Palácio da Pena

Hidden away in the Sintra hills and often shrouded in fog and mist, the Palácio Nacional da Pena is a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the Seven Wonders of Portugal. Originally built as a monastery by King Manuel I, Pena was for centuries just a small, quiet place for meditation for a maximum of eighteen monks. After lightning damaged the building and the 1755 earthquake took its toll, the monastery was left abandoned and in ruins. In 1838 King Ferdinand II acquired the old monastery plus all of the surrounding forest and estates and then embarked on the construction of what has been described as a folly, or as a fairytale castle, which would not look out of place in Disneyland, and which is highly impractical. Construction started in 1842 and lasted for twelve years. Following the death of Ferdinand, the palace changed hands a number of times before being purchased by the Portuguese State and made into a museum in 1910. Today the palace is one of Portugal's most visited monuments and is easily distinguished by its bright colouring.