KEY AREAS
Alfama You haven’t seen Lisbon if you haven’t been to the Alfama, (see Things to do). Graça Another one of Lisbon’s charming, historic districts, bordering the Alfama. Don’t miss the miradouro (lookout point) at Largo da Graça, where you can enjoy the views while having a drink on terrace.
Baixa Destroyed by the earthquake in 1755, the Baixa (downtown) was rebuilt under the leadership of then prime minister the Marquis of Pombal. With its geometric, grid-like street pattern and majestic architecture, the Baixa is considered to be a prime example of 18th century Enlightenment style. The area is currently a candidate for UNESCO World Heritage classification. From high on its pedestal in the middle of the busy Marquês do Pombal roundabout, an impressive statue of the man himself looks out over his creation. At the far end, along the River Tejo, lies the sprawling Praça do Comércio, lined with government buildings, a post office, the Lisboa Welcome Centre and two restaurants: the historic Martinho da Arcada (established 1778) where the table at which Fernando Pessoa used to have his coffee and write his poems has been set aside as a relic, and the contemporary Terreiro do Paço, run by one of the country’s most acclaimed chefs Vitor Sobral. A baroque-style Arch of Triumph gives access to the Rua Augusta, a pedestrians-only shopping street with esplanades, street vendors and jugglers. To the left is the famous Santa Justa elevator, designed in the early 20th century by Portuguese engineer Raul Mesnier du Ponsard. The ride up gives access to an esplanade with a great view of the city. Further up the road is the central, bustling Rossio square with its pavement cafés, and then Restauradores and the beginning of one of Lisbon’s main thoroughfares, the 1,400-metre-long Avenida da Liberdade, called Passeio Público prior to the 1974 Revolution.
Here you will find an impressive number of mainly international brand-name shops and head offices of banks, airlines and insurance companies. The Avenida da Liberdade was recently named and shamed as one of Europe’s most polluted streets, which prompted Lisbon Council to step up the frequency of the daily cleanups of the tree-lined avenue.
Chiado Lisbon’s historic, mundane theatre district is situated on one of Lisbon’s seven hills. This is where the well-to-do used to go shopping, ladies used to have their afternoon teas and artists used to hold passionate discussions in the local coffee shops. As poet Guerra Junqueira put it more than a century ago: “There are only two pinnacles from which you can see the world: the Himalaya and Chiado.” Carefully reconstructed after it was partially destroyed by a 1988 fire, Chiado has regained its status as a shopping area. A landmark here is the historic Café A Brasileira (Rua Garrett 120-122), which last year celebrated its 100th anniversary. It used to be a favourite haunt of artists such as Fernando Pessoa and painter/ poet Almada Negreiros. It’s pleasant to just have a drink on the esplanade here and watch the world go by. Worth visiting is the Chiado Museum for Contemporary Art (Rua Serpa Pinto 40) and the several modern art galleries dotted around it. Bairro Alto Bairro Alto (upper district) is best known for its intense nightlife, aimed especially at young people. During the daytime, the more than four-centuries-old quarter is quite sleepy. Even the shops—many of the alternative kind, such as a tattoo studio and a condom shop—have adapted their schedules and are open in the afternoons and evenings. The area comes alive towards dinner time and stays wide awake until the early hours of the morning. As bars are often small and people are used to drinking (from plastic cups) and socialising in the streets, going from one place to another. There are also some fine eateries located in the area, although the Fado restaurants are mainly aimed at tourists and often quite expensive. For a more genuine Fado experience, try Tasca do Chico (Rua Diário das Notícias 39), where passionate local amateur Fado singers get a chance to perform.
Parque das Nações The Parque das Nações (Park of Nations) is the former Expo98 site, wonderfully located on the Tejo riverbank. It is now a bustling leisure and business area, boasting the world’s second-largest Oceanarium, a water-sports centre, the 145-metre-high Vasco da Gama Tower (Lisbon’s tallest building, to be transformed into a hotel), a cable car, a 30-lane bowling hall, a science and technology centre, a shopping mall and dozens of bars and. The office towers in the area have become very popular for establishing new businesses.
Belém It was from the riverside Belém area that discoverer Vasco da Gama set sail for India in 1497. Among the sights here are the impressive 16th century Jerónimos Convent, the Belém Tower from the same era and the Discoveries Monument, erected in 1960 in the honour of Henry the Navigator. Interesting exhibitions, concerts and all kinds of performances are on at the Centro Cultural de Belém (CCB).
GETTING AROUND
In spite of the fact that it’s a city built on seven hills, the best way to get around in central Lisbon is on foot, because everything is relatively close at hand. Alternatively, there is a very good metro system, which will take you to, or close to, most places in Lisbon. A trip from central Lisbon to Parque das Nações, for example, takes about 25 minutes, including one transfer. Single tickets cost €0.70 and a booklet of 10 tickets €6.35.
If you don’t want to bother with the hassle of public transportation—although the metro is a great way to dodge heavy Lisbon traffic—take a taxi. Taxis are still very cheap in Portugal, as compared to other EU countries, and drivers will take you exactly where you want to go. The drawback can be traffic congestion, especially during rush hours. In spite of this, a taxi ride will rarely cost you more than €10. A ride from Cais do Sodré railway station to the Saldanha area, for example, takes about 15 minutes (longer in rush hour) and costs about €5.
Avoid driving your own car in Lisbon if at all possible. Unless you know your way around, you are bound to get hopelessly lost because there are so many one-way streets and prohibited U-turns.
Buses and trams will take you anywhere but require some planning ahead. Tourist attractions in their own right are the wood-panelled yellow trams (eléctricos) that circulate in the old part of town. The ride on tram Nr 28 is a treat. Single bus or tram tickets bought from the driver cost €1.20 and a day ticket for all public transport, including metro, costs €3.50.
Finally, there are three picturesque, historic funiculars (Lavra, Glória and Bica) and one elevator (Santa Justa) operating in Lisbon. These more than a century old elevadores were designed especially to transport people up hill from the lower area.
SHOPPING
The Portuguese love shopping centres and Lisbon has several, including Centro Colombo (Benfica, Metro Colégio Militar), with 400-plus shops the biggest in the Iberian peninsula. You will find all the well-known international brands here, such as C&A, Zara and Habitat, but also smaller, local shops such as Vista Alegre (porcelain, earthenware), Atlantis (crystal) and Loja do Gato Preto (home decoration). Another popular shopping centre is the Vasco da Gama, at the Parque das Nações. Good quality but rather pricey is Spanish department store El Corte Inglés (Av António Augusto Aguiar, Metro São Sebastião), stocking everything from books through fashion to household appliances. Apart from the indoor shopping centres, Lisbon’s main shopping areas are Avenida da Liberdade, Chiado, Saldanha and the Baixa district. International fashion stores such as Emporio Armani, Max Mara and Hugo Boss can be found along Avenida da Liberdade. In Chiado, recently listed as 9th in a ranking of the world’s 10 most upmarket areas, check out the Fnac record and book store in the Armazéns do Chiado shopping centre. Some of the establishments contributing to pushing up the average price in the area are Hermès, Cutipol and Cartier shops.
For alternative and quirky shops go to Bairro Alto. Agência 117 (Rua do Norte 117) specialises in 'skunk funk’ fashion. In the same street you’ll find Hold Me (Rua do Norte 33), offering a collection of bags and luggage. Don’t miss local fashion queen Fatima Lopes’ shop (Rua da Atalaia 36).
GIFTS TO BUY
Always an appreciated gift is a bottle of good Port wine of the same vintage as the person receiving it. You can get these at Napoleão Port store (Rua dos Fanqueiros 70, Tel: 8872 042) and several shops at Rossio square. Or at the Instituto do Vinho do Porto (Port Wine Institute, Rua de São Pedro de Alcântara 45), a bar stocking over 300 types and vintages of port. Typical Portuguese azulejos, or hand-painted tiles, are available from Sant’Anna (Rua do Alecrim). For antiques and bric-abrac, go to Rua Sao Bento and Rua Dom Pedro V. Try the Feira da Ladra flea market (Campo de Santa Clara) for a gift that’s a little bit different.
THINGS TO DO
If you only have one day to get to know Lisbon, the best place to go is the Alfama and its surrounding area. This is where Lisbon was born and where the city’s soul is still strongly present. First go to the Castelo Sao Jorge (Largo do Chäo da Feira, Tel: 8877 244). Perched high on a hilltop and offering splendid views of the city and the river, this medieval castle is probably Lisbon’s most impressive monument. Visitors can wander around the site that was once occupied by Romans, Visigoths and Moors and was the royal residence until the late 15th century. The €3 entrance fee includes a multimedia show on the history of Lisbon and a special programme dedicated to the 1755 Lisbon earthquake. Afterwards stroll downhill into historic Alfama with its labyrinth of narrow, cobbled streets, where people will greet you with a smile, proud to see that foreigners are showing an interest in their neighbourhood, which is a village within the city.
Walking tours are the best way—and sometimes the only way—to explore the city’s historic quarters. Free leaflets describing self-guided walks are available from the Lisboa Welcome Centre (Praça do Comércio/Rua do Arsenal 15). Guided tours are offered at www.lisbonwalks.com. If that’s too much effort, Carris (Tel: 3613 000) offers open-top hop-on, hop-off bus tours from the Praça do Comércio. Or you can hop on tram 28, leaving from Martim Moniz square, which will take you on an exhilarating, uphill, downhill ride through most of the city’s historic neighbourhoods all the way to the historic Prazeres cemetery at the other side of town.
The Torre de Belém (Avenida de Brasília, Tel: 3620 034) is one of the city’s most famous sights. This white stone tower is an excellent example of the Manueline style of architecture. It was built in the early 16th century to defend the approach from the river and was the last landmark that Portuguese discoverers saw as they set sail for foreign lands.
The 16th century Mosteiro dos Jerónimos (Praça do Império, Tel: 3620 034) is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is the resting place of Vasco da Gama and the nation’s most famous writer, Luís de Camões. Nearby, there is always an interesting exhibition, show or concert on at the Centro Cultural de Belém (Belém Cultural Centre, Praça do Império, Tel: 3612 400). It is also home to the city’s Design Museum and has a café with an esplanade offering a wonderful view of the area and the river.
The Portuguese turned a run-down, polluted area with a unique location on the river into the highly successful Expo98 World Exhibition. This, in turn, was transformed into Parque das Nações, a state-of-the-art leisure, business and residential area with a modern and busy public transport hub. The main attraction here, and definitely worth a visit, is the Oceanarium, second in size only to the one in Chicago. Some 15,000 sea animals and plants, including sharks of up to three metres long, can be found here in huge aquariums filled with a total of seven million litres of salty water.
A good place to go to escape the Summer heat for a while is the Jardim Botánico (Rua Escola Politécnica 58, Tel: 3921 893), an impressive botanical garden, created in 1873, with lakes and some 20,000 exotic plants and trees from around the world providing lots of shade.
The Museu Calouste Gulbenkian (Avenida de Berna 45-A, Tel : 7935 131) houses one of the most remarkable art collections in the world, covering almost every significant epoch including European paintings and sculptures from the 18th and 19th centuries plus Egyptian, Persian, Syrian, Armenian and Oriental art. There are also two concert halls for music and ballet performances.
Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga (Rua das Janelas Verdes 95) is Portugal’s national art museum, featuring a permanent exhibition of 15th and 16th century Portuguese art and a variety of temporary exhibitions.
EXCURSIONS
A 30-minute train ride from Lisbon’s Cais do Sodré station will take you to the beach resort towns of Cascais and Estoril. The train ride alone, with the sea only metres away from the tracks, is a treat. Get out at Estoril and walk the rest of the way to Cascais (about 20 minutes) along the recently renovated seafront promenade. In Cascais—known as the town of kings and fishermen because, long ago, Portugal’s royal family adopted the then tiny fishing village as their summer resort—just roam around the old town, check out the shops and enjoy the bay view. Have a drink at the marina or ask a taxi driver to take you to Casa da Guia, a wonderful leisure area with shops, cafés and stunning sea views. At 3pm, the Estoril Casino opens its doors. Go there for a drink or, in the evening, have dinner and see the daily show.
TOURIST TRAPS
Lisbon is really very tourist-friendly and, in general, there is no need to be paranoid about being overcharged. An exception is some of the Fado restaurants in Bairro Alto. Be especially suspicious about houses that include 'traditional dancing’ in their programmes—Fado doesn’t have anything to do with dancing. Suggestions for an authentic Fado experience at fair prices: Fado Maior (Largo do Peneireiro 7, Tel: 8877 508) and Clube de Fado (Rua Sao João da Praça, Tel: 8852 704), both in Alfama.
CONVENTION CENTRES
Feira Internacional de Lisboa (FIL, Lisbon International Exhibition Centre), Parque das Nações, Rua do Bojador (Tel: 8921 300, Email: fil@aip.pt, www.fil.pt). Located at the former Expo98 site, Lisbon’s latest exhibition and conference centre has three auditoria for 500 people each, four meeting rooms and four exhibition halls with 10,200 square metres of space. Nearby hotels are the Hotel Art’s VIP Executive and Hotel Tryp Oriente (see listings below).
Pavilhão Atlântico, Rossio dos Olivais, Lote 2.13.01 (Tel: 8918 409, www. atlantico-multiusos.pt). Located close to FIL at Parque das Nações, the state-ofthe-art, multipurpose Pavilhão Atlântico has an auditorium, meeting rooms and exhibition halls that can be adapted to the specific requirements of the event organiser. Hotels are the same as for FIL. Centro de Congressos de Lisboa, Praça das Indústrias (Tel: 3601 400, Email: lisboacc@aip.pt, www.aip.pt/congressos). Six auditoria for a maximum of 1,500 people, meeting rooms and five exhibition halls (largest is 3,500 square metres).
The Hotel Vila Galé Ópera is conveniently close by (see listing below).
Centro Cultural de Belém, Praça do Império (Tel: 3612 697, Email: dac@ccb.pt, www.ccb.pt). A modern leisure, cultural and conference centre in Belém not far from the Centro dos Congressos, purpose-built as the venue for Portugal’s first EU Presidency (1992). Two auditoria, with 1,400 and 350 seats respectively.