Sintra: Chalet and Garden of the Countess of Edla Skip-the-Line Ticket

In the second half of the 19th century, King Fernando II and his future second wife, Elise Hensler, the Countess of Edla, created a Chalet and a Garden in the Park of Pena, a private space designed in accordance with the romantic taste, which served as a refuge and leisure area for the couple. Strategically situated to the west of the Palace of Pena, the building followed the model of Alpine Chalets, which were then very fashionable in Europe. Its eclectic decoration consists most notably of mural paintings, stucco work, glazed decorative tiles and an exhaustive use of cork as an ornamental feature. Outside, the garden that surrounds the Chalet combines indigenous vegetation with botanical species from all over the world, forming an exotic landscape that includes such delights as the Countess’s Fernery, the Restharrow Garden, the Pergola and the lakes.