Lisbon is a living city with a rich history and a large number of monuments, churches and castles, which define the appearance of the city.
Lisbon is not just the capital of Portugal, but also its cultural and historical centre, with a large number of sights to visit. Let’s start with the Torre de Bélem. This tower is built in Renaissance style and is surrounded by water on three sides. From the 16th to the 19th century, the tower and the attached monastery were used as a prison.
Another attraction is the Praça do Comércio, a magnificent square with a 19th century triumphal arch, that is surrounded by Neoclassical government buildings. Art lovers must visit the Gulbenkian, a museum with paintings by Manet, Degas, Renoir and other painters. In addition to paintings, you can also admire jewels, tapestries and furniture.
Eastern lisbon
Introduction
Some of Lisbon’s less-visited gems lie
near the waterfront, east of the castle.
Hotels
At Solar dos Mouros
(6 Rua do Milagre de Santo António,
tel. 218 854940, solardosmouros.com,
rooms from €120) contemporary art vies
for attention with stunning city vistas
from the 12 individually decorated rooms.
Cultural
Historic and
beautifully crafted tiles are displayed
at the wonderful Museu Nacional do
Azulejo (4 Rua da Madre de Deus), inside
one of the city’s loveliest churches.
Restaurants
Modernist Casanova
(Avenida Infante Dom Henrique, Cais da
Pedra à Bica do Sapato, tel. 218 877532)
serves superb pizzas that are as crisp as
the Tagus river views from its terrace.
Night Clubs
Lux (Avenida
Infante Dom Henrique, Cais da Pedra à
Santa Apolónia) remains Lisbon’s hippest
club, with a roof terrace, various dance
floors and a 6am finish (Thurs to Sat).
Shops
Lisbon’s rambling
flea market, the Tuesday and Saturday
Feira da Ladra, is the highlight of the
Campo de Santa Clara, which also
hosts various antique shops and
a fine vegetable market.
Parque eduardo vii
Introduction
Escape the city heat under the palms
of Lisbon’s main park.
Hotels
Sana Rex (169 Rua
Castilho, tel 213 882161, sanahotels.com, rooms from €125) offers good
business-class facilities, plus most
rooms have leafy park views.
Cultural
Don’t miss the
Museum Calouste Gulbenkian
(45 Avenida de Berna) for a dazzling
collection of art from Egyptian times
to art nouveau, including Rubens,
Degas, Turner and René Lalique.
Restaurants
Eleven (Rua Marquês
da Fronteira, tel. 213 862211) boasts
a Michelin star and set menus to die
for, with fine wine to wash down the
likes of lobster and Azorean tuna.
Shops
You could easily
spend a day in the giant El Corte Inglês
(31 Avenida António Augusto de Aguiar),
a department store with a great deli
and nine floors of goodies including
clothes, books, CDs and toys.
Belém
Introduction
Historic Belém was the departure point
for Lisbon’s maritime explorations and
remains a lively riverside suburb with
some excellent museums.
Hotels
Designer rooms can be
had at Jerónimos 8 (8 Rua dos Jerónimos,
tel. 213 600900, jeronimos8.com, rooms from €150) a stone’s throw from the
historic Jerónimos monastery.
Cultural
Built to defend
the Tagus estuary, the iconic and
fantastically embellished Torre de Belém
represents all that was great about
Portugal’s former empire.
Restaurants
Rota do Infante (14 Rua
Vieira Portuense, tel. 213 646787) is
one of the best of the alluring row of
restaurants facing Belém’s gardens, with
good-value fish and meat dishes.
Pubs
Café Quadrante (Centro
Cultural de Belém) is the perfect spot
to kick-start an evening, overlooking the
river from the rooftop garden of Belém’s
cultural centre.
Night Clubs
BBC (Avenida
Brasilia) comes into its own as summer
approaches; drink on the roof terrace
and then hit the dance floor.
Sintra
Introduction
The UNESCO World Heritage hilltop town
was the summer retreat for the royal
family, and retains a year-round magic.
Hotels
Residencial Sintra
(Travessa dos Avelares, tel. 219 230738,
residencialsintra.blogspot.com, rooms
from €65) has lots of character, spacious
rooms and a lovely garden with pool.
Cultural
Built for a wealthy
merchant, the 19th-century Quinta da
Regaleira (regaleira.pt) is a place
of mystical intrigue – especially its
stepped well, which you can enter
via a revolving stone door.
Restaurants
Cosy Tulhas (4-6 Rua Gil
Vicente, tel. 219 232378) serves
irresistible mixed grills in a historic
former grain silo.
Pubs
No visit to Sintra is
complete without a drink on the terrace
of Café de Paris (32 Praça da República)
facing the main square, with its recently
restored 18th-century interior.
Population
Currency
Telephone
Lisbon Airport
Bus: The Aerobus leaves every 20 minutes from 7.40am to 11pm and goes to the city centre, finishing at Cais do Sodré. Tickets cost €3 and can be bought onboard.
Taxi: It’s about a 20 minute taxi ride to the city centre. The fare costs approximately €15, with an extra charge for luggage in the boot. Prices increase by 20% at night and on weekends and bank holidays.
Tourist information: The Lisboa Welcome Centre is located at Praça do Comércio, on the corner of Rua do Arsenal (tel. 21 031 2700, www.atl-turismolisboa.pt).