Sightseeing OverviewGetting around Lisbon is all part of the fun, with a city center that is easily navigable on foot for reasonably fit visitors. When the gradients become too much, the rapidly improving metro system is on hand and there is also the bus network, as well as the enjoyable array of clanking trams, bobbing ferries, crawling funiculars and lofty elevadors.
The elevadors and funiculars are a good place for visitors to start exploring the city, as they offer expansive views. Alternatively,
São Jorge Castelo also commands impressive vistas, with the rambling
Alfama old town rumbling away below the ramparts and the grid-like order of the Baixa visible just to the west. The
Baixa is the business and shopping center of the city, boasting its grandest square, Praça do Comercio, which lies right on the banks of the River Tagus. Baixa borders the
Biarro Alto, a hilly coil of narrow streets that buzzes with shoppers by day and partygoers at night.
Heading further west, the once neglected
docklands have been revamped over the last decade, with new shops, bars and restaurants spicing up the old warehouses. Even further west, towards the Atlantic, is the suburb of
Belém, on the city’s western extremities, which is the heart of the old Portuguese Empire, with a string of attractions that include the
Torre de Belém,
Mosteiro dos Jerónimos and the
Centro Cultural de Belém.
Expo 98 left the impressive legacy of the
Parque das Nações, to the east of the city center, which is at the opposite end of the time scale from Belém - an ultra-modern playground that is home to Europe’s second largest
Oceanarium, a huge shopping center, river walkways and concert venues.
Outside the city boundaries, the twin resorts of
Estoril and
Cascais offer a beach escape in the summer months, while the mountain retreat of
Sintra is a perennially popular day trip and place to cool off when the mercury gets up in the city.
Tourist InformationAssociação de Turismo de Lisboa
Lisboa Welcome Center, Praça do Comércio
Tel: (21) 031 2810.
Website:
www.visitlisboa.comOpening hours: Daily 0900-2000.
The main tourist office dispenses information on its ground level and sells souvenirs on the second floor. They can also supply self-guided audio tour kits. Other offices are located at Praça dos Restauradores, Mercado da Ribeira, Rua Augusta, Belém, Santa Apolónia station and the airport.
PassesThe
Lisboa Card offers unlimited travel and free or discounted entry to more than 50 museums and attractions, as well as a guide to Lisbon. Passes are available for 24 hours, 48 hours or 72 hours and can be bought from the tourist office.
Key Attractions:Castelo de São Jorge (Castle of St George) The Castle of St George is perched on the highest of Lisbon’s seven hills, high above the Baixa and the Mouraria (the Moorish Quarter). The site was occupied by Romans, Visigoths and Moors and was the royal residence until the late 15th century - it was rebuilt in the 1940s. Within the castle, tourists can visit multimedia presentations or just wander around the walls, towers and gardens. During summer, there are frequent festivals in the castle grounds. There is also a small restaurant (summer only). Perhaps the greatest attraction is the panoramic view from the ramparts.
Largo do Chäo da Feira
Tel: (21) 800 0620.
Website:
www.castelosaojorge.egeac.ptOpening hours: Daily 0900-2100 (Mar-Oct); daily 0900-1800 (Nov-Feb).
Admission charge.
Tram 28 The legendary tram 28 is a tourist attraction in itself. Vintage trams still ply the well-worn route from the city center on sea level, right up through the jumble of streets towards the heights of the Castle of St George. On the way, the tram slices open the city, providing insights into the Lisbon way of life, as well as offering sweeping views back towards the city and out over the River Tagus. One word of warning - in recent years pickpockets have targeted the route.
Campo Ourique-Martim Moniz
Tel: (21) 361 3000.
Website:
www.carris.pt Opening hours: Daily 0600-0100.
Admission charge.
Torre de Belém (Belém Tower) One of the city’s most famous sights is more impressive on the outside than it is on the inside. This white stone tower (built in the early 16th century to defend the river) was the last thing that the seafaring adventurers saw before setting off on their epic adventures. It is an excellent example of the Manueline style of architecture, with fanciful naval themes. A gangway leads to a very average museum within the tower.
Avenida de Brasília
Tel: (21) 362 0034.
Website:
www.mosteirojeronimos.pt Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1000-1700 (Oct-Apr); Tues-Sun 1000-1830 (May-Sep), closed Mon.
Admission charge.
Mosteiro dos Jerónimos (Hieronimite Monastery) This 16th-century monastery is one of the few surviving examples of medieval Manueline architecture (named after Manuel I and featuring naval motifs) and is listed, along with the Torre de Belém, as a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is also the resting place of Vasco da Gama and the nation’s most famous writer, Luís de Camões.
Praça do Império
Tel: (21) 362 0034.
Website:
www.mosteirojeronimos.pt Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1000-1700 (Oct-Apr); Tues-Sun 1000-1830 (May-Sep), closed Mon.
Admission charge.
Parque das Nações (Nations Park) The former Expo 98 site has been converted into a leisure oasis, with a shopping center, a string of attractions, concert halls, bars, restaurants and a walkway along the River Tagus. The
Torre Vasco da Gama (the site’s landmark tower and Lisbon’s tallest building) has an observation platform and restaurant, two-thirds of the way up. The
Oceanário (one of Europe’s largest aquariums) has huge pools that are home to manta rays, penguins and sharks, as well as adorable otters floating around on their backs. Designed for all manner of public events, the
Pavilhão Atlântico (Atlantic Pavilion) is a highly successful venue for concerts, fairs and other functions, which hosted the 2005 MTV Europe Music Awards. The waterside
cable car, connecting the tower and oceanarium, offers excellent views over the site. In summer, especially at weekends, the park can be uncomfortably busy, as every family in Portugal seems to descend on the site. A three-day
cartão do parque (park card), entitles visitors to discounted admission to many of the park’s attractions, as well as discounts in shops, restaurants and car parks. Information on the various attractions is listed below.
Parque das Nações
Tel: (21) 891 9333.
Website:
www.parquedasnacoes.pt Opening hours: Daily 24 hours.
Free admission.
Pavilhão Atlântico (Atlantic Pavilion)
Rossio dos Olivais
Tel: (21) 891 8409.
Website:
www.atlantico-multiusos.ptOpening hours: Daily 1300-1900 (ticket office).
Free admission; event prices vary.
Cable Car Between Torre Vasco da Gama and the Marina locks
Tel: (21) 895 6143.
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 1100-1900, Sat-Sun 1000-2000 (Oct-May); Mon-Fri 1100-2000, Sat-Sun 1000-2100 (Jun-Sep).
Admission charge.
Oceanário
Esplanada D Carlos I-Doca dos Olivais
Tel: (21) 891 7002/6.
Website:
www.oceanario.pt Opening hours: Daily 1000-2000 (summer); 1000-1900 (winter).
Admission charge.
Torre Vasco da Gama
Cais das Naus
Tel: (21) 891 8000.
Opening hours: Daily 1000-2000.
Admission charge.
Museu Calouste Gulbenkian (Calouste Gulbenkian Museum) This treasure house of art, covering almost every significant epoch, benefited greatly from a major revamp at the start of the new millennium. Egyptian, Greco-Roman, Islamic and Oriental art comprise half the exhibition rooms and the remainder is devoted to European art from medieval times to the early 20th century. The sequence continues with the foundation’s
Centro de Arte Moderna, which is part of the same complex.
Avenida de Berna 45
Tel: (21) 782 3461.
Website:
www.gulbenkian.pt Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1000-1800.
Admission charge.
Centro Cultural de Belém (Belém Cultural Center) This modern complex houses temporary exhibitions and is also home to various performance and exhibition spaces. The courtyards and rooftop gardens make a great place to relax in-between sightseeing. The Berardo Collection opened in 2006 and is a welcome addition to the city’s already buoyant cultural life. The man (and the money) behind the collection is Madeiran Joe Berardo, whose taste for 20th-century art and penchant for acquiring it are impressively on show in a collection that is almost 1,000 works strong.
Praça do Império
Tel: (21) 361 2400
or 319 2300 (Berardo Collection)
Website:
www.ccb.pt or www.berardocollection.com Opening hours: Daily 0800-2130 (Cultural Center); Tues-Sun 1000-1900 (Museum of Design).
Admission charge.
Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga (National Museum of Ancient Art) Essentially Portugal’s national gallery, this museum’s collections of painting and sculpture date from the 12th century and include a wide range of works by Portuguese and international artists.
Rua das Janelas Verdes 9
Tel: (21) 365 0800.
Website:
www.ipmuseus.pt Opening hours: Tues 1400-1800, Wed-Sun 1000-1300 and 1400-1800.
Admission charge.
Sé (Cathedral) Built by Dom Alfonso Henriques, Portugal’s first king, in the 12th century, Lisbon’s cathedral is primarily Romanesque in style, although later styles were incorporated when earthquake damage was repaired. The cloister dates from the 13th century, while the baroque sacristy houses the remains of St Anthony (Lisbon’s patron saint) and other treasures. The cathedral also houses a small museum.
Largo da Sé
Tel: (21) 886 6752.
Opening hours: Tues-Sat 1000-1700.
Free admission; charge for cloister and treasury.
Aqueduto Das Águas Livres (Águas Livres Aqueduct) The impressive Aqueduto das Águas Livres achieved the much-deserved status of a national monument in February 2002. The aqueduct’s startling baroque stone arches were erected by architects Manuel da Maia and Custodio José Vieira in 1748; they survived the 1755 earthquake, which rocked and all but crumbled the city. The 18km (11 mile) journey makes this an attraction only for those with a keen interest in architecture.
Largo do Rato
Free admission.
Further Distractions:Museu Nacional do Azulejo (National Tile Museum) Located in the Convent of Madre de Deus, which was built in 1509, this museum catalogs the history of the decoration that makes Lisbon so unique, with examples of
azulejos (glazed tiles) from the 15th century to the present.
Rua de Madre de Deus 4
Tel: (21) 810 0340.
Website:
www.ipmuseus.ptOpening hours: Tues 1400-1800 and Wed-Sun 1000-1800.
Admission charge.
Miradouros (Viewing points) With its seven hills, Lisbon has a number of places not only to see but also to see from. The
Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara, Rua São Pedro de Alcântara, at the top of the Elevador de Glória funicular, offers views over the Baixa and across to the Castelo de São Jorge. Sightseers are urged to hop off tram 28 to see the view over the Alfama and the River Tagus from the
Miradouro Santa Luzia,
Largo Santa Luzia, and
Miradouro das Portas do Sol, Largo Portas do Sol. Further along tram 28’s route, up the hill, is the
Miradouro da Graça, Largo Graça, which overlooks the Mouraria and the Castelo. The
Elevador de Santa Justa is another great vantage point, located at the end of Rua Santa Justa. All free and open 24 hours.
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