Lisbon User Guide

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...

On a longer visit to Lisbon? Half a day, or even a full day, to spare? Here are museums, landmarks, and other places to visit and enjoy. Lighthouse at Cabo da Roca Cabo da Roca Royal Palace of Mafra National Railway Museum [HOME]

TRAM NEWS Tram 12 has now been restored to service, as the resurfacing works in the Rua dos Cavaleiros have been completed. But the big news is … Tram 28 will return to its full route next week (January 26, maybe 27). The works in the Calçada da Estrela have been completed. So no more turning back at Camões, along with the substitute minibus between there and Prazeres running only every 25 minutes. RESTAURANT AND BAR NEWS Little Indiia , on Largo Santos, has closed. Trobadores, on Calçada de São Francisco, has had a temporary closure earlier this month, but is definitely open once more. Food and beer are as good as ever. HOWEVER, CHECK opening hours before visiting - they are closed Mondays. METRO ACCESSIBILITY PROBLEMS Many Metro stations are marked on the system map as being accessible. HOWEVER, the lift status pages on the Metro website show that many are not. If, for instance, the concourse to surface lift is out of service, that station is not fully accessible. ALSO many escalato...

Happy New Year! 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. Also, the new funicular that takes you from Rua Lagares up to Graça has been suspended. You can get up to Graça either by tram 28, or if you don’t fancy the crush, by 734 or 10B minibus. 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 NEWS The 12 tram has been suspended due to resurfacing works in the Rua dos Cavaleiros. No date for resumption of service (yet). AIRPORT METRO CAUTION Lift from arrival platform to concourse is out of service, as is the escalator from the arrival platform to the next level (the other two escalators u...