since the 19th century. On its streets nestle venerable shops like the tiny Luvaria Ulisses glovemaker and Livraria Bertrand, the world’s oldest working bookshop. There are also splendid old cafes, grand theaters like the São Carlos opera house, and the National Museum of Contemporary Art. Among the attractive squares, Praça Luís de Camões is a popular meeting place, and Largo do Carmo fronts the gothic arches of the Convento do Carmo, an atmospheric museum amid ruins left by the 1755 earthquake. Bairro Alto means “high neighborhood”—the name refers to its hillside elevation rather than the impact of substances consumed in the bars and clubs that line its narrow alleys. Amid the booze joints are some cool bars, fine restaurants, and fado houses. Across the road, São Roque church has a golden interior of baroque carvings. Príncipe Real, spread out around the shady gardens of the same name, is the premier fashionista hangout, packed with eclectic boutiques and yet more cool bars. The Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara has iconic views over the city and Praça das Flores (Square of Flowers) is as pretty as its name.
Cais do SoDrÉ, Santos & AlcÂntara Cais do Sodré is the other main nightlife district, down by the river. Its nocturnal focus is bar-lined Rua Nova do Carvalho, better known as “Pink Street” for its rose painted asphalt. During the day, the big attraction is the Time Out Market, an always-packed gourmet hall, and its neighbor the traditional Ribeira Market with its morning displays of fish and fruit. Riverside Santos has more bars and design stores, but its must-see is the Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga, a 17th-century palace housing a world-class collection of old masters. Farther along the river and in the shadow of the Ponte 25 de Abril bridge, Alcântara is an old working-class district that’s making the most of its industrial heritage with LX Factory, a jumble of hip stores, bars, and restaurants installed in a derelict printworks and the Museo do Oriente, a superb collection of Asian art housed in a 1940s warehouse.
BelÉm Memories of the Discoveries abound in Belém. Spread out amid riverside gardens are the unmissable Jerónimos Monastery and the Torre de Belém, perhaps Europe’s most photogenic fortress. There’s a 1960s Monument to the Discoveries in the grandiose style preferred by the Salazar dictatorship, and a Maritime Museum. More recent attractions include the Centro Cultural de Belém (CCB), which holds theaters and a fine modern art collection, the Coach Museum and the spanking-new MAAT contemporary art center. Portugal’s president lives in a pretty pink palace overlooking the river and, of course, there is the cafe that opened in 1837 to serve the custard and cinnamon treats known as Pastéis de Belém.
Avenida & Avenidas NovAs Back downtown, head north from Rossio and you’ll hit the Avenida de Liberdade, Lisbon’s swankiest boulevard since 1879. It’s over a kilometer (1,000 yards) long, with trees, ponds, and pavements down the center and boutiques, banks, shopping malls, and theaters along both sides. It’s the place to flex your credit card. Oddly enough, it also contains the headquarters of the Portuguese Communist Party in a striking Art Deco building. At the top is Parque Eduardo VII, the biggest city center park. Farther out toward the airport is the Avenidas Novas district laid out in the 19th and early 20th centuries. It has more shopping, historic cafes like Pastelaria Versailles, and quirky buildings like the arabesque Campo Pequeno bullring. But by far, the biggest draw is the Gulbenkian Museum, with amazing art surrounded by a tranquil garden.
Estrela, Lapa & Campo de Ourique Uphill from Santos, the tony Lapa neighborhood is filled with mansions holding embassies and ambassadorial residences. Neighboring Estrela is centered around the Basílica da Estrela, a white-domed baroque church from the 18th century and the Jardim da Estrela gardens, a favorite place for Lisbon families to cool off in summer. Nearby Campo de Ourique is a village within the city: Built largely in the early 20th century on a flat plateau, it contains some fine Art Deco buildings, a gourmet market, and excellent shops and cafes away from the tourist trail (even though it’s the terminus of Tram 28). The Cemitério dos Prazeres, Lisbon’s oldest cemetery, is here; a stroll among the popular trees and grand 19th-century tombs is a peaceful escape from the urban bustle.
Mouraria, Graça & intendente At the other end of tramline 28 is Graça, a bustling, quintessentially Lisbon area atop one of the tallest hills. A leafy terrace in front of the baroque Convento da Graça is one of the best places to enjoy a drink with a view. Tumbling down the hill is the medieval Arab neighborhood of Mouraria, whose maze of alleys echoes to the sound of fado. It leads down to Intendente, once a seedy red-light district, now fast upcoming, particularly around Largo do Intendente Pina Manique, home to the tiled facade of Viúva Lamego, one of the city’s best ceramic stores. Largo Martin Moniz is a focus for Lisbon’s Chinese and South Asian communities; around it are Asian groceries and some tasty hole-in-the-wall eateries.
Parque das NaÇÕes Strung out along the Tagus at Lisbon’s northeastern extremity, Parque das Nações is a modernist counterpoint to the city’s retro charms. It holds Lisbon’s most-visited attraction, the Oceanário, one of the world’s biggest and best aquariums, containing a panoply of sea life from huge rays to tiny fluorescent jellyfish. The whole neighborhood was developed on a former industrial site for the 1998 World’s Fair. Among all the architecture is an interactive science museum that kids will love, a big shopping mall, casino, theaters showcasing dance and music, towering hotels, and some first-class riverside restaurants.
Getting Around
Central Lisbon is relatively compact and walking is a joy, although because of the hills it can be hard on the feet. There’s a clean, safe, and efficient subway system, and the trams and buses can be a delight to ride through the historic streets. Traffic gets jammed at rush hour, driving in narrow old town streets is challenging, and parking hard to find except in expensive parking lots. Public transport is a better option. Taxis are plentiful, easy to hail, and cheap compared to many other European cities. Uber and other ride-hailing services are available. Ferries can take you to destinations across the Tagus, and suburban trains run out to Cascais and Sintra. There’s a plethora of tourist-related transport options: from tuk-tuks to bikes and electronic scooters.
One Card, Many Rides
For most modes of public transport in Lisbon and surrounding areas, you can use the Viva Viagem card, which can be bought at ticket booths and machines at metro stations as well as the post office, most newsagents, and other shops bearing MOB and Payshop logos. They cost just 0.50€ and can be charged up with amounts from 3€ to 40€ through a system called zapping. Using the card, a single ride costs 1.31€. The amount is deducted from your card when you touch it on a contact pad as you enter and leave metro or train station platforms, or board the bus. In comparison, a single ticket for the metro costs 1.45€ and a bus ride is 2€ if you buy a ticket on board. The cards can also be used on suburban trains like those heading to Cascais and Sintra, ferry boats crossing the Tagus river, and Lisbon’s iconic trams and funiculars. You must buy a card for each person traveling. They are valid for a year, if you are planning a return trip. Alternatively, you can buy a daily card offering unlimited 24-hour travel for 6.40€ for the bus, street car, and metro, or 10.55€ if you add suburban train services, for example to Cascais and Sintra. Avoid buying your ticket at the ever-crowded Cais do Sodré railway station.
Metro The Metro (www.metrolisboa.pt), Lisbon’s clean and modern subway, is the quickest and easiest way to get around. There are four lines identified by colors: red, yellow, blue, and green. Many of the metro stations are clad in tiles decorated by modern artists and are attractions in their own right. The Olaias, Parque, and Cidade Universitária stations are recommended. The Metro operates daily from 6:30am to 1am.
Bus, Tram, Train & Ferry The city bus company Carris (www.carris.pt) runs an extensive network that gets to places the metro doesn’t reach. Carris also runs street cars (eléctricos), often using little yellow trollies dating back to the early 1900s, which have become a major attraction for visitors (annoying regular users who often find them too crowded on their commute to work). Other public transport options include the suburban rail lines run by the CP rail company (
