Sintra, Hike to the Moorish Castle
Arriving in Sintra is like walking into a children's fairytale storybook. There are palaces and castles and parks and fortresses everywhere you look. It's like I've stepped through the wardrobe into Narnia except there are not nearly enough magical animals and way too many tourists. The owner of my Airbnb showed me around the place and then walked me the window, pointed to the pink "house" across the street, and let me know "the palace" is for sale.
Everything here is manicured, neat and orderly with maps and directional arrows everywhere. Literally arrows painted on posts just like the Camino. Everything is walkable and easy to find. It's been a lovely, magical respite. AND they have vinho verde, green wine, of which I've only ever seen or heard of since coming to Portugal. It's dry, fresh, crisp, and super yummy.
Today I am going for a long hike up to the Moorish Castle and The Palace of Pena. I’ll have several posts to showcase the highlights of this day. Here is the beginning of my hike starting from my Airbnb, walking by the pink palace for sale, and all the way up to and including the Moorish Castle.
***(Palácio Nacional da Pena in the next post.)
History of the Castelo dos Mouros (Moorish Castle): Excavations have found evidence of habitation dating as far back as the Bronze Age. Discoveries have shown almost constant use of the site ever since. The first castle on this site was erected by the Moors after taking control of the area during the 8th and 9th centuries. After the conquest of Lisbon in 1147 by Christian forces led by Afonso Henriques, the castle surrendered without a struggle. The current configuration of the walls are a result of the modifications made shortly after the Christian take over.
Strategically positioned on a hilltop overlooking the surrounding towns, the castle was used to defend Sintra and nearby Lisbon. The castle was eventually abandoned but was restored in the 18th century when King Ferdinand II took interest in it. The king lived in nearby Pena Palace and wanted to preserve the Castle of the Moors as an ancient ruin.
