One of the world's most spectacular architectural works is found in Portugal: the Pena National Palace (Palácio Nacional da Pena in Portuguese), located in the village of Sintra on the outskirts of Lisbon. Pena Palace was built in 1836 by architects Wilhelm Ludwig von Eschwege and Nicolau Pires and in 1995 was classified by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. It is in eighth place in a ranking that includes 13 architectural works throughout the world which has been prepared by TDFK Trendyfikation.
Leading the ranking of the most spectacular architectural works in the world is the National Stadium in Beijing, China, which was built to host the 2008 Olympic Games. The podium of the most spectacular architectural works in the world is completed with the Contemporary Art Museum of Niterói, in Brazil - designed by Oscar Niemeyer in 1996 and reminiscent of a UFO - and the Ayutthaya Temple, in Thailand, which occupy second and third places, respectively.
The top 10 also includes the Breadbasket of Ohio, the Qatar Faculty of Islamic Studies, the Shah Mosque in Iran, Colombia's Terracotta House, Kunsthaus Graz Contemporary Art Museum in Austria and Metropol Parasol in Spain.
Visit Pena Palace in Portugal
Returning to Pena Palace in Sintra, a visit is highly recommended if you plan to travel to Portugal. The palace has a Romanticist architectural style, but also combines a number of different influences which include Neo-Manueline, Neo-Islamic and Medieval. It's also well worth going inside the palace as the interior is also highly unique.
How do you get to Pena Palace?
If you plan to visit Pena Palace in Portugal, if you are not staying in Sintra we recommend getting the train from Lisbon to Sintra Train Station. The journey takes about half an hour and when you arrive, look out for bus number 434 which will take you to the town centre of Sintra, the Castle of the Moors and of course, Pena Palace.
How much does it cost to get into Pena Palace?
The entrance fee to Parque da Pena is 7.50 euros for an adult and 6.50 for children and pensioners. This ticket will allow you to enjoy the exterior of the palace, including its terraces where you can observe the stunning architecture. The full ticket to the palace and the gardens costs 14 euros for adults.
