Lisbon, Portugal Tourist Information, a guide to the Lisbon in Portugal.

Lisbon Tourist Information - Portugal

Lisbon ¦ Ribatejo ¦ Sao Martinho do Porto

Lisbon Coast ¦ Nazare ¦ Sintra ¦ Cascais ¦ Estoril ¦ Obidos ¦ Praia das Macas ¦ Colares ¦ Sesimbra

Lisbon is a beautiful place, boasting springtime temperatures during the winter and cool summers freshened by a breeze blowing in from the Atlantic, Costa de Lisboa, on the southwestern coast, offers a rich and impressively integrated diversity. The capital of Portugal since its conquest from the Moors in 1147, Lisbon is a legendary city with over 20 centuries of History. The Alfama is one of the oldest quarters in Lisboa. Since it largely survived the earthquake of 1755, the area still retains much of its original layout. Adjacent to the Alfama are the likewise old quarters of Castelo and Mouraria, on the western and northern slopes of the hill that is crowned by St. George's Castle. Every year in June, the streets of all three quarters come alive with the feasts in honour of the popular saints. The Graça quarter and the churches of São Vicente de Fora and Santa Engrácia are within walking distance of this area. Radiant skies brighten the monumental city, with its typical tile covered building façades and narrow Medieval streets, where one can hear the fado being played and sung at night. But Lisbon is also the stage for popular festivities, the place for exquisite shopping, exciting nightlife, and interesting museums, a place from where motorways branch off in different directions.

Music and theatre flourish in Lisbon, Portugal's musical centre and the birthplace of fado, with concerts and festivals covering all genres. There are four important football teams based in Lisbon and sport is an important feature of daily life, as you will see from the predominance of sports newspapers on the newsstands. In a country that is largely provincial, Lisbon offers the resident and visitor alike the opportunity to experience the rare cosmopolitan side to life in Portugal.

The lower part of Lisbon was completely flattened during an earthquake in 1755 and rebuilt in a decade, so the architecture of the Baixa quarter is quite uniformly 18th-century. The earthquake ended Lisbon's reign as the most significant port in Europe but, as a town that has been active since Roman times, Lisbon was not going to give up lightly. Romans and Moors used Lisbon as a trading post and it grew into a sizeable town by the 12th century. In 1255 Lisbon became the capital of Portugal, taking over from Coimbra. In the 15th and 16th century and again in the 18th century, Lisbon was at the forefront of international exploration as trade routes to India and Brazil were discovered. Architecture from these wealthy periods, especially the flamboyant Manueline style, dominates Lisbon's principal monuments, such as the monastery at Beleacute.

As a small city, Lisbon is a delight to discover on foot (you should certainly avoid driving as the roads are a nightmare). When the hills and the heat get too much for you, hop on one of the funicular railways or trams and let them do the work. Whilst wandering around you will see the changing ambience in the quarters, the 18th -century repose of the latticed streets in the Baixa, the Moorish Alfama district near the Castelo Satildeo Jorge with its winding streets, and chic Chiado shopping district. A medley of sounds including the heart-rending strains of fado, ear-bursting traffic noises and African musical rhythms provides the aural backdrop to your tour. Quite a few museums are free on Sunday mornings, including the Museu Calouste Gulbenkian, which is a wonderful collection of 6000 paintings from all periods, genres and places. Only 1500 can be exhibited at one time, so the displays change quite often.

Baixa - This section of Lisbon was the pride of Pombal and the very heart of his own great city. The streets are named appropriately as the homes of banking and trade, with names such as Rua do Ouro (gold), Rua da Prata (silver), Rua dos Sapeteiros (shoemakers), and Praça do Comercio (trading), each one appropriately indicating its purposes. Today, many institutions by necessity have since moved and expanded to other sections of the city but this area still maintains a past dignity and hum of trading. Certain activities have stayed in their historic buildings, such as the fish market at Cais de Sodre that still portrays its strong character with the traditional bustle of the disappearing "varinas" busy in the streets with baskets of fresh fish skilfully balanced on their heads. From an architectural point of view places to view are the squares of Praça do Comercio and the Rossio. Also of interest is the church of Conceição Velha, the Se (Cathedral), and the 16th Century Casa dos Bicos.

Alfama - This is the oldest surviving area of the city and lies under the walls of the Castelo de São Jorge stretching down to the Baixa. A muddle of very narrow streets and small squares help to create for the visitor a glimpse of a forgotten age, especially taking in the old Moorish quarter known as Mouraria. Today, it is still a residential area and at night time an area with taverns for typical food and the special Portuguese music of "fado". There are several places of interest among which is the Fundação de Espirito Santo (Museum of Workshop of Decorative Art). The medieval quarter of Santa Cruz, and certain old very narrow streets, Rua de São Miguel, Rua de São Pedro and Largo do Chafariz de Dentro. Every morning on Tuesdays and Saturdays on the outskirts of Alfama, at the Campo de Santa Clara, there is a fascinating "flea market" known as the "Feira da Ladra" and very worthy of a visit. Within close distance of this twice weekly event there are the churches of Santa Engracia and São Vicente de Fora.

Bairro Alto - This area which is located on the opposite hill from the Alfama and is linked with to the Baixa by a fashionable shopping street named Chiado. A visitor will find here some of Lisbon’s select society shops selling internationally famous brand names alongside national products. The Chiado has its own special local cafes that act as popular meeting places for writers and artists. A interesting way to reach the Bairro Alto from the Baixa is to use the "Elevador de Santa Justa" designed and built by the French architect "Eiffel". Another way is to use one of the two "funicular-like" trams - each an interesting experience! The Bairro Alto was originally developed in the 16th Century as a residential quarter for traders. Now it has become a centre for nightlife with its many fashionable restaurants, bars and clubs. An impressive ruin caused by the earthquake of 1755 is the 14th Century Igreja de Carmo, and the chapel that withstood the destruction has been turned into an Archaeological Museum. The unimpressive façade of the 16th Century church of São Roque hides within an impressive 18th Century chapel that was commissioned by King João V from Italian architects and pre-constructed in Rome prior to being shipped to Portugal.

Scattered through the city are many interesting places and buildings. Amongst these are the Igreja da Estrela and its generous gardens, the English Cemetery that contains some historic names, Parque Eduardo VII, the Estufas (huge and wonderful greenhouses), and the Jardim Zoológico. An area that must not be missed is Belém. Located to the west side of the city this area runs along the River Tejo. Here can be found the baroque elegance of the Mosteiro de Jeróminos that was commenced in 1501 by the order of King Manuel I to celebrate the naval discovery of India. As a contrasting statement to the historical momuments is the modern architecture of the Centro Cultural de Belém that stands firmly between this historic Monastery and the striking baroque style 16th Century Torre de Belém built from 1515. On the river close to this point is also the famous work named Padrão dos Descobrimentos and erected in 1960 to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the brith of Portugal’s famous "Prince Henry the Navigator". To the west of the centre of the city is the prominent sight of the Aqueduto das Águas Livres that was constructed in the first half of the 18th Century. It has 35 arches and is 941 meters long and to this day its purpose is still to bring water to the inhabitants of Lisboa.

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