The oldest structure of the city, the legendary Castle of Sintra, was built in the early Middle Ages when most of today's Portuguese territory was under caliphate rule. That is why the defense was named the Castle of the Moors. It happened in the 9th century when Sintra reached its peak and became known all over the world as a lavish rich city. In after years, the Castle of the Moors constantly changed owners from Muslims to Christians and vice versa, until it was conquered by the Portuguese King Afonso I in 1147. The generous king breathed a new life into the ancient castle. Later, the son of King Sancho I continued his father's work. The second king of Portugal also built the Church of Sao Pedro inside the castle. The prosperous medieval city of Sintra received more and more fertile lands and new families of citizens. The absence of wars and battles led to the fact that the Castle of the Moors finally lost its status as a defense in the 16th century. No matter how hard the succeeding kings tried to restore the ancient citadel, it quickly fell into decay. At the beginning of the 19th century, the Church of Sao Pedro was almost weltered in ruins.

Today, the stone castle still stands on top of the mountain and can be seen from any part of the modern city. The once-mighty citadel, the coveted trophy of the Arabs and Portuguese, has strong stone walls, several watchtowers, and its main attraction, the original water tank, essential during a long siege.

You can walk along the castle walls, feel like its owner or its conqueror. Then you should certainly climb the main tower, which offers fantastic views of the Sintra main attractions. Visit the Palace of Sintra, the Quinta da Regaleira, the legendary palaces of Pena and Monserrate, and then watch the most fabulous sunset in Europe: the sun that slowly disappears behind the horizon, where the sky turns into the ocean.