of a colossal neo-classical palace in white stone. Work hardly got underway when Napoleon invaded, and the royals fled to Brazil. Then came Civil War (1828–1834). Then the money ran out. All that left the palace looking from one side like a grand rival to London’s Buckingham Palace, from the other like an abandoned construction site. Still the royal family lived there until booted out by a republican revolution in 1910. It makes an impressive visit with the sumptuous salons fully furnished with regal trappings, as if they were expecting the monarch to return at any moment. Particularly imposing is the banqueting room where the president still holds state dinners. In 2016, a 21€-million plan was announced to finish the construction by building a west wing to hold the crown jewels, currently stashed in vaults. It’s unlikely to be open before 2021, and there will be closures of some rooms during the construction work. Behind the palace, Lisbon’s oldest Botanical garden Largo da Ajuda. www.palacioajuda.gov.pt.
Torre de Belém
Although it looks more decorative than warlike, it was built to defend the entrance to Lisbon and saw action in the 1830s when its cannons fired on French ships intervening in Portugal’s Civil War. The park surrounding it is a shaded place where you can contemplate the castellated tower and carvings of ropes, regal domes, shields, and intricate statues. However, the mostly empty interior can be a little underwhelming, especially if you’ve had to endure the long lines to get in. Spend a moment to contemplate the next-door memorial to soldiers killed in Portugal’s 1961–1974 colonial wars.
Avenida de Brasília. www.torrebelem.gov.pt.
Parque das Nações & Xabregas
On the city’s northeastern edge, Parque das Nações is a complete contrast with old Lisbon, a planned neighborhood which since the 1990s has replaced old docks and industrial space with ultra-modern architecture, including cultural and entertainment centers, shopping malls, hotels, and restaurants. The main draw is undoubtedly the amazing aquarium, but there’s much more to do and see. On the way there, the old dockside districts of Xabregas, Beato, and Marvila are fast up-and-coming.
Museu Nacional do Azulejo
Rua da Madre de Deus 4. www.museudoazulejo.gov.pt.
Oceanário de Lisboa
Floor-to-ceiling panels enable visitors to stay nose-to-nose with these creatures as they circle the main tank to visit the four corner towers, representing life in the Atlantic, Indian, Antarctic, and Pacific oceans.
You start your visit on the surface, ogling penguins, puffins, brilliantly colored frogs, and playful sea otters. Then you spiral down through startlingly different ecosystems, discovering psychedelically colored cuttlefish, jewel-like wrasse and puffers, and shoals of luminous jellyfish.
It’s a delight for all ages, beautifully laid out and well explained. For a night to remember, you can book your kids for an overnight sleepover party next to the shark-filled tank. The Oceanário isn’t cheap, but fees support its scientific, education, and conservation work.
Esplanada d. Carlos I. www.oceanario.pt.
Art on the streets
Lisbon is scarred by senseless graffiti splattered on churches, historic monuments, trains, businesses, and private homes, but among the dross are dozens of outstanding murals that make the city a leading European street-art hub. There are organized tours that will take you to some of the best-known spots: try www.alternativelisbon.co or www.lisbonstreetarttours.com. Alternatively, just keep your eyes open as you wander the city. Among the most eye-catching works are the portrait of fado legend Amália Rodriques by Vhils at Calçada do Menino de Deus, 1-3 in Alfama; the house-size Racoon created by Bordallo II out of auto parts near Rua Bartolomeu Dias, 43, just behind Belém Cultural Center; the tribute to Portugal’s 1974 democratic revolution by U.S. artist Shepard Fairey at Rua Natália Correia 11; and the murals by an international group of artists covering a whole block of abandoned buildings halfway down Avenida Fontes Pereira de Melo. Far from the beaten track but well worth a visit is Quinta do Mocho, a tough neighborhood on the far side of Lisbon airport where tenement blocks are decorated with almost 70 murals in what’s believed to be Europe’s biggest urban art space. Tours can be arranged at www.greentrekker.pt.
Estrela, Campo do Ourique & Avenidas Novas
Less visited than the city’s ancient core, central Lisbon’s northern districts offer verdant avenues, cool gardens, excellent shopping, restaurants, and some fascinating museums and monuments.
Aqueduto das Águas Livres
