4.4.1 Parque Florestal de Monsanto
Location (visitor centre) HERE.
Note that Alto da Serafina is covered in Viewpoints, HERE.
A little history first: the Serra de Monsanto (the name has no connection to the better-known conglomerate) to the west of central Lisbon had been farmed rather too intensively in the early part of the last Century, with the result that by the early 30s, it was practically bare.
The idea to reforest the area came from Duarte Pacheco, and if you take the 711 or 723 bus up to the park, you will cross the bridge bearing his name, the Viaduto Duarte Pacheco, before the long climb up to Cruz Oliveiras, so steep that the driver has to kick down the automatic transmission twice. This road is part of Portugal’s first Motorway, dating, yes, from the mid 1940s.
The detail work, including recreation areas, was down to Keil do Amaral, who did the detail for Parque Eduardo VII. Then, the real hard work, clearing the site and planting the trees, was done by soldiers and prisoners, which means forced labour - a solution available to authoritarian régimes like the Estado Novo. The park has an area of almost 1,000 hectares, although there has been some encroachment over the years around its southern and eastern sides, notably above Ajuda, and Bairro Liberdade.
So does it count as being in Lisbon? Well, by the London test of “which fare zone is it in”, yes. All of the park is in Zone L (central Lisbon), so your day ticket covers it. The 750 bus route, which runs from Algés around the west and north of the park en route to Oriente (round the side of the park away from central Lisbon), is within Zone L.
CAUTION 1 Best visit the area as a group, go during daylight hours, and keep your phones charged up in case there is a need for assistance (like someone has a fall, or you get lost).
Why so? The park didn’t quite fall into disuse, but became underinvested and unloved until recent years saw some money spent on parking areas, cycle and hiking trails, decent signage, and reasonably reliable public transport.
As a result, as my guide to Lisbon’s parks puts it, the area became infamous for “delinquency and prostitution”. But it is worth visiting for the calm and quiet during the day away from the main roads, and the wealth of trails for walkers and cyclists.
CAUTION 2 The Viewpoint That Is No More: some older guidebooks, and more than one YouTube video, will tell you about Panorâmica de Monsanto, giving views over the city from a disused and abandoned restaurant.
The building is still there, and you can look from the Estrada da Bela Vista, but it is now locked out of use and should not be considered fair game for a trespass. The structure is in a clearly unsafe state. Don’t go there.
Buses 711 from downtown or Mq. Pombal, 723 from Desterro or Mq. Pombal, 724 from Alcântara, 729 from Algés and Belém, and 770 from Sete Rios.
Note that Alto da Serafina is covered in Viewpoints, HERE.
A little history first: the Serra de Monsanto (the name has no connection to the better-known conglomerate) to the west of central Lisbon had been farmed rather too intensively in the early part of the last Century, with the result that by the early 30s, it was practically bare.
The idea to reforest the area came from Duarte Pacheco, and if you take the 711 or 723 bus up to the park, you will cross the bridge bearing his name, the Viaduto Duarte Pacheco, before the long climb up to Cruz Oliveiras, so steep that the driver has to kick down the automatic transmission twice. This road is part of Portugal’s first Motorway, dating, yes, from the mid 1940s.
Torre Comunicações Altice
So does it count as being in Lisbon? Well, by the London test of “which fare zone is it in”, yes. All of the park is in Zone L (central Lisbon), so your day ticket covers it. The 750 bus route, which runs from Algés around the west and north of the park en route to Oriente (round the side of the park away from central Lisbon), is within Zone L.
CAUTION 1 Best visit the area as a group, go during daylight hours, and keep your phones charged up in case there is a need for assistance (like someone has a fall, or you get lost).
Why so? The park didn’t quite fall into disuse, but became underinvested and unloved until recent years saw some money spent on parking areas, cycle and hiking trails, decent signage, and reasonably reliable public transport.
As a result, as my guide to Lisbon’s parks puts it, the area became infamous for “delinquency and prostitution”. But it is worth visiting for the calm and quiet during the day away from the main roads, and the wealth of trails for walkers and cyclists.
Parque Recreativo do Alto da Serafina
The viewpoint that is no longer safe to visit
Buses 711 from downtown or Mq. Pombal, 723 from Desterro or Mq. Pombal, 724 from Alcântara, 729 from Algés and Belém, and 770 from Sete Rios.
[HOME]
Comments
Post a Comment