German Prince Ferdinand Saxe-Coburg Gotha acquired the ruins of the Pena Monastery at auction. At the same time, he had the intention to restore the building to its original glory. However, perhaps influenced by an illegal affair, he changed his plans and in 1840 the prince instructed the German engineer Baron von Eschwege to build a country residence and grounds. The architect proposed an awe-inspiring new design for the palace with gardens and colourful facades and they were happily accepted by the prince. Photo by: Crunchy-P

The building sits on a mountaintop 30 km from Lisbon in the town of Sintra. It possesses an awkward yet charming style. The colorful palace is influenced by a dizzying array of architectural styles: Bavarian, Romantic, Gothic, and Moorish are the principal influences, but there are Renaissance details too, in the form of the original sixteenth-century chapel by master builder Diogo Boitoc and scluptor Nicolau Chanterene, both of whom worked on the Jeronimos Monastery in Lisbon. Photo by: dlf70

When finished the building was mainly used as the summer residence of the royal family. The palace is full of precious objects, collections and works of art. Photo by: JUMBOROIS

The landscaped palace gardens are spectacular and there are excellent views of the Sintra mountains. The original ornamental ponds, bird fountains, groves of exotic trees, and expanses of wild flowers all remain intact. Later, Price Ferdinant built a more modest chalet in the grounds of the palace for his second wife, the Countess of Edla, who also contributed ideas for the gardens. She inherited the estate in 1885 when the prince died just as the palace was completed. She later sold it to the state. In 1910 Palacio da Pena was listed as Portuguese National Monument. Photo by: Crunchy-P

Photo by: Far Flung Traveler