Lisbon Travel Guide

The capital of Portugal has experienced a renaissance in recent years and has reclaimed its rightful place as the ’golden city’ of southern Europe. After slumbering for decades, the city’s modern, vibrant and cosmopolitan identity is today much similar to that which it enjoyed in the 15th and 16th centuries during the age of the great discoverers, when Lisbon was the centre of trade with the East and the starting point for maritime exploration of the globe.

The city fathers of Lisbon elected to invest in some rejuvenation in the 1990s, and this ongoing focus on the future has made the most of the city’s attributes and attractions, both old and new. Infrastructure has also been improved, with additions like the impressive Vasco da Gama Bridge across the River Tagus, which links the city’s airport to a network of national motorways and has facilitated access to other parts of Portugal. There is also a new showcase railway hub, the Gare de Oriente, which is the pride of a new modern suburb on the east bank of the Tagus, called Santiago Calatrava, linking Lisbon to the rest of Europe.

While much is new, there is plenty of the old left to charm visitors, giving the metropolis a slightly provincial air. The delightful, picturesque medieval section of Alfama skirts the city’s Sao Jorge castle, and historic wooden trams ply noisily up and down steep hills past art deco cafes and mosaic-decorated pavements. Many of the relics of the city’s golden age were destroyed in an earthquake in 1755, but some survived and are popular tourist attractions, complemented now by modern sights, like the futuristic Oceanarium.

Within easy reach of the city are the sandy beaches of several coastal resorts, such as Costa da Caparica, Estoril and Cascais, as well as the forested areas of Sintra and attractions like the extraordinary Mafra monastery. The mood of Lisbon is light and bright, confident, fresh and avante garde, ready to welcome the world to the doorstep as one of the great capitals of Europe.

Getting Around

Public transport is inexpensive and useful for negotiating the hills between attractions. The fastest way to get around is by metro, which covers most of the city, and complementing this is a network of trams, buses, funiculars and a vertical elevator to connect the high and low areas of Lisbon. There is also a modern electric train that links the city to all the towns along the Portuguese Riviera, and ferries across the Tagus River. Trams and buses are very inexpensive and the old trams have become a big tourist attraction. It is best to avoid public transport during rush hours, as the crowded conditions are the perfect cover for pickpockets. Various transport passes are available, including the Lisboa Card that allows unlimited transport, free entry to many museums and several discounted attractions and activities. Metered taxis are plentiful and affordable, and a popular means of transportation, but beware of drivers taking long, indirect routes. A car is not recommended for use around the city and it is best to leave it in a garage for the duration of stay and get around by public transportation.

Attractions

Alfama:

The oldest part of Lisbon, the Alfama quarter sprawls down the hillside from below the Castelo de Sao Jorge, retaining much of the traditional colour and atmosphere from the days when it was the ancient seat of the Saracens. Along the narrow cobblestone alleyways are taverns and street markets, interspersed with close-packed houses still occupied by stevedores, fishmongers and sailors. At the edge of the Alfama, Lisbon’s renowned flea market, the Feira da Ladra, is held in the Campo de Santa Clara every Tuesday and Saturday. The Alfama is also full of historic buildings and churches, which are well worth exploring. Some of the buildings display fading coats of arms, which bear testimony to the fact that the Alfama was once home to aristocrats. At night the Alfama takes on a more mysterious aspect with street lanterns throwing shadows on the medieval walls, and it is advisable to avoid the area after dark in favour of the Bairro Alto café and nightclub district.

 

Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation Museum:

Gulbenkian was an Armenian oil magnate who died in 1955 having put together one of the world’s finest private art collections. The collection is now housed in a modern centre where the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation sponsors a host of cultural and performing arts projects, and hosts a rotating exhibition of works by Portuguese and foreign artists. The Gulbenkian collection itself covers Egyptian, Greek and Roman antiquities, Islamic ceramics and textiles, Syrian treasures, Chinese ceramics, Japanese prints and lacquerware and European medieval illuminated manuscripts. The collection is so vast and varied as to be breathtaking. Among the paintings are two Rembrandts, a Rubens and a Renoir.

 Address: Avenue de Berna 45A Telephone: 21 782 3000 Website: www.museu.gulbenkian.pt Transport: Bus 16, 26, 31, 46 and 56, or metro to S. Sebastião or Praça de Espanha stations Opening Time: Tuesday to Sunday 10am to 5.45pm Admission: €3; free on Sundays

Castelo de Sao Jorge:

The walls of Saint George’s Castle, sitting atop a hill guarding the Tagus, date from the Moorish occupation in the 10th century, but the site has been a fortress for centuries, possibly since the 5th century. The moated castle is regarded as the cradle of Lisbon, and today it provides a panoramic view of the River Tagus and the Alfama medieval district, which is spread out below it. Visitors can walk the esplanades and climb the ramparts. A multimedia show is available during the day which brings alive the history of Lisbon. The castle grounds are planted with olive, pine and cork trees and provide a pleasant spot to relax.

  Telephone: 21 887 7244 Transport: Bus 37 or tram 12 Opening Time: Daily 9am to 9pm (April to September), and 9am to 6pm (October to March) Admission: Free

Fatima:

In 1917 the Virgin Mary allegedly appeared above an oak tree and spoke to three peasant children in the valley of Cova da Iria, 88 miles (142km) north of Lisbon. The children claimed to have seen the apparition on five different occasions, and the spot has now become one of the great pilgrimage shrines of the world, known as Fatima. Between May and October the 13th day of every month is pilgrimage day, when hundreds of the faithful gather in a square twice the size of St Peter’s in Rome before the Chapel of the Apparitions. The original oak tree is gone, but has been replaced by a simple white column inside a basilica, which is flanked by statues of the saints.

 

Monument to the Discoveries:

One of the most famous sights in Lisbon is the imposing monument, situated on the riverbank in the Avenida de Brasilia in the district of Belem, designed to commemorate the Portuguese Age of Discovery. Belem, where the Tagus meets the sea, is the point from which the maritime explorers of yore set forth in their sailing ships to discover the world. The monument was unveiled in 1960 on the 500th anniversary of the death of Prince Henry the Navigator in 1460, the monarch who was largely responsible for Portugal’s role in world exploration during the 15th and 16th centuries. The massive monument takes the form of a caravel with Prince Henry at the prow, backed by images of renowned mariners, royal patrons and others who participated in the golden age of discovery.

  Telephone: 21 303 1950 Transport: Bus 27, 28, 43 or 49 Opening Time: Tuesday to Sunday 9.30am to 5pm (September to June), 9.30am to 9pm (July and August) Admission: €1.90

Parque das Nacoes:

Lisbon’s exhibition park was upgraded and renamed for the Expo ’98 world exposition, which revitalised the city and brought international tourists and interest flooding in. The site is now worthy of a full day’s sightseeing, featuring several attractions, not least of which is the Lisbon Oceanarium with its 15,000 living examples of marine life. The main tank holds enough water to fill four Olympic-sized swimming pools, and is viewed from two floors through curved glass panels that provide a 180-degree view. Another popular diversion is the Virtual Reality Pavilion, which showcases the Portuguese age of discovery. Other attractions include a science centre, cable car, the Vasco da Gama Tower and numerous bars and restaurants offering Portuguese cuisine.

 Address: Avenue D. João II, Lote Telephone: 21 891 9333 or 21 891 9898 Email: info@parquedasnacoes.pt Website: www.parquedasnacoes.pt Transport: Buses, trains and the metro go to Oriente Station Opening Time: Oceanarium: daily 10am to 8pm (until 7pm in winter) Admission: Oceanarium: €10 (adults), €5 (children 4-12)

Se (Cathedral):

Although this cathedral in Largo da Se in the Alfama district is not outwardly appealing, it was the first church in Lisbon, built on the site of a Saracen mosque after the city was captured by the Crusaders in the 12th century. Inside, this ancient church features some treasures, like the font where St Anthony of Padua was baptised in 1195, and numerous notable relics, images and icons.

  Telephone: 21 886 6752 Transport: Tram 28 Opening Time: Tuesday to Saturday 9am to 7pm, Sunday and Monday 9am to 5pm Admission: Free

Setubal:

A popular touring destination 25 miles (40km) south of Lisbon is Setubal, one of Portugal’s oldest cities, renowned for producing the most delicious muscadel wine in the world. The city is also the centre of Portugal’s sardine industry, and has been a fish-salting centre since the 1st century. White mounds of sea salt drying in the sun are a familiar part of the local landscape. There are some outstanding beaches near the city and some pretty countryside dotted with orange groves, orchards and vineyards.

  Telephone: 265 539 120 (Setubal Tourist Office)

The Bairro Alto:

The Bairro Alto district (literally the Upper City) is, like the Alfama, an historic enclave dating from 1513, which is reached in a novel way via the Santa Justa Elevator (a structure reminiscent of the Eiffel tower in Paris) from the lower city. The colourful district resounds to the calls of vendors and fishmongers, and the windows and balconies are festooned with laundry and bird cages. At night the area comes alive with some of the finest fado cafes in the city, along streets lit by Victorian lanterns. Fado is the famous brand of music and dance brought to Portugal by African slaves in the 19th century, characterised by songs of sadness and despair, and there is no better place in Portugal to experience this musical genre than in the Bairro Alto of Lisbon.

 

Tower of Belem:

The famous Tower of Belem is a Unesco World Heritage Site, and is one of Lisbon’s most photographed landmarks because of the decoration on its exterior. The outer walls are adorned with a stone-carved rope and beautiful openwork balconies, along with Moorish watchtowers and battlements shaped like shields. The tower was built in the 16th century to serve as a fortress in the middle of the River Tagus.

 Address: Avenida de Brasilia Telephone: 21 362 0034 Website: www.mosteirojeronimos.pt/english/index_torre.html Transport: Bus 27, 28, 29, 43, 49 or 51; tram 15 Opening Time: Tuesday to Sunday 10am to 5pm (October to April), 10am to 6.30pm (May to September) Admission: €3

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