Lisbon User Guide

THE USUAL REMINDER Don’t slog up those hills just because the funiculars have been suspended. Minibus 51E gives an alternative to the Santa Justa lift, and an alternative to the Glória funicular; Bairrobus 19B gives an alternative to the Lavra funicular; Bairrobus 22B gives an alternative to the Bica funicular. The sun is shining once more MUSEUM REMINDER 1 The Tile Museum is still closed for repairs. Expect re-opening around June. MUSEUM REMINDER 2 The Gulbenkian Museum has been closed for repair work, but should re-open this week BELÉM REMINDER Torre de Belém still closed for repairs. Re-opening date uncertain. WEATHER NEWS The storms have, for the moment, passed. HOWEVER if you are travelling by train, some lines are still closed, if only partially. Latest news on the CP website HERE . SAD NEWS Padaria Patriacal , the pastelaria with the Art Nouveau interior near Principe Real and Miradouro São Pedro Alcântara, has closed. It did re-open after New Year, but now the lights have go...

Location HERE . Website HERE . Open from 1030 to 1730 hours. Closed Mondays. Looking out from the roundhouse The museum is over 100km, or more than 60 miles, away from central Lisbon, in the town of Entroncamento (the name literally means “ Junction ”). You should allow a full day for a visit. The best way to get there is by train from either Santa Apolónia, or Oriente. All Intercidades trains passing through Entroncamento stop there. This is the most comfortable, and quickest, option, but you must choose your trains beforehand, and stick to them. Your tickets will be train specific. Timetable for North Line Alfa and Intercidades trains HERE . There is also a regular service of Regional trains, which take longer, but you can come back on any Regional train. There are no seat reservations, and the trains can load very heavily, even at what might seem quiet times. If you choose this option, get on board at Santa Apolónia if you can. The service is more frequent on weekdays. Timetable for...

Rua da Alegria 20 Location HERE . Either walk down the hill from Principe Real, or up the hill from Avenida da Liberdade. Reassuringly like the average small-town-in-the-UK tandoori restaurant. The Chicken Madras could be a little spicier, but that isn’t unusual among curry houses in Portugal. Starters are well presented and good portions, and mains have familiar accompaniments such as Pilau Rice or Naan. Having a beer with your meal is more expensive than might be expected, at €5.50 for a Caneca of commodity pilsner, something you get for just €2.50 at a place like the Bhetgat, near Intendente Metro. The site is long-by-narrow, which may mean there is no-one at the door from the street to welcome you. Keep on walking - and you will get to the main restaurant area. Service was good. Tram 24, Buses 19B, 758 and 773 up at Principe Real, while down on the Avenida da Liberdade, it’s Metro Avenida (Linha Azul), plus buses 709, 711, 722, 732, 736 and 744. [ HOME ]

THE USUAL REMINDER Don’t slog up those hills just because the funiculars have been suspended. Minibus 51E gives an alternative to the Santa Justa lift, and an alternative to the Glória funicular; Bairrobus 19B gives an alternative to the Lavra funicular; Bairrobus 22B gives an alternative to the Bica funicular. MUSEUM REMINDER The Tile Museum is still closed for repairs. Expect re-opening around June. BELÉM REMINDER Torre de Belém still closed for repairs. Re-opening date uncertain. TRAM 28 NEWS The 28 has been restored to its full route, although it was later in the week than advertised. Best location for getting on board and getting a seat is at Prazeres, NOT Martim Moniz. At Prazeres, there are no hour-plus waits, and no desperate TukTuk pilots aggressively touting for business. Get there by 25 tram (weekdays only), or by 709 bus from Rossio. HOWEVER the works in Calçada da Estrela have only been paused, and so will return, at which point the 28 will, once again, have to turn bac...

Location HERE . The Palace, Basilica and Convent are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The façade ... One of the largest Royal Palaces. at more than 40,000 square metres, this was the last such location in Portugal to be inhabited by the country’s now-defunct Royal family. It was from here, on 5th October 1910, that Manuel II was chauffeured to the port at nearby Ericeira, where he boarded the Royal yacht, set sail for Gibraltar, thence to England, and into exile. Built at the order of Dom João V, the Palace took 13 years to build, and was financed mainly by the proceeds of exploiting gold and diamond reserves in what was then colonial Brazil. At one point, more than 40,000 workers were employed in its construction; 1,383 died before it was completed. When first built, there was no town opposite the Palace; that came much later. Even with the growth of the town of Mafra, the Palace dwarfs all before it. A visit will take two to three hours to take in the sheer scale of the building, and ap...

Location HERE . The westernmost point of continental Europe, situated just off the main road that links Sintra and Cascais. The first lighthouse began operation in 1772, and sits close to the edge of cliffs well over 500 feet above the Atlantic Ocean. There is a small visitor centre, but not much else - a destination for dry and not so windy days. The marker ... The wooded terrain associated with much of mainland Portugal is absent from this area; it’s a slightly wild part of the coast. A stone column marks the spot, telling visitors that this is indeed the westernmost point of Europe. Also prominent is a notice warning those visitors not to cross the fence, along with several of the tourist brains trust doing just that. DON’T: one slip and you potentially have a one way ticket into a wooden box. Others want to be stupid? That’s their business. ... the lighthouse ... How to get there? From Sintra or Cascais by frequent Carris Metropolitana buses: the 1253 departs from a stop at the nor...