 The neighbourhoods of Lisbon are clearly delimited by seven hills overlooking the Tagus. They are a thought-provoking mix of broad avenues and streets: a perfect balance of the old and elegant and the ancient and modern.
Lisbon offers a wide range of cultural attractions and events, fine restaurants, charming narrow streets, the sweet and melancholic fado (the genuine Portuguese music), countless trams and parks.
Its prime location on the banks of the Tagus, gives a special flavour to any of the vistas you can enjoy from the different viewing points around the city. This feeling is magnified when you stop to marvel at the two spectacular bridges: the Ponte 25 de abril and the 16-kilometre-long Ponte Vasco de Gama.
The most interesting neighbourhoods are the centrally located Baixa, Chiado, Bairro Alto and Alfama. In the west of the city is Belém, which is a must due to its landmarks and cake shops, and further to the east, following the riverbank, the Parque das Naçoes. Other must-see attractions in Lisbon are the Museo Nacional de Arte Antita, the Museo Calouste Gulbenkian, and the Museo Nacional do Azulejo.
When you’re in Lisbon we also recommend you visit the leafy Parque de Monsanto, take a stroll through the cobbled streets of Chiado and Baixa, and enjoy Lisbon’s musical legacy and its vibrant nightlife in the streets and on the steps in Alfama, Lisbon’s oldest neighbourhood which is crowned by the ruins of an Arabian castle. Fado music originated in Alfama at the beginning of the 19th century, inspired by the rhythms of the African slave dances, Arabic songs and traditional folklore.
Also well worth a visit is the Mercado da Ribeira, built from iron and glass. The first floor sells culinary specialities and handicrafts and stages music and dance performances. Opposite the market is the Cais do Sodré, the transport interchange for buses, trains, trams, metro and ferries, where trains for Estoril and Cascais and the Cacilhas ferry depart. |
