Lisbon User Guide

Calçada Nova de São Francisco 2A Location HERE . The one place I put off revisiting because it was the only outlet in Lisbon that had given me a bad head after visiting it. But that was a few years ago, so once more into the breach, and all that. Advertised on the flip side of the promo cards given out at Gulden Draak, so I assume there is some connection. Situated in Tourist Central, at the lower end of the Chiado district, it boasts 35 taps, although like Gulden Draak, they aren’t all on at once. And before getting in the front door, the first caution. One small step for the mellow and unwary ... CAUTION beware the horror step outside the front door! Access is off a flight of steps, with the additional problem of an inclined front step. As in, inclined to up-end anyone emerging from the premises in a less than totally alert state. Not so good when you’re dispensing a range of high octane beers. Also, there are more steps to ascend before reaching the bar itself. Plenty of seating, in...

Historical sites, monuments, large, small, and all with their own significance. Castelo de São Jorge, viewed from the top of the Elevador de Santa Justa, in the days of shorter queues and before the viewing deck was closed As ever, follow the links ... 4.2.1 Castelo de São Jorge 4.2.2 Sé (Cathedral) 4.2.3 Mosteiro dos Jerónimos 4.2.4 Padrão dos Descobrimentos 4.2.5 Basilica da Estrela 4.2.6 Panteão Nacional [ HOME ]

Campo de Santa Clara Location HERE . Closed Mondays. Formerly the Igreja de Santa Engrácia, this imposing building was converted into the National Pantheon in 1916, but despite building having started back in 1682, was not finally finished until the central dome was added in 1966. Some of the figures represented here were actually buried elsewhere, such as Vasco da Gama and Henry The Navigator. But those commemorated more recently have been interred here, such as General Humberto Delgado, who exposed the Estado Novo’s sham democracy for what it wasn’t, football legend Eusébio da Silva Ferreira, and greatest of Fadistas, Amália Rodrigues. What strikes the visitor is the sheer size of the building’s interior, the central open space made possible by the four corner columns supporting the dome. You can climb up to the various upper levels, and even to the gallery beneath that dome. CAUTION more of those shiny stone steps, although some are quite shallow. Those used to a handrail with their...

Praça da Estrela Location HERE . Open every day. Closes between 1300 and 1500 hours. Magnificent baroque church which imposes itself on the Praça da Estrela and, indeed, on the surrounding area. Inside, it is grand and austere at the same time. But, although the tourist trail passes outside - the 25 and 28 tram routes both pass through Praça da Estrela - most of those entering to show their penitence before God are not tourists. There are more visitors to Lisbon among those paying to climb the steps up to the gallery. Entrance to the church is free, but it is easy to make an online donation. Lighting a candle involves a modest charge. As with all churches, respect requests for silence, especially when there is a service of worship, or other acts of prayer, in progress. Tram 25 and 28; Buses 65B, 709, 713, 773. An extended route 774 covers for the 25 tram at weekends. [ HOME ]

Avenida da Brasília, Belém Location HERE . Open Every Day. Potted history to correct the myriad of misleading information out there: the monument was first built in 1940 as part of the Exhibition of the Portuguese (-Speaking) World. It was designed by José Ângelo Cottinelli Telmo (yes, the one who designed the old ferry terminal just off Praça do Comércio), and the sculptor Leopoldo de Almeida. It was not intended to be a permanent fixture, the materials used were not long-lasting, and it was demolished in 1943. The Estado Novo régime decided to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the death of O Infante Dom Henrique (or Henry the Navigator in English) by creating a permanent monument on the Belém waterfront. There was, apparently, a competition for a new design, but they then decided to re-use the original one. What resulted was scaled up from the 1940 original - we know this, as the monument’s website shows one of Cottinelli Telmo’s original drawings (the eastern elevation), showing ...

Praça do Império, Belém. Location HERE . Open every day (cloisters only). But those queues! OK let’s talk about the queues. I pre-booked a ticket for Sunday at 1030, and arrived at 1030. Then joined the queue. That’s the line, for those from the USA. The queue moved along steadily, and I actually got in at 1100 hours. Half an hour of patiently declining the merchandise offered by those selling hats (got one already), a variety of tat (not interested), and bottles of water for €1 a go, which the seller had bought from a nearby Pingo Doce for 18 cents each (went to Pastéis de Belém for coffee and orange juice afterwards). The queue was a lot longer when I checked it out after my visit. Was it worth the wait? You want to see the cloisters (a UNESCO World Heritage site, folks), you have to queue. And it is a well preserved and well presented offering. But even taking it at a steady pace and having a sit down during the tour round the cloisters, you’ll be done in half an hour. CAUTION There...

Largo da Sé 1. Location HERE . Closed Sundays. Lisbon’s greatest church is said to have withstood the Great Earthquake of 1755, although it did not emerge totally intact and as it is today. Once upon a time, the authorities depended on donations; now, more sensibly, it costs €5 per person. It’s worth it. Lighting a candle involves a modest extra charge. CAUTION There are stone steps, and plenty of them, if you go up to the terrace and inside rooms above the south side of the main building. Inside, there are the inevitable Azulejos, and many grand frescoes, one that stands out being a depiction of Salome, still holding a fearsome looking knife in her right hand, presenting the head of John the Baptist with her left. From the terrace, which is narrow and cannot accommodate so many people at once (please note), you can look down over the Largo da Sé and see all the passing trams, plus yet another line-up of variously desperate TukTuk pilots, their vehicles not quite blocking the road as t...

Rua de Santa Cruz do Castelo Location HERE . Open every day. And it’s still not pronounced Hor-hay, or Hor-ji. Many years ago, there was no charge for entry to the Castle; you could even use the entry at the back of the site. Not now; like so many attractions in Lisbon, a fee has been charged, and increased, as a means of maintaining the area and perhaps returning a little to the municipality. First of all, getting there. The best way is to catch a 737 bus from its terminus in the north-west corner of Praça da Figueira, or en route near Igreja Santa Maria Madalena, or by the Cathedral. The views ... The alternative, from the Baixa, is to use the Elevador Castelo at the east end of Rua Vitória, on Rua Fanqueiros. This exits on to Rua Madalena. Cross the road and cross Largo Adelino Amaro da Costa on the diagonal, turning right into Largo Châo do Loureiro, through the doors as if you were visiting the Pingo Doce, then at the end of the passage is the second stage of the Elevador Castelo....

Rua Andrade Corvo 29A Location HERE . Open every day. Just below Saldanha, and just off the main road linking that location to Mq. Pombal. Less “ not difficult to find ”, than “ not easy to miss ”. My visit coincided with many of Lisbon’s traffic lights taking the evening off, so good that it’s close to an entrance to Picoas Metro station (Linha Amarela, steps only). Comes with the modest tag line “ Finest Beer House in Lisbon ”. Maybe not. But it does boast 50 taps, even if some of them were unavailable on my visit. As the name suggests, it’s mainly Belgian beers, which are mostly high octane ones - so if you’re intending to try a few, go easy. There’s plenty of space: groups can usually find a table, and those arriving in ones and twos can, alternatively, sit up to the bar. I sampled small servings of Baptist IPA, Bornem Red, Augustijn Blond and Gulden Draak Calvados, which meant four differently shaped glasses, because if it’s Belgian beer, it has to be served in its own distinctive...

Weather bad? Done the sights? Want to chill a little, relax for an hour or two, get away from the crowds, and yes, the queues? Lisbon has a museum for most days of the year, some commemorating genres you may not have even thought a good subject for commemoration. Like the first on this list. As always, follow the links ... Museu Nacional do Azulejo (Tile Museum) Museu da Carris Museu Calouste Gukbenkian Museu Bordalo Pinheiro Museu Banksy Museu do Fado Museu Arqueológico do Carmo Museu Guarda Nacional Republicana MAAT Museu de Arte Contemporânea [ HOME ]

Praça do Império, Belém Location HERE . Closed Mondays. Not impressed by the two hour wait time for the Torre de Belém? Weather a bit iffy? Looking for a well presented museum to round off a tour of the district? No queues here, and no weather problems either, as we arrive at the Lisbon equivalent of MOMA. The signposting could do with improvement: this museum is housed in the north-west wing of the Centro Cultural de Belém. Access from the NW corner of the Praça do Império up the long slope and turn right at the top. The museum entrance will (eventually) be seen on the right. Start on Floor 2 and work down (Floor 2 will take up most of the visit). Each style of contemporary art is described, and has its own space. The rooms and corridors give plenty of room for the pieces, and those viewing them. There are familiar works, such as Warhol’s Brillo Boxes. Only one Hockney, though, and one Bridget Riley. But a really enjoyable collection of modern art, which, taken at a steady pace, will ...

Avenida da Brasília Location HERE . Closed Tuesdays. The Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology, known simply as MAAT, comprises the long-disused Tejo Power Station, and a new building designed by British architect Amanda Levete. Entrance to MAAT Central This complex gets around the problem faced by all attractions on the Belém waterfront - the barrier of the Avenida da Índia, the Cais do Sodré to Cascais rail line, and the Avenida da Brasília - by having a footbridge which not only crosses all three, but also gives step free access. Alight from bus or tram at Altinho (MAAT) and access the footbridge via Largo Marquês Angela. Once across the barrier, turn sharp right and down the slope, through the power station garden, and turn left at the end of the building. Access to the power station is on your left. Installation outside the new building This building is also known as MAAT Central. It showcases the previous use of the structure as a power station - the machinery is still mostl...

Largo do Carmo 27 Location HERE . Closed Sundays. The GNR are military personnel, and the organisation is rather like the Guardia Civil in Spain. They perform activities such as road policing and patrols, as well as border security. The museum, which charges a small entrance fee, charts its history, and has exhibits like old motorcycles and cars, as well as uniforms, guns and other memorabilia. Above the entry to the GNR Museum, Captain Salgeiro Maia (right) looks down over the Largo do Carmo But the most useful aspect of this museum is that it has a timeline of events as they unfolded on 25th April 1974. It was, after all, the building to which then Prime Minister Marcelo Caetano and President Américo Tomas had retreated, and where power was finally relinquished by the Estado Novo. Metro, tram, rail and bus connections same as Museu Arqueológico do Carmo - it’s more or less next door. [ HOME ]

Largo do Carmo Location HERE . Closed Sundays. Part museum, but mainly memory: the ruined Convent of Carmo is a poignant symbol of the force possessed by the 1755 earthquake which devastated Lisbon. On Saturday 1st November that year, the feast of All Saints was celebrated. The Carmo Convent was filled with worshippers; at 0940, the quake struck with such force that the building’s roof gave way, crashing down on those inside. None of them survived. That such pious and, indeed, penitent beings had been killed indiscriminately posed the question that the religiously inclined were unable, or unwilling, to confront. It was left to Voltaire to put it directly: Where Was God? At first, it was decided to rebuild the structure, and the museum part of the site, at its east end, is now intact. But later, the restoration was abandoned, the main convent building left as a memorial to those who died, and a reminder of the destructive force of nature. The artefacts are well presented, and the museum...

Largo do Chafariz de Dentro 1 Location HERE . Closed Mondays. A short walk from Sul e Sueste, and an equally short walk from Santa Apolónia, this museum is on the edge of the Alfama, with the added bonus that you don’t need to climb any hills to get there. Fado is a characteristically Portuguese musical genre, and is especially rooted in the seafaring community and the poor. Its lyrics often give a sense of longing, of melancholy, of fate, of karma, even. Although it was definitely a known music form in the early 19th Century, Fado may have been around for a lot longer. When the Estado Novo came along, it posed a problem for António de Oliveira Salazar, who hated it, but knew he could not ban it. So it was strictly regulated: out went spontaneous forms of lyrics, all songs having to get past the state censor. Many did not. All of this is covered at the Fado Museum, where the audio guide provided is invaluable, giving not only commentary, but samples of Fado songs, from the best known p...

Rua Viriato 25B Location HERE . Open every day. From the darkly comic ... Ground floor of a building close to Picoas Metro (Linha Amarela), and round the corner from the hideous looking Lisbon Sheraton. Not a big museum, and not cheap, but a fascinating look at Banksy’s work, including lots of rats, and of course the balloon girl. ... to the just dark Much of what’s on view is reconstruction of his oeuvre, well known and, in many cases, not. Context, world events at the time, including the plainly ridiculous “ Get Banksy ” campaign from New York City, all is set out. You can see how stencil art, a key component of many Banksies, happens. Some of what you will see is amusing, some darkly comic, and some just dark. It is not easy to come away optimistic at the state of the world. There is also the inevitable gift shop, where you can buy all kinds of memorabilia, including Banksy T-Shirts. Metro Picoas or Parque, buses 722, 727, 736, 738, 744 and 783 on Avenida Fontes Pereira de Melo near...

Campo Grande 382 Location HERE . Closed Mondays. Small museum dedicated (mainly) to the work of caricaturist and ceramicist Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro. Cabbage plates, flocks of birds, an overlarge snail clinging to the side of the building, and engaging enough to not need the English translation. The upstairs display of comics, showing how caricatures of politicians and other figures are used to build up strips, is a must view. After visiting, try the Jardim Bordallo Pinheiro (not sure why this uses a different spelling), which is across the other side of Campo Grande, accessed through the Museu de Lisboa. This will be covered in Green Spaces. Metro Campo Grande, buses 701, 717, 736, 750, 767 and 798. [ HOME ]

Avenida de Berna 45A Location HERE . Closed Tuesdays. Calouste Gulbenkian. With backup Worth two hours of your time, whatever the weather. If you’re not impressed by the collections of ancient coinage and ceramics (I was!), the woven carpets and paintings will probably do the trick. At one point, the overload of paintings of Venice (there are a lot of Venice paintings) was becoming a little too much, but the situation was redeemed by (literally) back to back Turners. Did you know the M in JMW stands for Mallord? The staff are generally unobtrusive, but helpful. An ideal place to dial back the system and slow your stress meter down a little. There is a café downstairs, and the gardens are one of Lisbon’s most popular free-to-use green spaces. Metro Praça de Espanha, buses 716, 726, 746 and 756. [ HOME ]

Estação Santo Amaro, Rua 1 de Maio 101-103 Location HERE . Closed Sundays. Celebrating its 25th birthday in 2024, the Carris Museum is a must visit for bus and tram enthusiasts, showcasing the company’s history, and for those from the UK, the bonus of all those British buses on display. Bogie car 329 and Standard car 777 Visits start in a building close to the main road, showing visitors a history of the company, and then at the other side of the building a vintage tram is waiting to take everyone around the site to where all the historic buses and trams are housed. Many of those buses and trams are working exhibits, participating in the annual parade (Desfile dos Classicos), which happens every September. Some visitors from the UK and elsewhere time their trip to Lisbon to coincide with that parade. Daimler Fleetline buses 837 and 851 Families love this museum: not just the kids, but the grown-up kids too. And the staff are always happy to see you. Tram 15 stops outside, as do buses 7...

Rua Madre de Deus 4 Location HERE . Closed Mondays. An unexpected oasis of calm and wonder, away from Tourist Central and in what at first seems an unpromising area, by a busy road junction and with the noise of trains on the embankment above occasionally intruding, this museum is housed in the Mosteiro da Madre de Deus, a former monastery, with much of the collection in rooms around the cloisters. Only in Portugal could you have a Tile Museum: tiles are not merely floor coverings, but used as decoration, to insulate and damp-proof buildings, and to tell stories, to provide an historical record of how life was in centuries past. You enter through a gate from the road outside, a courtyard opening up and guiding you through to reception. There may be a queue; most of the time, the wait is not long. Maybe take the lift to the second floor, start at the top and work down. That top floor has a tiled fresco depicting Lisbon before the earthquake of 1755. Displays on lower floors take you thr...

Travessa do Grilo 1 Location HERE . Let’s make it clear at the outset: this outlet is not recommended , but by all means visit it and make your own mind up. It’s in the Hub Criativo do Beato, a former industrial site en route from the old downtown to Marvila and Oriente. In autumn 2023, a beer festival called BeerAto was held here. Not in 2024, though, maybe not unconnected with the people behind Super Bock buying into the site. And this outlet is a Super Bock product. Portugal’s two big commodity beer brands, Sagres and Super Bock, have taken different stances on the burgeoning craft beer market. Sagres have carried on as before, while Super Bock have, firstly, brought us their 1927 selection, which is undistinguished and forgettable. But they were not downhearted at the craft beer people turning their noses up at the product, and recently brought out Coruja, a 6% IPA, which is sort of OK, but again, not a patch on a whole range of craft IPAs, which should be no surprise, given you ca...

The Largo do Chiado and Praça Luís de Camões are either side of the north-south main drag of Rua do Alecrim and Rua da Misericordia. Chiado has pavement tile patterns that can only be seen from above (good luck with that), while Camões is a popular meeting point. Both locations see aspiring singers and instrumentalists perform for you, while putting the collection plate out. A tram crosses Largo do Chiado Both locations are good for tram watching, or even tram catching. The 28 passes through (slowly), the 24 terminates at Camões, and at present the 12 turns back there, too. Also infested with Tuk-Tuks and TVDEs. But no green space, and not recommended when the weather gets wet, due to all those very shiny and potentially lethal tiled pavements. Another tram laying over in Largo de Camões Camões is the starting point for walking tours of the city. These are hosted by locals who know Lisbon, as opposed to YouTube hopefuls who have difficulty with pronouncing things in Português, and don’...

Location HERE . Viewpoint, green space and occasional venue for pop-up food and drink outlets, for instance during major football tournaments. Good views over towards Graça and Castelo de São Jorge. As always, when the weather is sunny, seating with shade is at a premium. Close to the top station of the Elevador da Gloria, also close to 24E tram and 758 bus. Another location infested with Tuk-Tuks and their variously insistent pilots. You want a tour?

Location HERE . Green space and viewpoint overlooking the area north of Restauradores. The swimming pool has been drained, and there are few facilities, but lots of benches where you can sit and chill. Views across to the area around São Pedro de Alcântara, and down across the Baixa. Get there via the Elevador do Lavra.

Location HERE . Out of the Rossio, past the station entrance, and there is Restauradores, yet another grand square, this time flanked by upmarket hotels. Then, moving north, comes the Avenida da Liberdade, arguably the most exclusive shopping destination in Portugal, if not further afield. Every label, every brand, that has cachet, or would like to achieve that cachet, is here. Eden Theatre in Restauradores, now Eden Aparthotel Although the Avenida da Liberdade is as choked with traffic as any major thoroughfare in Lisbon, the trees and gardens make it easy to walk its length without being too adjacent to the central main drag. Hence it is at the same time a shopping destination, a major thoroughfare, and a green space. At the top of the Av. Liberdade is the Rotunda Marquês de Pombal, a frenetically busy road intersection with a Metro station, also called Marquês de Pombal, but previously called Rotunda, underneath its south side. Location HERE . At the centre of the Rotunda is the mon...

Where to visit? What to look for? What if it rains? How do you get out of the city for a few hours? Where can you just chill amid all the noise? All is answered here. Hopefully. If no entrance fee is shown, it’s free. Parks and other green spaces are included - they’re mostly free. As ever, follow the links ... 4.1 The Old Downtown 4.2 Landmarks 4.3 Viewpoints 4.4 Green Spaces [in preparation] 4.5 Museums 4.6 Everything Else [in preparation] [ HOME ]

Whatever your time constraints, try and cover the Old Downtown during your visit. As always, follow the links ... Praça do Comércio The Old Ferry Terminal O Arco da Rua Augusta Rossio Restauradores and Avenida da Liberdade Parque Eduardo VII Jardim do Torel Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara Chiado and Camões Largo do Carmo [ HOME ]

Location HERE . Quiet square (well, apart from the tourists, that is) just south west of, and above, the Rossio. A quiosque in one corner; restaurants around the sides. But the place in history this place occupies has to do with what happened on the 25th of April 1974. Because it is here that the Estado Novo finally expired. On that day, Portugal’s last dictator, Prime Minister Marcelo Caetano, and his President, Américo Tomas, were holed up in Carmo Barracks. The soldiers of the Armed Forces Movement, led by Captain Salgueiro Maia, gave those defending the barracks an ultimatum, backed up by loosing off a few rounds to show they meant business. Salgueiro Maia got out of his armoured personnel carrier and walked over to personally negotiate the régime’s surrender, an act of singular courage. That’s because those defending the barracks had been ordered to shoot him down. They declined to fire on a serving officer of their own army. He guaranteed safe passage for Caetano and Tomas. He ke...

Location from HERE to HERE . Originally the Parque da Liberdade, it was renamed after the British Edward VII after his visit to Lisbon in 1903 to reaffirm the Anglo-Portuguese Alliance. The reshaping of the park to appear as an upwards extension of the Avenida da Liberdade axis was, as with so many green spaces in the city, down to the advocacy of Keil do Amaral, and occurred during the Estado Novo period. Balancing that out is the monument to 25 April 1974, at the top of the park. So how do you get there without the climbing? Oddly, there is no direct bus service from the old downtown to the top of the park, but there is a Metro station (aptly named Parque) on the Linha Azul (location HERE ). A few steps up from the platform and then two long escalators; the station is deep below the surface. Up the Rua Eugénio dos Santos, across the Avenida Sidónio Pais, and you’re in the park, about two-thirds of the way up the hill. The Metro station slightly further north, São Sebastião, might lo...

Location HERE . Mainly, this nowadays means the Praça Dom Pedro IV, where you can while away a few minutes sitting, chilling and people watching. This grand square has upmarket shops and food outlets around its sides, and full-on tile pavement patterns at its centre; just to the east is the Praça da Figueira, or Fig Tree Square (location HERE ), which has become notorious, especially in the afternoon, for desperate TukTuk pilots hassling passers-by. You want a tour? Anyone might get the idea that there was an oversupply of them. One plus point - the food outlets are, generally, on the less expensive side. So are the hotels - a Pensão or three, rather than the upmarket, and usually more expensive, dormitories elsewhere. Praça da Figueira is also where you catch the 737 bus up to the Castelo de São Jorge. This is the best way to get up there. Rossio station, where you board trains to Sintra, is off the north-west corner of the Praça Dom Pedro IV. Check out the ornate arches at street lev...