The Romantic Pena Palace in Sintra, Portugal

On April 2, 2024April 2, 2024 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Portugal7 Comments

We took a single day trip outside of Lisbon during our recent trip that included visiting the UNESCO World Heritage site, Pena Palace. We definitely recommend adding a trip to Sintra on your itinerary when visiting Lisbon as it is well worth the time that it takes. We pre-purchased the tickets, which we would recommend, and visitors are only allowed to enter at the start of the hour that you are assigned for your ticket. Even though the number of visitors per hour are limited, it is extremely busy and you will find yourself in a line as you walk through the palace.

The palace was originally a monastery that was converted to a palace in the 19th century and the monks moved to the monastery that is located in the Belém neighborhood of Lisbon. One of the unique things about the palace are the multiple colors of the palace with the original chapel being red and then the new additions to the palace being bright yellow. The palace is a Romanticist castle and sits atop one of the high hills of the Sintra mountain with the town of Sintra sitting below. The castle can be seen from the distance, making for quite a stunning site as you approach from the parking area below.

Our guide took us in towards the end of the group entering during our allotted time in order to give more time to talk to us about the history of the castle and describe some of the interesting features. Considering the lines moving through the rooms, it actually worked out well to be near the rear of the line. Of the many things that we saw during the tour was a detailed stained-glass window in the chapel that has the king holding a miniature image of the cathedral and if you zoom in on the window of the chapel it actually has the stained-glass window in it. That type of detail is truly amazing and a testament to the workmanship of the artists that created the stained-glass window.

Stained-Glass (Chapel in the Glass Circled in Red)

It takes a little over an hour to walk through the palace and enjoy the views from the balconies. Despite the long line and having to slowly follow the crowd through the palace rooms, it was definitely worth spending the time at Pena Palace. We would recommend visiting the palace in the morning and then heading into the town of Sintra for some lunch afterwards. A trip to Sintra is often combined with a visit to Cascais as well, which is a wonderful resort town on the coast of the ocean.

Castelo de Sao Jorge (Castle of St. George) in Lisbon, Portugal

On March 26, 2024March 26, 2024 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Portugal5 Comments

The Castelo de Sao Jorge is clearly visible from almost every location in the old town section of Lisbon, which is called Alfama. Visiting the castle is certainly a highlight of any visit to Lisbon, whether to walk along the castle walls or to see the amazing views of the city. There have been different fortresses on the hilltop throughout the centuries, but the current castle is built in the gothic style and is probably over 700 years old. As with all locations in Lisbon, it was damaged in the great earthquake of 1755, but has been completely rebuilt.

Portugal Flag on one of the Castle Towers

It is obviously a popular location for tourists to visit and adult tickets cost 15 euros per person. You can get a guided tour of the castle, but we chose to tour the castle on our own. We spent about an hour and a half walking the castle walls, the grounds, and looking at the view of the city below. Lisbon is a city built on several steep hills and is known as the city of seven hills, although it certainly feels like more than seven. We recommend starting your day by taking a car to the castle and touring its grounds and then walking down the narrow streets to the enjoy the shops and restaurants located in the old town area. If you prefer to walk up the streets to the castle, be aware that it can be somewhat strenuous.

We visited the neighborhood of Alfama several times during our week-long visit to Lisbon and ate at several wonderful restaurants located there. One of the places that we enjoyed the most was a small cafe that is nestled next to the castle walls and reminded us very much of when we visited The Alhambra in Granada, Spain. It was also the first place where we enjoyed a glass of Ginjinha, which is a liqueur made by infusing ginja berries (sour cherries) in alcohol. It is quite delicious, but be careful as you don’t taste the alcohol and it can sneak up on you.

In addition to all of the tourists, you will also find many peacocks wondering around the grounds, but be careful as they are known to bite if they feel threatened. They were also at the restaurant, Mercearia Castelo, where we drank Ginjinha and ate a snack. Our waiter actually fed one of the peacocks who seemed quite pleased to get a snack as well. Visiting Castelo de Sao Jorge was one of the first sites that we visited while we were in Lisbon, and it was certainly a great start to our trip.

The Dramatic Architecture of Heidelberg Castle in Germany

On February 28, 2022February 28, 2022 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn GermanyLeave a comment

Heidelberg is a very popular place to visit in Germany and it is certainly a wonderful city with a charming, historic feel. Clearly it is a popular tourist destination and top among the sites to visit is the castle that looms large over the old town. No matter where you are, the castle is clearly visible on the hillside above the city that lies on the Neckar River. One of the more interesting things is that as you walk around the castle grounds, the castle takes on quite unique perspectives.

View of Some of the Most Preserved Parts of the Castle

When we visited the castle, we decided to take a guided tour since we often like to hear about the history and see sights that are sometimes only available by tour. Unfortunately we were disappointed with this particular tour although we really enjoyed the castle itself. Our disappointment was partially due to two young children who misbehaved and disrupted every aspect of the tour, however, even if that hadn’t been the case, it would not have been worth the small price that we paid. The castle has been in a state of constant flux since its original construction in the thirteenth century. What is left today is a ruin of a castle, but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t worth seeing, because it definitely is.

It is hard to imagine how beautiful it must have been during the height or its glory, but it must have truly been grand. It helps that it was a gorgeous day when we visited, which added to overall beauty of the castle and the city. The castle grounds are no longer filled with lavish gardens, but it is still a beautiful place to visit. Today, the castle is rented out for weddings and special events, so one of the reasons that we didn’t like the tour was the subliminal selling message that we heard throughout the tour. Although the castle is clearly in decay, it is still very much worth visiting if you get the chance to visit Heidelberg.