On Sunday, March 30, the Pena National Palace, the Moorish Castle, and the Park and Palace of Monserrate, which were closed due to the passage of Storm Martinho and its effects, will reopen to the public, albeit in a limited manner, according to Parques de Sintra – Monte da Lua, the entity managing these sites.
Authorities have deemed that “safety conditions for reopening some access roads to the main monuments located in the Sintra mountains” in the Lisbon district have been restored.
However, “the Convent of the Capuchos, the Chalet of the Countess of Edla, and the Sanctuary of Peninha will remain closed until safety conditions within the forest perimeter in the Sintra mountains are reestablished,” according to the state-owned company.
Additionally, the Pena Park will remain closed, with access allowed only along the shortest route between the park’s main entrance and the Pena Palace.
Thus, the optional transportation service available on this internal park circuit will also resume its usual operations.
As for the Moorish Castle, it will “reopen in a limited manner, with visits within the walls restricted to the Plaza of Arms.”
Concerning pedestrian access to this monument, the Santa Maria Path will remain closed to allow ongoing cleaning efforts to proceed safely. However, the Vila Sassetti path will reopen, once again allowing pedestrian movement between Sintra’s historic center and the Moorish Castle and Pena Park.
In the Park and Palace of Monserrate, there will also be restrictions on certain park paths.
Parques de Sintra echoes the Civil Protection’s calls for “special caution in this entire area and adherence to circulation restrictions on roads closed for security reasons.”
“Intensive work” has been carried out to remove fallen trees and branches from properties under its management following the storm on March 19 and 20.
In a previous statement announcing the closure of the monuments, the company noted: “From the assessments conducted in recent days by Parques de Sintra, it has been concluded that the damage caused by this depression, compounded by the prior soil saturation, will not allow normal access to the area in the coming weeks.”
