Due to massive crowds, said every source I checked, avoid the city of Sintra, Portugal, on the weekends. Avoid the city on Mondays, they advised, when, again, it’s swamped with tourists, now because the museums in nearby Lisbon are closed. So, I went on a Thursday. Result? It didn’t matter. The National Palace of Pena—former summer home of Portuguese royalty, starting with King Ferdinand II—was jam-packed with people. But who can blame them? It’s the number-one tourist sight in Portugal, and deservedly so. Read about it >
Tag Archives: palace
A Danish Royal Palace for — and of — the Ages
For nearly a millennium, the center of Danish government — whether it was headed by an autocratic monarch or a multi-party Parliament — has been located in the same spot in Copenhagen, but most definitely not in the same building. Through centuries of fires, demolition, and construction, Christiansborg Slot has risen, fallen, and returned multiple times. Now in its fifth incarnation, the castle offers a comprehensive look at the way the government of Denmark operates within its lush interior, as well as how the Danes manage to keep such a tremendous place shipshape, despite the 500,000 visitors who pass through it every year. Read more >
Stephen Travels 