Tourism

Pisões Waterfall

No one can fail to be fascinated by this delicate and romantic Cascata dos Pisões, which many tend to confuse with the historic Fonte dos Amores. Legend has it that in the past, the waters ran freely down the mountain, being used at the Quinta dos Pisões, where watermills used it to tread flax. The land on which it is built belonged to the Marquis of Pombal and was acquired by his protégé, Daniel de Gildemeester, the Dutch consul in Portugal and a diamond merchant, who decided to erect the waterfall there. That greenery, that stonework imitating steep natural rocks, that moss on the old walls that flank it, and finally that water trickling into the small rocky lake, take us back to the phrase of Eça de Queirós: "Sintra is this: a little water, a bit of moss: this is a paradise."  

Largo do Palácio/ Serra

In front of the Town Hall building stands a fountain, in the same Neo-Manueline style, designed by architect Tertuliano Lacerda Marques and sculpted by José da Fonseca. Inaugurated in 1914, it rests on a plinth that supports the carved basin from which, in the center, a large shaft with vegetal lacework and a bronze spout representing a fish emerges. At the top, the fountain is crowned by the Cross of Christ, which surmounts the armillary sphere surrounded by four shields, where the municipal coat of arms alternates with a pelican bearing the legend "Pola Lei e Pola Grei" engraved in Gothic characters.

Volta do Duche

Built in 1922, with a design by Master José da Fonseca, the Moorish fountain was constructed with the intention of enhancing the entrance to the town and "dignifying the most prized water of Sintra". The widening of the road in 1960 forced the dismantling of the fountain, which was rebuilt 20 years later, not in its original location, but in the heart of Volta do Duche. The revivalist architecture of the fountain features a large arch, in which three other arches are topped by Neo-Moorish tiles, with the municipal coat of arms prominently displayed in the center.

Fonte da Pipa

The oldest reference to the Fonte da Pipa (Pipa Fountain) is found in a document from 1369; however, the current image of the fountain was created in the 18th century, when it underwent a campaign of improvements commissioned by Queen Maria I. The monarch, having learned that the water was being diverted to the Ribafria Palace by the Marquis of Pombal, ordered the fountain to be rebuilt to restore the water to the population, as evidenced by the engraving on the back wall and the royal coat of arms. On the façade, of great monumentality and aesthetic quality, there are four tile panels depicting the goddess Cynthia or Diana, with water and the hunt associated with her, and to the right, Justice with the scales. The basin, also made of stone, is irrigated by water that flows from a small spout in the shape of a pipe.

Fonte da Câmara

The Town Hall Fountain, designed by architect Vasco Regaleira, presents a contemporary design that, amidst the predominant revivalism of the historic center, was considered dissonant by many. Simple, devoid of formalism and decoration, it features a large circular basin, lined on the inside with blue mosaics, which receives water from a double spout. Contrasting with its simple delicacy, it is surrounded by a rough U-shaped stone wall with protruding vases. The coat of arms of Sintra is juxtaposed on one of the continuous walls.

Vila Alda - Casa do Eléctrico de Sintra

The inauguration of the railway line between Sintra and Lisbon in 1887 immediately sparked the desire of other towns to be served by modern means of transport. At the forefront of this aspiration was Colares, a town with considerable economic importance thanks to its fruit production and renowned wine. The tram line between Sintra and Praia das Maçãs was inaugurated on March 31, 1904, and extended to Azenhas do Mar in 1930, reaching its maximum length of 14.6 km. Thanks to the trams, many families had easier access to the beaches, many workers traveled to their jobs, and many products from the Colares region reached their destination. Currently managed by the local council, the line, considered by many to be the most romantic in Europe, has become a major tourist attraction in the region.     BilhetesAdulto 5,00€Jovens (dos 7 aos 18) 2,50€Munícipes 2,50€Sénior (+65 anos) 2,50€