Lisbon Travel Guide: Discovering the Charm of Europe’s Westernmost Capital
Lisbon is widely regarded as one of Europe’s most beautiful capitals. And yet, unlike many other cities on our continent, it’s one of those places you never weary of seeing.
Although though the Atlantic Ocean is close by and may be smelled and touched, it is not readily visible from much of the city. This is because Lisbon has a style that recalls people of “old Europe” and a creative modernity that fits well with its surroundings without clashing.
Lisbon is also Europe’s westernmost capital. It is a metropolis of 600,000 inhabitants (almost 3 million if you include the entire urban area), located between the northern bank of the massive mouth of the river Tejo (Tagus) and the rolling hills of Europe’s last piece of land.
History
The Phoenicians most likely called it Olisipo before the Romans renamed it Felicitas Iulia and proclaimed it the capital of Lusitania.
It was conquered first by the Germans in 468 AD, then by the Visigoths, and lastly by the Moors (714 AD), who stayed for more than four centuries. Only in 1147 did King Afonso Henriques of Portugal succeed in capturing it. It was the capital of the Portuguese monarchy in the 13th century. Even after the devastating earthquakes of 1531, 1551, and 1597, the city’s role as a commercial center grew. It was destroyed by Spanish rule, which lasted from 1580 to 1640, as well as rivalry for trade from the English and Dutch. It could only recover once the Spaniards were expelled.
Lisbon was wrecked by a large earthquake in 1755, and it was rebuilt with a more modern city layout by the Marquis of Pombal. Indeed, new neighborhoods with a regular plan sprung up on the remains of the lower city, while the higher portion of the city, which was less devastated by the earthquake, retained its former appearance.
Things to See and Do in Lisbon
There are so many things to see in Lisbon that it’s difficult to know where to begin. However, we opt to begin in Baixa Pombalina, the “low” neighborhood that opens between the massive Praça do Comércio (or Terreiro do Paço), which overlooks the Tejo, Praça da Figueira, and Praça Dom Pedro IV (better known as “Rossio”). With numerous stores and cafes, these streets have become the business and tourist core of the Portuguese city.
Nonetheless, there are several intriguing museums here, such as the MUDE (Museu do Design e da Fashion), which is a few feet away from the Arco da Rua Augusta and which you may climb to get a bird’s-eye view of the adjacent Praça do Comércio.
A walk about the area allows you to connect with the city and gain a sense of the climate that prevails there. From the Baixa, you can walk to the Carmo district or take the Elevador de Santa Justa, a spectacular and enormous lift (the structure measures 45 meters), built in 1902 and still in use, that takes you to Largo do Carmo, the small square where the 1974 Carnation Revolution began, which overthrew the dictatorship in Portugal.
This is an important location for the city since it overlooks the Igreja do Carmo, an old Carmelite convent that was severely wrecked by the 1755 earthquake. The entrance to the church is impressive: the roof fell during the earthquake and has never been fixed, so the sky is now the ceiling of what was once Lisbon’s largest Gothic church. There is also an Archaeology Museum on the premises, which houses artefacts dating from prehistory to the present.
Chiado is a rich neighborhood in Lisbon that is above Cais do Sodré. It has beautiful shops and cafes where intellectuals like to hang out. A statue of Fernando Pessoa sitting at a little table stands in front of one of these. Here, you may walk about and shop while admiring the area’s wonderful historic buildings.
To get up from Cais do Sodré, take the famed Elevador da Bica, an 1892 funicular that runs from Rua de So Paulo, behind the Mercado da Ribeira, up to Calçada do Combro, where Bairro Alto begins.
The most vibrant district in Lisbon is Bairro Alto. There are restaurants, bars, and clubs for young people, visitors, and locals alike. It’s a nice spot to hang out with friends and listen to fado.
Bairro Alto, as the name suggests, is also an excellent site to see great views of the city. In this case, we recommend two belvederes: the Miradouro de Santa Caterina, which faces the river Tejo to the south, and the Miradouro de So Pedro de Alcántara, which looks out over the Mouraria and Alfama districts and is dominated by the Castelo de So Jorge. The Elevador da Gloria, another beautiful funicular that has been running in Lisbon since 1855, can take you from the lower city to this last viewpoint.
A short distance from the Miradouro de San Pedro de Alcântara is the intriguing Convento dos Cardaes, as well as the Jardim do Principe Real, which is a bit higher up. The Reservatório Patriarcal, a 19th-century construction that is part of the city’s aqueduct system, descends underground in the garden. With a capacity of 880 cubic meters, it was the most important water reserve for distribution to the lower part of Lisbon at the time. The Reservatório is open to the public and allows visitors to explore an unexpected underground world by traveling through its vast tunnels.
The more rigorously populist soul of Lisbon, on the other hand, may be found in the Mouraria and Alfama districts, which emerge on the slopes of the hill dominated by the recognizable silhouette of the Castelo de São Jorge, east of the Baixa.
La Mouraria, as the name suggests, was the old Moorish quarter; in reality, its layout is similar to that of an Arab medina. Even Lisbon’s oldest neighborhood, Alfama (which comes from the Arabic Al-hamma), has Saracen roots. The area was spared from the 1755 earthquake because it was built on a rocky outcrop, so it looks like an Arab kasbah.
Going along the alleys, between the stairways and the windows of the houses, one has the distinct sensation of being in a Mediterranean city; the caruggi of Genoa, among many other towns, spring to mind frequently.
Alfama is fascinating at any time of year, but it comes alive in June during the Festas dos Santos Populares (feasts of popular saints such as Santo António, So Joo, and So Pedro).
Some of the city’s most important ecclesiastical structures, including as the Sé Cathedral (Sé de Lisbon) with its classically Romanesque front, the Convento da Graça, and the monastery of Saint Vicente de Fora, may be found in Alfama.
The Park das Naçes, near the Oriente Station (Estaço de Oriente), is a notably more modern section of Lisbon, built by architect Santiago Calatrava. The district was built for the 1998 Expo and welcomes the new city of Lisbon, which includes skyscrapers, shopping malls, and huge hotels. You can take the cable car that travels down the Tejo river, observing the 17.2 kilometers of the spectacular Vasco da Gama bridge (the second longest in Europe), or visit the Oceanário, which is especially popular with families.
Moving to the west of the center in the Belém district, one can immerse oneself in the discovery of museums: the first stop could be the brand new MAAT (Museu de Arte, Arquitetura e Tecnologia), obtained in the spaces of the ancient Central Tejo (an old power plant in Lisbon) and the adjacent (and very modern) Kunsthalle, inaugurated in October 2016.
After going to the Museu Colecco Berardo, you should also check out the nearby Museu Nacional dos Coches, which leans toward the classic. The poet Luis de Cames and the explorer Vasco da Gama are buried in the huge building right in front of the beautiful UNESCO World Heritage Site Mosteiro dos Jerónimos, where Fernando Pessoa is buried.
It is no surprise that Belém is where the great Portuguese navigators once set out to explore the world. The Monument to the Discoveries (Padro dos Descubrimentos) was created on the riverbank in honor of the famous explorers of antiquity, not far from the neighborhood’s iconic symbol, the Torre de Belem.
The district is also famous around the world for one of its specialties: the unique Pastéis de Belém, cream cakes made with a secret recipe by the Antiga Confeitaria de Belém since 1837. Today, the pastry store makes 22,000 per day; eating them is like a holy rite—served hot, with cinnamon and icing sugar dusted on top—and the price is fixed because they can only be discovered and eaten here: 1.05 euros each. The generic name for the other sweets in Lisbon is “pastéis de nata,” which means “egg tarts.”
Looking west along the riverside in Belém, one can see where the Tejo runs into the Atlantic, while gazing east, beyond the newly new MAAT building, the massive 25 de Abril Bridge dominates the horizon.
A few years ago, at its feet, where the giant pylons are, a complex of creative commercial spaces was built. There are now stores, clubs, restaurants, and start-up offices in the old industrial warehouses, which have been changed to fit their new roles. The location is known as LX Factory, and it is undoubtedly one of the most unique and innovative spots in the city’s Alcântara neighborhood.
Cuisine
It is really easy to dine cheaply in Lisbon. In districts like Alfama and Bairro Alto, there are several good-quality eateries as well as many traditional restaurants. Portuguese cuisine makes extensive use of beans, pork, and fish; the unavoidable national meal is bacalhau (cod), for which there are 365 ways to prepare it, one for each day of the year. So look for the post that makes you want to eat the most, and we are confident you will not be disappointed. Vegans and vegetarians should go to the “Ao 26 Vegan Food Project” on Rua Vitor Cordon 26 in the Chiado neighborhood.
Useful information
The time difference between Portugal and Italy, and hence between Lisbon, is one hour. Remember to set your watch back one hour when you arrive. The current currency is the euro, and prices are often lower than in the U.S. and most of Western Europe. Prices for lodging, meals, and transportation are usually low, which makes Lisbon a great place for a cheap vacation.
Pickpockets are common in major cities, especially in tourist areas and on public transportation (especially buses and trams). Use the same prudence that you would in any other European capital.
If you are travelling through and have large suitcases or valuables, you can store them in one of the many left luggage offices located throughout the city.
In addition to those mentioned, there are numerous other museums and tourist attractions in Lisbon. The superb Lisbon Card, a tourist card valid for 24/48/72 hours that enables free entrance to practically all major museums and historic sites, as well as discounts on tours and stores and unlimited free public transportation, is an ideal alternative for a visit in the city. For further information, see the official Lisboa Card website, and keep in mind that the Lisbon tourist office (Turismo de Lisboa) is located in Rua do Arsenal n°21, just a few feet from Praça do Comércio.
When is the best time to visit Lisbon?
The nicest season in Portugal is definitely spring, but every season is good; in fact, in summer, the ocean breeze refreshes the air, and in winter, we never dip to the low temperatures we are used to in Italy, at least near the coast, which is delightfully moderate due to the Atlantic environment. Among the many advantages of Lisbon, the temperature is perhaps one of the most valued by visitors.
Transportation
Trams, known as elétricos in Portugal, are a symbol of the city. Among the many, the most famous is the famed elétrico n°28, which runs from the terminus of Campo Ourique to Praça Martim Moniz, passing through various neighborhoods of the city, including Baixa, Chiado, Bairro Alto, Alfama, and Graça. The 1930s yellow tram with wooden inside is a popular tourist attraction. It’s frequently packed, but if you can obtain a window seat, the €2.85 ticket will have been well spent.
In Lisbon, you may also travel around by subway, bus, or taxi, which are much cheaper than other modes of transportation. For short trips, walking is still the best method to see the city.
