The first proprietor of the estate was the successful hotelier Victor Carlos Sassetti (1851-1915), who commissioned his friend and great architect Luigi Manini, the designer of Quinta da Regaleira, to build here his summer residence. Construction lasted between 1890 and 1894. Over the decades following Sassetti's death the house and estate has undergone various stages of alterations and restorations. Today it has UNESCO heritage status. Recent enhancements have opened up the estate as part of the walking route between Sintra old town, the Moorish Castle and Pena Palace. As part of opening the grounds to the public, there was an addition of a cafeteria and toilets as well as reviving the house exterior and resuscitate the gardens.
Villa Sassetti Gardens
The most striking feature of the house is the central circular tower. It spans three floors from where the other rooms sprout out from. The exterior is faced with local granite and topped with terracotta roofing. When Manini designed the villa, he used the castles of Lombardy, Northern Italy, as his inspiration, giving Villa Sassetti a somewhat Romanesque appearance. At the time of writing, restoration of the interior is ongoing and remains closed to the public.
A walking route snakes through the gardens, covering 12,000m2. Manini cleverly utilised natural aesthetic themes and man-made structures that blend harmoniously into the landscape. An artificial watercourse crisscrosses the path. Although the walk up the hill is quite steep, the path leading to and from Pena Palace is an option many prefer to take. Regardless of which path you direction you choose, your efforts will be well rewarded by the stunning views awaiting you along the way.
High season 10h00 – 18h00, Low season 09h00 – 17h00
8.9/10 Fabulous (2,357 verified customer reviews)
This 150-year-old residence is surrounded by gardens with a swimming pool and offers a view of the Moorish Castle. All rooms are tastefully decorated and some have unique bathrooms with colourfully painted tiles. Wooden floors and soft colours are standard in each of the rooms at Hotel Sintra Jardim. They also have a work desk and a satellite TV and some rooms have French balconies or garden views.
Breakfast is served in the dining room with its cottage-style windows. The garden with its refreshing pool offers a quiet setting to read a book. Younger visitors can enjoy themselves with table tennis and the small playground.
Largo Sousa Brandão 1, 2710 - 506 Sintra, Portugal. | 38° 47' 39.0" N | 09° 23' 01.0" W
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9.1/10 Superb (2,357 verified customer reviews)
Located in the historic centre of Sintra, this boutique hotel offers rooms and suites with views of the old town and Sintra-Cascais Natural Park. It has a landscaped garden where guests can relax at the courtyard bar. Its modern, spacious rooms contain flat-screen TVs and are all individually decorated. Each has a private bathroom that comes with free toiletries. Free Wi-Fi is also provided.
The Sintra Boutique Hotel offers a fine restaurant serving contemporary Portuguese cuisine made from locally sourced ingredients. Breakfast can be prepared upon request.
Rua Visconde De Monserrate nº48, 2710-591 Sintra, Portugal. | 38° 47' 45.8" N | 09° 23' 18.3" W
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9.2/10 Superb (667 verified customer reviews)
Hotel Nova Sintra is conveniently close to the train station and coach/bus stops in Sintra. The hotel benefits from a large sun terrace overlooking the Sintra Mountain Range and a romantic patio shaded by large trees. It features recently renovated rooms decorated tastefully and free Wi-Fi. The rooms come equipped with a satellite TV. They are all uniquely furnished with decorative headboards and antique furniture.
Guests can enjoy breakfast on the patio or the sun terrace. Indoors there is a small living room that also functions as a restaurant and lobby area, serving traditional Portuguese dishes. The villa is situated a short walk from Sintra Old Town.
Praça da República, 2710-616 Sintra, Portugal. | 38° 47' 49.9" N | 09° 23' 27.3" W
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