Lisbona and Sintra
What to see in Lisbon, between poetry, pastel de nata, barrio alto and fairy castles.
Baxia and Praça do Comércio
Baxia is the "lower district" of Lisbon, the starting point for visiting the city, between the hills of the Barrio Alto and the old Alfama district.
It starts from Rossio station with its splendid facade and in a few steps you arrive at Praça Dom Pedro with its elegant buildings. Nearby is the famous "A Ginjinha", where it is a must to stop for a drink of the typical cherry liqueur. Continuing on the road, we find Elevador de Santa Justa: a beautiful lift from 1902 that connects the upper part to the upper part.
Not far away is the Convento do Carmo, with no roof open to the sky because it was deeply damaged by the earthquake of 1755 and deliberately not renovated.
Continuing towards the sea, you come across the 1700 Arco da Rua Augusta which stands out among the yellow buildings and acts as the entrance to Praça do Comércio, once the gateway to the city by water. In Lisbon, everything seems brighter and here your eyes will fill with incredible colors. Also near the square is the medieval cathedral Sé de Lisboa.
🛌 Perfect place to sleep and going aroud into the city
Alfama and the Castle of de San Jorge
Alfama is the oldest district of the city, with its Arab style, narrow and steep alleys, buildings decorated with azulejos, typical shops, bars that play fado and miradoures (rooftop terraces with a spectacular view of the city ) among which the Miradouro de Santa Luzia and del Recolhimento is a must. Typical of the neighborhood are the yellow trams and the numerous hidden lifts that allow you to get to the Castle of Sao Jorge without too much effort. Below the castle, there are several streets with ancient ruins and beautiful murals to decorate them. Near the Igreja de São Vicente de Fora and the Mercado de Santa Clara, a very lively flea market surrounded by old houses with wonderful azulejos.
🎫 Castelo de Sao Jorge 15 euro link
🚶♂️ Free walking tour link
Barrio Alto and "movida"
This is the nightlife district, from sundown it fills with life, live music and parties that go on all night long. The main streets of nightlife are Rua do Diario de Noticias, Rua da Rosa, Rua da Misericordia, Rua Dom Pedro V and Praca dos Camoes.
During the day, on the other hand, you can try the Elevador de Santa Gloria - the historic tram that has departed from Plaza dos Restauradores since 1885 and in a few minutes climbs a very steep 200 meters to the heart of the barrio - and the view of Baxia from the top of the Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcantara.
Tower of Belem and the best pastéis de nata
The Tower of Belem is one of the symbols of the city and a UNESCO heritage site. 30 meters high, it was built for defensive purposes on the Tiago River by King John II in 1515; although it was once in the middle of the water, it is now on the river bank for shoreline shifting. In the area there is also the beautiful Jerónimos Monastery (UNESCO heritage) and the Pastéis de Belém pastry bar since 1837, only the latter would be worth the trip to Lisbon: the pastéis de nata were born here and are the best in the city with visible production and the blue tiles that decorate the walls. These sweets are made of puff pastry and filled with egg custard, cream and sugar with a sprinkling of cinnamon (who likes it); you can also buy takeaway but they must be eaten within a maximum of 2 days.
🎫 Monastery dos Jeronimos 10 euro - Tower of Belem 9 euro
In the footsteps of Fernando Pessoa
Fernando Pessoa was one of the major Portuguese poets (1888-1935), famous for his Book of Disquiet. Let's discover his places: his birthplace was in Largo de São Carlos 4 in front of the Teatro Nacional de São Carlos; today there is a statue of him with a book for a head. In rua Garrett there is the historic café A Brasileira: opened in 1905 as a Brazilian coffee shop, it became one of the most famous cafés, a destination for many intellectuals of the twentieth century. Here Pessoa wrote, drank absinthe and bica, a strong coffee similar to espresso; outside the statue pays homage to him by portraying him while he sits at a table.
At the Café-Restaurante Martinho da Arcada - the oldest in the city located in Praça do Comércio - Pessoa had a table reserved only for him permanently. Leaving the center with the famous tram 28 we find Casa Fernando Pessoa, where he lived for the last 15 years in which some of his objects and notes are kept. Finally, the tomb is located in the Jerónimos Monastery. “I have inside me all the dreams of the world”
Sardines
The sardine is the symbol of Lisbon. Already consumed by the ancient Romans, they became commonly used in the Middle Ages by the working class and even today the streets are filled with grills and sardines during the June festivals.
The shop in Rossio "Mundo fantástico da sardinha portuguesa" does not go unnoticed with lots of multicolored boxes and everywhere there are key rings, drawings and souvenirs. In addition, since 2003 the Municipality has been promoting an artistic contest that churns out sardine shapes in imaginative colors.
Sintra
Sintra leaves you breathless with its fairytale castle and mysterious villas, perhaps this is why the whole town has been declared a UNESCO heritage site. It can be reached from Lisbon by train in less than an hour at a cheap price.
The first building that you notice is the royal palace Palacio Nacional de Sintra with the particular chimneys of the kitchens 33 meters high and inside collections of azulejos.
The Palácio Nacional da Pena is the most famous place: a quirky Disney-style castle in yellow, red and violet colors perched on top of the hill and surrounded by gardens of camellias and exotic plants.
Another incredible place is the Quinta do Regaleira with its mysticism and symbolism. In the garden, the "path of the initiates" takes the initiate up to the Descent into Hell, a well with a spiral staircase in which to travel through the 9 circles of hell and from the bottom of which one ascends towards the Path to Paradise.
Finally, for trekking lovers, the ruins of the Castelo dos Mouros, which can be reached by a steep path in the woods but from which you can enjoy a splendid view of Sintra.
🎫 Palacio da Pena and park 15 euro -Quinta do Regaleira 11 euro
Budget:
Lisbon is a cheap city, especially for food and drink.
Useful tips:
Airport-city center: metro with one change.
VIVA Viagem transport card that can be recharged and allows you to buy single journeys or day tickets with all transport included (even the San Justa lift in Baxia.
For sleeping, the neighborhoods of Baxia and Chado are perfect because you can visit the city on foot even if they can be expensive. 🛌
Eat: Time out Market Lisboa is a large covered market that is very lively in the evening.
Food: try the cod with chips on top, it looks like a strange dish but it's very good
Have a nice trip!
