Getting around Lisbon
is all part of the fun, with a city centre that is easily navigable
on foot for the reasonably fit visitors. When the gradients become
a little too much, the rapidly improving metro system is on hand
and there is also a good bus network, as well as the enjoyable array
of clanking trams, bobbing ferries, crawling funiculars and some
very lofty elevadors.
The elevadors and funiculars are
a good place for visitors to start exploring Lisbon, as they offer
expansive and breathtaking views. Alternatively, São
Jorge Castelo also commands impressive vistas, with the
rambling Alfama old town rumbling away under the
ramparts and the grid-like order of the Baixa visible
to the west.
The is the business and shopping area 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 during the day and partygoers
at night.
Further west, the once neglected docklands have been revamped during
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 including 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 centre, 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 centre,
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 popular day trip and great place to cool off when the mercury
gets up in the city.
Tourist
Information
Associação Turismo
de Lisboa
Lisboa Welcome Centre,
Praça do Comércio
Telephone number: (21) 031 2810 or 031 2815
E-mail: alt@alt-turismolisboa.pt
Opening hours: Daily 0900-2000hrs.
The main tourist office has information on its ground level and
sells souvenirs on the second floor. Other offices are located at
Praça dos Restauradores, Mercado
da Ribeira, Rua Augugsta, Belém,
Santa Apolónia station and the airport.
There are also information kiosks near some main tourist sites.
Passes
The
Lisboa Card offers unlimited travel and some free or discounted
entry to more than 50 museums and attractions, as well as a guide
to Lisbon. There are 24-hour (€13.25 adult/€5.90 child),
48-hour (€22.50 adult/€9.10 child), and 72-hour (€27.50
adult/€11.90 child) cards available for purchase at Associação
Turismo de Lisboa offices.
Key
Attractions
Castelo de
São Jorge (Castle of St George)
The Castle of St George is perched on the highest of Lisbon’s
7 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
and was rebuilt in the 1940s.
In the castle, tourists can visit multimedia presentations or just
wander around the walls, towers and the gardens. In the summer,
there are frequent festivals held in the castle grounds. There is
also a small restaurant open during the summer only and perhaps
the greatest attraction is the panoramic view from the ramparts.
Largo do Chäo da Feira
Telephone number: (21) 887 7244. Fax number: (21) 887 5695.
Transport: Tram 12 or 28, bus 37.
Opening hours:
Daily 0900-2100hrs (April-September), daily 0900-1800 hrs (October-March).
Admission: Free.
Tram
28
The legendary tram 28 is a tourist attraction within
itself, vintage trams still ply the well-worn route from the city
centre 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, and also offers sweeping views back towards
the city and out over the River Tagus. A word of
warning – the tram is increasingly as popular with pickpockets
as it is with savvy tourists.
Campo Ourique-Martim Moniz
Telephone number: (21) 361 3000.
Website: www.carris.pt
Opening hours: Daily 0600-0100hrs.
Admission:
€1.
Torre de Belém
(Belém Tower)
One of Lisbon's most famous sights is more impressive on the outside
than it is on the inside. A 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 adventures. An excellent
example of the Manueline style of architecture,
with fanciful naval themes. A gangway leads to an average museum
within the tower.
Avenida de Brasília
Telephone number: (21) 362 0034.
Fax number: (21) 363 9145.
Transport: Tram 15, bus 27, 28, 29, 43, 49 or 51, train to Belém
station.
Opening hours: Tuesday-Sunday 1000-1700
hrs.
Admission: €3.
Mosteiro
dos Jerónimos (Hieronimite Monastery)
This 16th-century monastery is one of the few surviving examples
of medieval Manueline architecture and named after
Manuel I and featuring naval motifs, is listed, along with the Torre
de Belém, as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
It is the resting place of Vasco da Gama and the
nation’s most famous writer, Luís de Camões.
Praça do Império
Telephone number: (21) 362 0034.
Fax number: (21) 363 9145.
Transport: Tram 15, bus 27, 28, 29, 43, 49, 51 or 112, train to
Belém station.
Opening hours: Tuesday-Sunday
1000-1700hrs (October-April), Tuesday-Sunday 1000-1830hrs (May-September).
Admission: €3.
Parque
das Nações (Nations Park)
The former Expo98 site has been converted into
a leisure oasis, with a shopping centre, a string of attractions,
bars, restaurants, concert halls and a walkway along the River
Tagus. The Torre Vasco da Gama (the site’s
landmark tower and Lisbon’s highest building) has an observation
platform and restaurant, two-thirds of the way up.
The Oceanário has huge pools that are home
to manta rays, penguins and sharks, as well as adorable otters.
Designed for all manner of public events, the Atlântico
Pavilion is a highly successful venue for concert, fairs
and other functions. The waterside cable car, connecting the tower
and oceanarium, offers excellent views. Summer weekends are best
avoided for visits, as every family in Portugal seems to descend
on the site. A 3-day cartão do parque (park
card), costing €14, entitles visitors to discounted admission
to many of the park’s attractions, as well as discounts in
the shops, restaurants and at car parks.
Parque
das Nações
Telephone number: (21) 891 9333.
E-mail: info@parquedasnacoes.pt
Website: www.parquedasnacoes.pt
Transport: Rail or metro to Estação do Oriente station,
bus 5, 10, 21, 25, 50, 68 or 114.
Opening hours:
Daily 24 hours.
Admission: Free.
Atlântico Pavilion
Rossio dos Olivais
Telephone number: (21) 891 8409.
Fax number: (21) 891 8413.
E-mail: info@atlantico-multiusos.pt
Opening hours: Daily 1300-1900hrs.
Admission:
Free
Cable Car
Between Torre Vasco da Gama and the Marina locks
Telephone number: (21) 896 5823.
Opening hours:
Monday-Friday 1100-1900hrs, Saturday-Sunday 1000-2000hrs.
Admission:
€1.50.
Oceanário
Esplanada D Carlos I-Doca dos Olivais
Telephone number: (21) 891 9898 or 7002.
Fax number: (21) 891 9003 or 895 5762
Opening hours: Daily 1000-1900hrs.
Admission:
€9.
Torre Vasco da Gama
Cais das Naus
Telephone number: (21) 891 8000.
Fax number: (21) 891 8005.
Opening hours:
Daily 1000-2000hrs.
Admission: €2.50.
Museu Calouste Gulbenkian (Calouste
Gulbenkian Museum)
A major revamp in 2001 benefited this treasure house of art, covering
almost every significant epoch. 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
Telephone number: (21) 782 3000.
Fax number: (21) 782 3032
E-mail: museu@gulbenkian.pt
Website: www.gulbenkian.pt
Transport: Metro São Sebastião or Praça de
Espanha; bus 16, 26, 31, 46 or 56.
Opening hours:
Tuesday-Sunday 1000-1745hrs.
Admission: €3
Centro Cultural de Belém (Belém
Cultural Centre)
A modern complex and home to the Museu do Design (Museum of Design)
as well as performance and exhibition spaces. The museum features
20th-century design supplemented by temporary exhibitions. The courtyards
and rooftop gardens make a good place to relax in between sightseeing.
Praça do Império
Telephone number: (21) 361 2400.
Fax number: (21) 361 2500.
E-mail: ccb@ccb.pt
Website: www.ccb.pt
Transport: Tram 15 or 17, bus 27, 28, 29, 43, 49 or 51, train to
Belém station.
Opening hours: Daily
0800-2130hrs.
Admission: €3.
Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga (National
Museum of Ancient Art)
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 many international artists.
Rua das Janelas Verdes 9
Telephone number: (21) 391 2800.
Fax number: (21) 397 3703.
E-mail: mnarteantiga@ipmuseus.pt
Website: www.ipmuseus.pt
Transport: Tram 15 or 18, bus 27, 40, 49, 51 or 60.
Opening
hours: Tuesday 1400-1800hrs, Wednesday-Sunday 1000-1300hrs
and 1400-1800hrs.
Admission: €3.
Sé (Cathedral)
Dom Alfonso Henriques, Portugal’s first king, built during
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 and other
treasures.
Largo da Sé
Telephone number: (21) 886 6752.
Transport: Tram 28, bus 37.
Opening hours:
Tuesday-Saturday 1000-1700hrs.
Admission:
Free
Museu Da Áqua O
Aqueduto Das Aqua Livres (Water Museum and Aqua Livres Aqueduct)
Located close to the historic wall of the Convento dos Barbadinhos,
where the first elevated steam-operated water station was built
in 1884, the Museu Da Áqua itself is average. The main reason
for visitors to come here is to visit the impressive Aqueduto
das Águas Livres, which achieved the much-deserved
status of a national monument during 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 area. The
18km (11-mile) journey makes this an tourist attraction only for
those with a keen interest in architecture.
Rua do Alviela, 12
Telephone number: (21) 813 5522.
Transport: Bus 35, 104 or 105 to the Museu Da Áqua.
Opening hours: Tuesday-Saturday 1000-1800hrs (March-November).
Admission: €2.
Further
Distractions
Museu Nacional
do Azulejo (National Tile Museum)
Situated in the Convent of Madre de Deus, which was built during
1509, this museum catalogues the history of the decoration that
makes Lisbon so unique, with examples of azulejos from the 15th
century to the present.
Rua de Madre de Deus 4
Telephone number: (21) 814 7747.
Fax number: (21) 814 9534.
Website: www.ipmuseus.pt
Transport: Bus 18, 42, 104 or 105.
Opening hours:
Tuesday 1400-1800hrs and Wednesday-Sunday 1000-1800hrs.
Admission:
€2.25.
Miradouros (Viewing
points)
With its 7 hills, Lisbon has a number of places not only to see
but also to see from. The Miradouro de 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 and
Miradouro das Portas do Sol. Further along tram
28’s route, up the hill, is the Miradouro da Graça,
which overlooks the Mouraria and the Castelo.
The Elevador de Santa Justa is another great vantage
point. Situated at the end of Rua Santa Justa, it costs the same
as other forms of public transit and is free with travel passes,
although not with the Lisboa Card. Santa
Justa boasts a café with wonderful panoramic views.
Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara
Rua São Pedro de Alcântara
Transport: Elevador da Glória; bus 58 or 100.
Opening
hours: Daily 24 hours.
Admission:
Free.
Miradouro Santa Luzia
Largo Santa Luzia
Transport: Tram 28; bus 37.
Opening hours:
Daily 24 hours.
Admission: Free.
Miradouro das Portas do Sol
Largo Portas do Sol
Transport: Tram 28 or 12; bus 37.
Opening hours:
Daily 24 hours.
Admission: Free.
Miradouro da Graça
Largo Graça
Transport: Tram 28.
Opening hours: Daily 24
hours.
Admission: Free. |
