Lisbon

Introduction

Iconic Lisbon

© All Rights Reserved joffre

Lisbon, Portugal's capital and largest city (about 550,000 inhabitants in the city, around 3 million in the total urban area), is a fascinating city of charming architecture, art and tradition. Set on the Portugese west coast where the river Tagus meets the Atlantic, Lisbon claims the title of mainland Europe's westernmost capital. But geographic location is not what draws most visitors to Lisbon. The city's relaxed atmosphere, cultural diversity, nightlife, casinos and architecture are more likely reasons to attract travellers. As a compact city with narrowly defined boundaries around the historical city, Lisbon is a city that can be explored on foot. Built on seven hills, like Rome and Istanbul, it is pleasant to know that public transport and taxi's are also readily available for when the climbing begins to wear down one's legs.

Neighbourhoods

• Alfama district
• Baixa
• Bairro Alto & Chiado
• Belem district
• Uptown

Sights and Activities

Castelo de Sao Jorge

Located in downtown Lisbon, Castelo de Sao Jorge offers one of the best views available of the city. The castle is filled with old ruins and interesting history and, more recently, a top-class restaurant as well as peacocks that roam freely around the grounds. The walled-in fortress area is square-shaped, and the actual castle is located on the northwest side of the hill. As you take in the views around the castle, you will notice that this hill is the highest in the center of the city. For thousands of years, military minds have recognized that high ground is easiest to fortify and defend. Archaeological evidence shows that the hill has been the site of a military stronghold in one form or another for hundreds of years. Roman fortifications from 137 BC have been excavated. Other evidence shows that this area has been occupied for at least another 400 years before these Roman walls were built. In the 5th century AD, the Visigoths, a tribe of Germanic people who sacked the Roman Empire and took control of this area, strengthened the fortress. Their guard towers still remain.

Convento do Carmo

The tall Gothic arches of the ruined Convento do Carmo are visible from a long distance. Today its preserved remains are a museum, but it began as the promise of one man to God. The convent that you see before you was also an outcome of the Battle of Aljubarrota. During the battle lvares Pereira promised God that if this battle was won by the Portuguese, he would build a convent. He kept his word, and the construction of the convent started in 1393. The construction and design of the convent was overseen by three architects who were also brothers. These architects, Afonso, Rodrigo and Gonzalo Eanes, built the convent in plain Gothic style with some influences from the Monastery of Batalha, which was being constructed at the same time. Today, the Monastery of Batalha is a UNESCO world heritage site located in Batalha about 140 kilometres (85 miles) from Lisbon. Today the Carmo ruins house an archaeological museum, with items ranging from across the globe and centuries. Opening hours are 10:00am - 6:00pm Monday to Saturday, with an admission fee of €2.50.

Se de Lisboa

Located in an the oldest area of Lisbon, Se de Lisboa is the cathedral of Lisbon and looks like a combination of a fort and a church. The cathedral is a mix of its original Roman construction and later Gothic and Neoclassical styles. A 20th century restoration converted as much as possible of the old church back to its Romanesque look based on old plans of the church.

Torre de Belem

One of the most iconic places to go to and see in Lisbon (although technically this is Belem) is the Torre de Belem. The 30 metres high fortified tower is listed (together with the Jeronimos monastry) on the Unesco World Heritage List since 1983. The tower was built in the early 16th century and is a prominent example of the Portuguese Manueline style. It sits on the bank of the river Tagus.

Monument to the discoveries

Monument to the discoveries

© All Rights Reserved Herr Bert

Not that far from the Torre de Belem stands the Monument of the discoveries (Padrão dos Descobrimentos). Located along the river were ships departed to explore and trade with India and the Orient, the monument was built to commemorate the Portuguese Age of Discovery during the 15th and 16th centuries. It was erected in 1939 as a temporary work as part of the 1940 World fair, and was destroyed in 1943. Between 1958 and 1960 the new larger monument was built. In front of the monument you will find a large marble map, the Mappa Mundi, (a gift from the country of South Africa), mapping out the discoveries made.

Sintra

Sintra is a small village outside of Lisbon that makes for an excellent day trip. It's romantic architecture has been stunning people since the 19th century. Before the 19th century Sintra was a popular sight for the Portuguese royalty. Due to its popularity among the elite many wealthy and royal people built magnificent castles and homes in the area. Sintra and surroudings were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List because of its importance to Portuguese culture.

Other Sights and Activities

• Maritime Museum - Visit one of the best maritime museums in the world that tracks the history of portuguese naval domination from the 14th century onward.

Note: For those planning to visit a lot of museums, the Lisboa Card, purchasable from tourist information outlets around the city, offers free use of all public transport and reduced price (or free) tickets to countless museums, galleries and tourist attractions. There are 1, 2 and 3-day options available.

Events and Festivals

• Lisbon Fish & Flavours (12 Apr 2012 - 22 Apr 2012) - The Lisbon Fish Festival celebrates the gastronomic fish traditions of the city. Visitors can expect to see cooking demonstrations; they can also participate in cooking lessons, and learn about food and wine pairings. Lisbon's finest fish and seafood restaurants will open and offering specials for the event.
• Indie Lisboa (26 Apr 2012 - 06 May 2012) - Indie Lisboa is Lisbon's biggest film festival. It's goal is to premiere and promote new films and directors on the contemporary international film scene. It's held every year at the end of April/beginning of May.
• Festas de Lisboa (01 Jun 2012 - 30 Jun 2012) - Fiesta de Lisboa aka Santos Populares, is celebrated in downtown Lisbon all throughout the month of June. The capitol buildings are draped in streamers and everyone celebrates with a series of cultural events, street parties, and prayers (since the month is saturated with holidays commemorating great Saints). One of the pinnacle events, St Anthony's parade ( Marchas Populares), occurs on June 12th, and it is preceded by the marrying of 12 couples from Lisbon's parishes.
• Lisbon Half Marathon - This annual event takes runners across the 25 de Abril bridge and offers some incredible panoramic views of the city. Attracting over 36,000 participants, this marathon is sure to entice any athlete visiting the city.
• Delta Tejo - A popular coffee and music festival featuring coffee samples from Brazil, Angola, Cuba, Mexico, Jamaica and Portugal. Held in the Alto da Ajuda area in Lisbon, event-goers can enjoy the picturesque backdrop overlooking the River Tagus. With the caffeinated high most visitors are sure to achieve, they can dance the day away with some locally-inspired music. This event is held during the summer in Lisbon. Check the website for 2012 dates.

Weather

Lisbon has a great climate with warm summers from June to September when temperatures average between 25 and 30 °C. Nights are around 17 °C. Occasionally, temperatures hit 40 °C. Winters last from December to March, when daytime temperatures are between 15 and 17 °C and nights slightly under 10 °C. Most of the rain falls during the wintermonths while summers are very dry. The best times to visit Lisbon are April/May and mid-September/October.

Getting There

By Plane

Lisbon Airport (LIS) is located about 7 kilometres from Lisbon's city centre and is the main gateway to Portugal.

International
The national airline of Portugal, TAP Portugal, flies to and from Lisbon. Apart from many European countries, TAP also has flights to destinations in Brazil, like Rio de Janeiro, Recife and Salvador among others. Other former colonies to serve from Portugal are Angola, Mozambique, Guinea Bissau, as well as other African cities such as Dakar, Johannesburg and Algiers. There are many more airlines serving the capital of Portugal.

Domestic
TAP Portugal and Portugália Airlines both have flights to and from Lisbon and Faro, Madeira, Porto Santo, Porto and the Azores. SATA (the Azores' airline) has flights between the Azores and Lisbon as well. Easyjet also offers flights from Lisbon to Madeira (Funchal).

To/from the Airport
The best public transit option is the bus. Buses can be caught outside the terminal. Google maps has a transit planner that can be used to find the best route to your destination. The price is €1.75 for a ticket bought on board. Drivers usually have change. Another option is the Aerobus and Aeroshuttle. It is €3.50 (€5.50 return) for the ticket, running into the centre and stopping at most major hotels. The fastest connection to the metro network is probably to take the Aerobus to Oriente Station, which only takes about 10 minutes. From there you can take the red line into the town, or if needed take a train to you next destination from Oriente Station. Taxis are available outside the terminals.

By Train

Caminhos de Ferro Portugueses has an extensive network of train links throughout the country.
There are fast links with speeds well over 200 km/h from Lisbon to the Algarve and from Lisbon to northern cities such as Porto, Braga, Guimarães, Coimbra and Aveiro, but on most routes there are intercity services which still are fast enough and a good alternative to buses or cars. From Lisbon, there are also frequent links to Cascais and Sintra, popular traveller routes.

By Car

By Bus

Contact Rede Nacional de Expressos for more information about prices and schedules to and from Lisbon.

By Boat

Getting Around

By Car

Travelling within downtown Lisbon, specially at rush hour, is quite complicated, so avoid bringing your car to this area. You can also park (usually paid on week-days).

By Public Transport

Buses and trams in Lisbon are run by Carris. Fares are €1.75 for most rides (if you buy the ticket from the bus driver). You can buy a chargeable card (7 Colinas) which costs €0.50 and can be charged on a pay-as-you-go system (Zapping) which can also be used in the Subway and Urban Trains (this system lowers the bus fare to €1.15.).

The Metro system is run by a separate organisation called (Metro Lisboa. A single ticket costs €1.25. Entry is gained by touching your ticket to the reader on entry. Keep your ticket until you exit. Keep in mind that you are using a reusable card (first time you buy it you pay €0.50 extra, but after that you can reload your card. The same card you can also use for the metro and the regional trainlines, like the one to Sintra).

There are also suburban trains that run through the town that can be used to get around, run by CP. Separate fares are required for each mode of transit used. A combined Carris and Metro ticket can be purchased for €3.95 per day with unlimited trips.

Google maps has a transit planner for Lisbon.

By Foot

Lisbon's centre is very walkable. Note that it is very hilly, though, so plan extra time to get to your destination in the event climbing hills is required.

By Bike

There are some bikelanes, and in general bike use is pretty common.

Eat

Pasteis de Belem

When you are in Lisbon, you need to try a Pasteis de Belem at least one. It is a small egg tart pastry, which is best eaten warm and sprinkled with cinnamon. The best place to eat them is the backery that is making the original recepy for ages, which is located close to the Monastry de Jeronimos in Belem, which can be reached from downtown Lisbon in about 15 minutes by bus/tram 28.

Drink

One of the best areas to go out in the night, is the Barrio Alto area, which has a lot of cafés and as well some restaurants.

When you like coffees, one of the best bars to go to is Café A Brasiliera, you will find this café close to the exit of Metro Baixa/Chaido (the exit that leads into the Barria Alto). The bar has many special coffees on their menu, as well as some good cakes.

Sleep

Budget

Mid-Range

Upscale

Apartments

• Casa na Bica in Largo de Santo Antoninho, in the heart of historical Lisbon, right next to Bica's funicular. The apartment is within walking distance to Bairro Alto Baixa, Santos and Cais do Sodré. Near the apartment you have restaurants, bars, markets and typical Portuguese shops and you can really feel the traditional life of Lisbon. You also have the wonderful view of Miradouro of Sta Catarina just 100 metres from the house.

Work

Learn

• University of Lisbon

Keep Connected

Internet

Phone

See also International Telephone Calls

Post

Post offices (correios) have varying opening hours, but in general post offices are open on weekdays from 08:30-18:00 and on Saturday mornings until 12:30. More information about offices, costs and other details can be found at the CTT Portuguese Post website. It's a relatively efficient but also relatively slow postal service. Costs for sending a standard letter/postcard are €0.32 within Portugal, €0.68 within Europe and €0.80 outside Europe.

External Links

• Official Governmental Website
• Official Tourism Website