Lisbon… It’s one of those places I love to return to, a place where time goes the other way and I magically move to the wild times when I visited the place on a short trip to Basque Country during my Erasmus student exchange… Or to the sunny December when Maks ‘went’ on his first trip while still in my belly. Whenever I come to Lisbon, I feel like when I’m leaving the plane in Spain. I can sense the familiar smell of the air which makes me wanna stay there longer. I know that not everybody gets this feeling. Lisbon is no Paris, London or Rome. Less popular, that’s for sure, even poor and neglected in some places, but with a soul which is easy to feel on tiny alleys of Alfama or when you celebrate Marchas Populares on Avenida Liberdade with the whole city. As I’m writing this, I miss Lisbon more with every word and every picture. If you haven’t been there yet, you have to check what happens to you when you get there 🙂
Lisbon seems to be a perfect destination any time of year. Perfect for a prolonged weekend since 2 days may be a little too little. It’s worth visiting Lisbon in June because the amazing and colourful Marchas Populares take place then and the whole city admires performances of troupes and eats grilled sardines. There’s plenty to do In Lisbon, plenty to see too. Here’s 19 things you should start with! 🙂
1) Feel the city life in Rossio!
Rossio is one of the most famous landmarks of Lisbon. A huge square, fountains, pigeons and important buildings around it. City life takes place right here, from here you can see the famous Elevador de Santa Justa towering over the houses and Castelo de São Jorge situated on a hill. You usually start a visit to Lisbon from Rossio. We started our walk here as well. From here, Praça do Comercio located by the river tag is just a few steps away.
2) chase the pigeons on Praça do Comércio
I love this place because every time you walk beneath the huge Arco Rua Augusta, you can sense amazing freedom and independence. In the summer, tourists and locals walk the square calmly, everybody snaps pics and the children chase pigeons. Around, you will find some tables, coffee, ice cream and peace.
3) board the tram
The yellow trams seems like the most popular symbol of Lisbon. You can either see it as it rides through the streets of Alfama or like in the picture: parked by the popular Solar Dos Presuntos restaurant. A must! And yes, children love it too!
4) walk the streets of Alfama
It may be a bit shameful because we only now managed to spend some time in Alfama even though it’s our fourth visit to Lisbon. Alfama is the oldest district of the city, situated at the foot of Castelo de São Jorge castle. The best way to see Alfama is to combine it with a visit to the castle. Narrow alleys, red roof tiles, quiet life, sleepy vibe and old women buried in vigorous conversations on the benches. In order to feel the true spirit of Alfama, visit it between 12th and 13th June during Santo Antonio – celebration of the city’s patron. The procession that starts in front of Se cathedral on that day seems to be very similar to those we have in Poland but the stands with local sweets and colourful decorations add to its charm.
5) say a prayer in Sé cathedral!
No need to pray, but the cathedral is a must. It’s an important spot for the people of Lisbon and the starting point of the famous procession on 13th June. Reportedly, St. Antonio was born in this area.
The erection of the cathedral was ordered by Alfonso I of Portugal, the first king of the country, right after the Moors were expelled from Lisbon. Sé was finished in 1150 and was supposed to serve as a symbol of the victory over Moors because it stood in a place where a mosque used to be. Since then, the cathedral was reconstructed on numerous occasions (i.e. after earthquakes in 1344 and 1755) and it stool looks impressive! It doesn’t look like an ordinary church in Portugal or Spain which makes it the most distinct church of Lisbon.
Open daily from 10-19.00.
6) look for similarities to Rio de Janeiro and San Francisco 🙂
A bridge that looks like Golden Gate in San Francisco is called Ponte 25 de Abril. It connects Lisbon and its suburbs such as Almada. For me, the bridge has sentimental meaning. When we visited Lisbon during Erasmus, in order to cut down on the costs, we found ourselves in a hostel on the other side of the river, precisely in Almada, right next to Tag and the entrance to the bridge. Everyday trip to Lisbon seemed like a huge journey… first a bus, then a ferry, then a bus again or subway. Despite that, we had a lot of fun! And in the evenings we fell asleep looking at a beautifully illuminated bridge!
The bridge was built in 1966 and since 1999 it’s been used by trains as well. Until 1974 it was named after Salazar. Current name commemorates the Carnation Revolution after which the Portuguese dictator was overthrown.
What do Lisbon and Rio de Janeiro have in common? It’s simple, even though you may not spot it that easy on the picture. Everybody, even those who haven’t been to Rio, know the pictures with huge Jesus Christ statue which watches over the city. It’s one of the city’s symbols and one of the biggest landmarks which makes me quite sure that you know it! Salazar was inspired by Rio when he ordered a similar statue to be built in Lisbon. Cristo Rei stands on the other bank (right next to my former hostel) and watches over the city. Supposedly, you can get on top of the statue and see the beautiful panorama of the city.
7) eat a lobster w Solar Dos Presuntos
Solar dos Presuntos is a legendary place, filled with pictures of famous guests, always full, with a crowd of people trying to get in during lunch time or dinner. There, you will find a whole lot of delicacies with huge lobsters which can be seen in a gigantic aquarium.
8) …and get some more seafood somewhere else!
Portugal is surely a fish and seafood country! Starting with famous bacalhau cod, a meal that we used to describe as ‘if you don’t know what it is, it must be bacalhau’ during Erasmus and ending with all sorts of shrimps, mussels and anything else you could imagine. There’s plenty of places to try seafoon in Lisbon but we will tell you about it in a separate entry! 🙂 Soon!
9) have Pastéis de Belém for dessert
You can’t leave Lisbon without eating the famous pasteis de Belem! The best way to try them is a confectionery near Mosteiro dos Jeronimos which can be recognised by a constant queue of people in need of hot cakes. That’s where pasties de nata were invented around the 18th century. That’s what they’re called in other confectioneries, not only in Lisbon but in Portugal in general. These were invented by the monks from Mosteiro dos Jeronimos (another place you need to see!). Since 1837 you can buy pasteis de Belem in Fabrica de Pasteis de Belem and that’s where we got ours!
Nowadays you have to stand in huge queues to get the cakes, but it’s well worth it! The filling tastes a bit like custard, they taste best when hot, are sprinkled with cinnamon which you get in little paper bags if you buy the cakes to go. They’re amazing!
10) have one or two rounds of Ginja
The best place to try it is the most popular spot right next to Rossio. The only thing they sell there is ginjinha a 19% cherry infused liquor with plenty of sugar. There’s always somebody standing in front of the place and sipping the liquor and in the evenings it gets quite crowded. There’s also a super sweet version for all the sweet lovers – served in a chocolate glass! 🙂
11) see the city from Elevador Santa Justa
Elevador Santa Justa is a peculiar ‘building’ which you can spot easily while walking somewhere in Bairro alto, i.e. near Rossio. You can take an elevator to the top, take a break from sightseeing, drink some coffee and enjoy the view because Lisbon looks beautiful from the top!
12) …. or from Castelo São Jorge
I just can’t get enough of this view! Lisbon seen from Sao Jorge’s castle located on a hill always looks beautiful! From there you will see both Praca do Comercio and Elevador Santa Justa and the bridge along with the Christ statue In the distance. The castle itself is great fun as well, especially if you’re travelling.
13) forget about the time passing by in Oceanario de Lisboa
The oceanarium in Lisbon is the biggest one in Europe with approx. 25 thousand creatures living there! The place is very impressive! Both for kids and for the parents… It was built in 1998 during Expo. I first visited it in 2006 and left amazed. This time Maks was amazed – mainly because of the huge main tank with sharks, tunas and huge manta rays that look like birds flying in the water!
More information about the oceanarium can be found – HERE!
14) ride the Cable Car and see the Expo ’98 area
Predictably, a ride beneath the clouds was the best fun for Maks! 🙂 Cable Car station is located near the Oceanarium which makes seeing the former Expo grounds a great finish of your visit!
15) see Marchas Populares at least once in your life
Marchas Popualres is an amazing experience which cannot be described using words or pictures. It’s a huge colourful parade with troupes representing specific districts, regions, trade unions. This year they already closed Avenida Liberdade in the afternoon on 12th June as they expected the performers and the spectators to come in large groups to see the event. It was so beautiful that Maks has spent 2.5 hours motionless (which sound pretty close to impossible!!!) watching all the performances, especially those where adults were accompanied by kids. You will read more about Marchas Populares on the blog later on but I can already tell you that it’s one of the oldest and most beautiful traditions in Lisbon. If you ever get a moment to come to Portugal in this very period, be sure to go and see it 🙂
16) look for azulejos, wherever you can!
I already wrote about famous Portuguese blue tiles called azulejos in the entry about Alentejo. There’s plenty of them in Lisbon too! They make the city streets look even more charming.
17) see Mosteiro dos Jerónimos
Mosteiro dos Jeronimos is located in Belem, a part of Lisbon situated a bit further from the city centre, rich in must sees. It’s probably the most popular sight of Lisbon, definitely the most impressive one. The monastery of Hieronymites looks impressive both from the outside when you only look at its ornamented gates and portals and from the inside where you can walk the charming ambulatories and see the cathedral.
The monastery was built to honour Vasco da Gama and his successful trip India in 1498. This and several other buildings located in close proximity are supposed to make you remember that Portugal used to be a sea power.
More information about Mosteiro dos Jeronimos including opening hours and ticket prices can be found on monastery’s official website – HERE.
18) visit amazing Torre de Belém
Looks miraculous, doesn’t it??? 🙂 Torre de Belém never ceases to amaze me and I’m here for the fourth time! It’s beautiful like a building from a fairytale! Sculptures, little towers, little windows. It’s hard to believe that a stronghold from 16th century can be so beautiful. It’s here where Vasco da Gama started all his sea journeys.
You can sit down by the tower and rest during sightseeing and you child can go shell hunting.
More information – HERE.
19) climb on the Explorers’ Statue
As the name suggests, Padrão dos Descobrimentos is a homage to Portuguese explorers. You can see HENRYK ŻEGLARZ standing onboard with his crew looking for distant lands. The statue is also an observation point – you can get to the top with a lift and see the views including Torre de Belen and the monastery.
More information and opening hours – HERE.
Phew, that’s a lot of things to do in Lisbon! And that’s not all because you can go exploring Lisbon over and over again 🙂 Drink port wine, listen to fado, get lost in the little streets and enjoy every day. PS. a guide to places where you should it is coming too! 🙂
* you can get to LISBON with Wizzair – there are two flights a week and single ticket prices start with PLN 369..
* We visited Lisbon thanks to Turismo de Lisboa
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