Neighbourhoods
Chiado
Take a stroll along the historical streets of this elegant shopping district, stopping for a cup of coffee with the statue of Fernando Pessoa, Portugal's great Modernist poet. Head uphill to Bairro Alto, for stunning views of the city and some wild partying in Lisbon's most popular nightclub district.
Rossio
Rossio is the main square in Lisbon, the equivalent of Madrid's Puerta del Sol, Tokyo's Shibuya or London's Trafalgar Square, which is a common meeting place for locals. This is a must visit for all visitors to Lisbon to experience city life.
Praça do Comércio
This magnificent plaza, facing the river, is the beginning of Lisboa's downtown. It is also known as 'Terreiro do Paço', meaning 'Grounds of the Palace', relating to its function before the Great Earthquake of 1755.
Alfama
This neighborhood still bears signs of the Moorish presence in the city, with the buildings very close to each other, and very irregular streets. It's very atmospheric and a great spot in which to wander around.
Downtown (Baixa)
This part of the city was completely rebuilt after the 1755 earthquake by the Marquês de Pombal. The planned layout, greatly different from what you will see in the more ancient neighborhoods, is a testimony to the ideas of the Enlightenment.
Architecture
Castelo de São Jorge
Located up the hill, with a great view over the city and the river. If you have the energy, get there by walking from downtown, going through the fantastic old neighborhood of Alfama.
Aqueduto das Aguas Livres
This is a historic aqueduct in the city of Lisbon, Portugal. It is one of the most remarkable examples of 18th-century Portuguese engineering, including the largest stone arch in the world. The main course of the aqueduct covers 18 km, but the whole network of canals extends through nearly 58 km. The Mãe d'Ãgua Mother of the Water reservoir of the Amoreiras, the largest of the water reservoirs, was finished in 1834. This reservoir, with a capacity of 5,500 m³ of water, was designed by Carlos Mardel. It is now deactivated and can be visited as part of the Museu da Ãgua Water Museum.
Ponte Vasco da Gama
It is the longest bridge in Europe including viaducts, and ninth longest in the world, with a total length of 17.2 km 10.7 mi, including 0.829 km 0.5 mi for the main bridge, 11.5 km 7.1 mi in viaducts, and 4.8 km 3.0 mi in dedicated access roads.
Ponte 25 de Abril
This sister bridge of the San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge was designed by the same architect in 1966 to connect Lisbon with the Setubal peninsula across the Tagus Tejo River. Formerly known as the Salazar Bridge, it was renamed after the Carnation Revolution, which on April 25, 1974 ended the dictatorship!
Museums and galleries
Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga
Portugal's impressive national art collection, including 14-19th century European painting, artefacts of Portuguese contact with the East and Africa and a collection of ecclesiastical treasures. Highlights include Dürer's St Jerome, Hieronymus Bosch's Temptations of St Antony, Nuno Gonçalves' Adoration of St Vincent, and 16th century Japanese paintings of Portuguese traders.
Fundação Arpad Szenes / Vieira da Silva
This museum is installed in the restored 18th-century former Royal Silk Factory. It permanent collection covers a wide time period of the works of 20th-century painters Arpad Szenes and Maria Helena Vieira da Silva, and regularly hosts exhibits by their contemporaries.
Museu Colecção Berardo
The Berardo Collection Museum is a museum that houses modern and contemporary art, together with modern, temporary exhibits. The permanent collection of the museum consist of the Berardo Collection, which is made up of modern en contemporary art, with major art movements like abstract expressionism, Abstraction-Création, action painting, body Art, constructivism, cubism, De Stijl, digital art, experimental art, geometric abstraction, kinetic art, minimal art, neo-expressionism, neo-plasticism, neo-Realism, op art, photography, photorealism, pop art, realism, suprematism, surrealism. The collection also consist of many important artists like Piet Mondrian, Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Pablo Picasso and Jackson Polock.
Museu da Ãgua
Entrance fee of â¬1.5 to â¬2.5, depending on age or discount cards you may use.
Museu do Azulejo
Museu Nacional do Azulejo is one of the most important national museums, for its singular collection, Azulejo Tile, an artistic expression which differentiates Portuguese culture, and for the unique building where its installed, former Madre de Deus Convent, founded in 1509 by Queen Dona Leonor.
The Calouste Gulbenkian Museum
Created from the personal collection of Calouste Gulbenkian, an Armenian who longed to see all his treasures displayed in a museum. A nice assortment of Egyptian artifacts, along with paintings by masters such as Rembrandt, Manet, Monet, Renoir, and Cassat. The museum's gardens are worth a visit in and of themselves, as a little oasis in the middle of downtown Lisbon.
Lisbon metro
Most of the metro system is a free art gallery. You'll find art by contemporary artists inspired by the stations' surrounding area. Check the subway webpage for more details on this curiosity. The red line is the newest one and has the best pieces of art.
Specialty transport
Santa Justa Elevator
Located downtown, this elevator was designed by a follower of French engineer Gustav Eiffel and connects downtown to Trinidade, located many metres uphill. 7 Colinas valid. Inaugurated on 10 July 1902, it is the only street lift in Lisbon for public service. It was built by the architect Raoul Mesnier du Ponsard in cast iron enriched with filigrana details. In 2002 it was classified a National Monument.
Tram 28
Instead of paying for a ride on one of the costly tourist trams, try Tram 28. Tram or "Eléctrico" in the Portuguese Line 28 is one of only three traditional tram lines that still operate in Lisbon. These trams, which until the late-1980's ran all through-out Lisbon, were manufactured between 1936 and 1947. Tram 28 winds its way through the "Old Town" of Lisbon dating from the 17th century beginning in Graça then down to the Alfama and to the Baixa then up through Chiado to Bairro Alto and then down to Campo Ourique, taking you by many of Lisbon's most famous and interesting sites including monuments, churches and gardens. The trip is hilly, noisy and hectic but it affords many beautiful glimpses of the city. And, although the tram can sometimes be overrun with tourists, you will definitely get a flavor of the locals, as many "Lisboetas" commute daily on these historical trams. Tickets cost â¬1.05 if payed by "Viva Viagem" card and â¬2,85 if purchased on-board or at a vending machine note that these machines do not accept notes, and are sometime even out of change, so make sure you have the correct change!. From start to finish the ride takes around 30 minutes. Beware of pickpockets!
Cristo Rei
Similar to the Christ statue in Rio de Janeiro, this statue stands over 100 meters tall on the opposite bank of the Tejo River from downtown Lisbon. Views from the top of the statue are breathtaking, although the elevator up will cost you â¬5.
Jardim Zoológico
A zoo that is fairly pricey, but has a variety of exotic animals featuring sea-lions and dolphins.
viewpoints and city view
Armazéns do Chiado shopping mall see details in Buy: top floor restaurants and cafes have fantastic city views.