Lisbon Travel Guide

Lisbon Sightseeing Overview

Sightseeing in Lisbon is easy, thanks to a city center that is easily navigable on foot. 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.

As a city, Lisbon reached its zenith in the 14th and 15th centuries, when its explorers cconquered the world's oceans and the city was at the heart of an empire that stretched from Brazil to India. Many of its grandest buildings, such as those along the waterfront in the suburb of Bélem, are legacies of that “Golden Age”.

Most of the city center Baixa area only dates back to the 18th century, when a large swathe of Lisbon had to be rebuilt after the devastating Great Earthquake of 1755. Unlike most European capitals, the city failed to modernise, and despite its rough-edged charm, right up until the late 20th century it was widely regarded as a rundown poverty-stricken place.

Lisbon’s transformation over the last decade has helped the city finally grow up.

Lisbon Tourist Information

Associação de Turismo de Lisboa
Lisboa Welcome Center, Rua do Arsenal 15, Praça do Comércio (Terreiro do Paço)
Tel: (021) 031 2700.
Website: www.visitlisboa.com
Opening hours: Daily 0900-2000.

The main tourist office gives out information, sells souvenirs and supplies 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.

Lisbon Sightseeing

The Lisboa Card offers unlimited travel and free or discounted entry to more than 50 museums and attractions, plus a Lisbon guide. Passes are available for 24, 48 or 72 hours and can be bought from all tourist offices. Cards which give discounts on restaurants and shopping can also be purchased.

Lisbon Sightseeing

The Lisboa Card offers unlimited travel and free or discounted entry to more than 50 museums and attractions, plus a Lisbon guide. Passes are available for 24, 48 or 72 hours and can be bought from all tourist offices. Cards which give discounts on restaurants and shopping can also be purchased.

Key Attractions in Lisbon, Portugal

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 and cafe. Perhaps the greatest attraction is the panoramic view from the ramparts.

Largo do Chäo da Feira
Tel: (021) 800 0620.
Website: www.castelosaojorge.egeac.pt
Opening hours: Daily 0900-2100 (Mar-Oct); daily 0900-1800 (Nov-Feb).
Admission charge: Y.
Disabled access: Y.

Tram 28
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: (021) 361 3000.
Website: www.carris.pt
Opening hours: Daily 0600-0100.
Admission charge: Y.

Torre de Belém (Belém Tower)
One of the city's most famous sights, this picture-postcard white stone tower is much more impressive on the outside than it is on the inside. Built in the early 16th century to defend the river it was the last thing that seafaring adventurers saw before setting off on their epic voyages. 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: (021) 362 0034.
Website: www.mosteirojeronimos.pt
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1000-1700 (Oct-Apr); Tues-Sun 1000-1830 (May-Sep).
Admission charge: Y.

Mosteiro dos Jerónimos (Hieronimite Monastery)
This 16th-century monastery is one of the few surviving examples of medieval Manueline architecture (named after Manuel I, characterized by maritime 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 1000-1800 (May-Sep).
Admission charge: Y.
UNESCO: Y.

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. In summer, especially at weekends, the park can be uncomfortably busy. 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.

Tel: (021) 891 9333.
Website: www.portaldasnacoes.pt
Opening hours: Daily 24 hours.
Admission charge: N.
Disabled access: Y.

Torre Vasco da Gama
The Torre Vasco da Gama (the site's landmark tower and Lisbon's tallest building) situated inside Parque das Nações (Nations Park) has an observation platform and restaurant, two-thirds of the way up.

Cais das Naus
Tel: (021) 891 8000.
Opening hours: Daily 1000-2000.
Admission charge: Y.

Oceanário
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. There are great activities for children too, such as the chance to spend a night sleeping next to the sharks’ tank.

Esplanada D Carlos I-Doca dos Olivais
Tel: (021) 891 7002/6.
Website: www.oceanario.pt
Opening hours: Daily 1000-2000 (summer); 1000-1900 (winter).
Admission charge : Y.
Disabled access : Y.

Pavilhão do Conhecimento (Pavilion of Knowledge)
The Pavilhão do Conhecimento (Pavilion of Knowledge) features science and technology exhibits, many of which are hands-on, aimed at children. The waterside cable car, connecting the tower and oceanarium, offers excellent views over the site.

Tel: (021) 891 7100.
Website: www.portaldasnacoes.pt
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 1000-1800, Sat-Sun 1100-1900
Admission charge: Y.

Cable Car
Between Torre Vasco da Gama and the Marina locks
Tel: (021) 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: Y.

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: (021) 782 3000.
Website: www.museu.gulbenkian.pt
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1000-1745.
Admission charge: Y.

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 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: (021) 612 878.
Website: www.ccb.pt
Opening hours: Daily 0800-2130.
Admission charge: Y.

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: (021) 391 2800.
Website: www.mnarteantiga-ipmuseus.pt
Opening hours: Tues 1400-1800, Wed-Sun 1000-1800.
Admission charge: Y.

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: (021) 886 6752.
Opening hours: Tues-Sat 1000-1700.
Admission charge: N.

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: (021) 810 0340.
Website: http://mnazulejo.imc-ip.pt
Opening hours: Tues 1400-1800, Wed-Sun 1000-1800.
Admission charge: Y.
Disabled access: Y.

Aqueduto Das Águas Livres (Águas Livres Aqueduct)
The impressive 18-km (11-mile) Aqueduto das Águas Livres is a national monument with startling baroque stone arches, erected by architects Manuel da Maia and Custodio José Vieira in 1748. Thanks to these, the aqueduct survived the 1755 earthquake, which laid waste to most of the city.

Largo do Rato

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. All are free and open 24 hours.The Elevador de Santa Justa is another great vantage point, located at the end of Rua Santa Justa.