One of the oldest cities in the world, Lisbon's history begins almost 300,000 years ago and ranks as one of the world's longest founded cities, and Portugal emerged as a nation state in the early 12th century. You can discover and explore at your own leisure the city's key sights, museums, gardens and attractions.
Lisbon, city of contrasts, offers so much to discover and maintains the marks of its early history.
It is heralded as one of the most beautiful capitals of Europe.

São Jorge Castle

The São Jorge Castle stands at the top of the highest hill and was conquered to the moors by Afonso Henriques the first king of Portugal in 1147. It offers a wonderful 360 degree view of the entire city that extends from the hills of Lisbon to the Tagus River.

Belém District

Drop the anchor at Belém, where Vasco da Gama once prepared for his New World voyage. With a stunning selection of cultural venues, some of Lisbon's most striking historic monuments related with the Discoveries, and magnificent waterfront views. Here you can find the Monastery of Jerónimos (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), the Belém Tower, the Maritime Museum and the Monument to the Discoveries (Mosteiro dos Jerónimos, Torre de Belém, Padrão dos Descobrimentos)

Baixa / Chiado

Beautiful pedestrian streets and  its amazing architectur. In the aftermath of the deadly 1755 earthquake, Baixa (lower town) was raised as one of the first examples of earthquake-resistant constructions and is today held to be a beating heart of Lisbon. It is unbelievably romantic and elegant,  see for yourself strolling down the Rua Augusta, past the Triumphal Arch, and into the magnificent Praça do Comércio, shopping along Avenida da Liberdade or tasting pastries at the splendid Praça de D. Pedro IV also known as Rossio.

Galerias do Chiado

The Chiado was born in Séc.XII, one of the seven hills of Lisbon. You can see inside the Galleries shoping center the oldest fernandina wall in the urban area of the capital.

Lisbon’s Funiculars and Elevators

The public elevators are one of the attractions in Lisbon. Currently, there are four funiculars operated by the public transport company. All were designed by Raoul Mesnier du Ponsard, an engineer of French descent born in Oporto and contemporary of the renowned engineer Gustave Eiffel.

Nowadays, thousands of tourists visit daily the Santa Justa, a neogothic structure that connects the lowest and highest points of the city: the Baixa (Lower town) and Bairro Alto (Upper Town).The upper terrace is reached by spiral staircases and has one of Lisbon’s best views.

The lifts of Glória, Bica and Lavra are still used by locals as visited by travelers. They are open every day of the year and offer, in addition to a real touristic experience, good opportunities to exercise the photographic sense of theirs passengers.

Bairro Alto District

Lisbon's cultural and bohemian heart,  nightlife and shopping  are probably the words to present Bairro Alto. The quarter has a streak of Jekyll-and-Hyde to it, for its calm and quiet daytime streets, and the vibrant and jostling party-like neighborhood at night. Sleek bars, stylish alternative fashion shops and a multitude of colorful, graffiti-sprayed facades to discover a highly explosive (and luring) mixture of Lisbon's music subcultures all have Bairro Alto as their home.

Alfama District and Fado

There is the better place to experience the Fado nostalgia  than Alfama, the oldest district of Lisbon spreading down the slope between the Castle of Lisbon and the Tagus River, one that withstood the earthquake of 1775. Here it is easy to get lost among the Lisbon Cathedral, the Museum of Decorative Arts, and several observation points that offer amazing views.  Many don't want to find their way back,  and Alfama mesmerizes with narrow cobbled streets, Azulejos-tiled walls and Fado melancholy songs in little bars.

Lisbon Oceanarium

Inaugurated in 1998 at the World Exhibition of Lisbon (EXPO'98), the Oceanário de Lisboa is the second-biggest aquarium in the world.

Christ the King Statue

Cristo Rei stands on the left side of the River Tagus and embraces the whole city with his patronizing, wide-stretched arms. Bearing an obvious resemblance to the Corcovado monument in Rio De Janeiro, it was built in 1959 in order to thank God for saving Portugal from widespread destruction during World War II, and has become one of Lisbon's most highly esteemed icons ever since. Once you reach the top of its 82-meter high pedestal, religious adoration will mix with awe-inspiring, bird's-eye experience of the city's grandeur, including a sweeping view of the 25 de Abril Bridge, another marvel that there's just no way to miss.

Pena Palace – Sintra

In Sintra’s hills stands the Pena Palace, modeled on the romantic castles of Bavaria. Built in 1843, this palace is a blend of artistic styles that fit harmoniously with the earthly and mysterious atmosphere of Sintra. This palace was a dream of the King consort D. Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, husband of Queen Maria II. Surrounding the Palace, there is the Pena Park which is over 494 acres big with gardens, ponds, bridges, caves, greenhouses and small houses.

Cascais District

A short train ride along the shore from Lisbon's Cais do Sodré station leads to Cascais, a formerly quaint fishing village that became (along with neighboring Estoril) a popular resort favored by European nobility and kings in the early 20th century. Today it is a colorful cosmopolitan town with elegant pedestrian streets, luxuriant villas, fashionable shops, restaurants and bars.

Here you can visit the Museum of the Sea ("Museu do Mar"), and to appreciate the domestic ambience of the aristocracy in the 18th and 19th centuries, visit the Castro Guimarães Museum, housed in a mansion that once belonged to the Counts of Castro Guimarães. It overlooks the sea and is surrounded by a vast garden. In the pretty pedestrian streets paved with blocks recreating wave patterns in the center of town are good restaurants, bars, and shops, and the Church of Nossa Senhora da Assunção, decorated with paintings by the 17th-century artist Josefa de Obidos. A 20-minute walk along the coastal road leads to an outstanding sight, Mouth of Hell (“Boca do Inferno”). High waves crash into gigantic caves carved out of the rock by the sea, causing an awe-inspiring noise that may explain the name given to the site and why Aleister Crowley chose it to fake his own death in 1930.

The best beach nearby (reached by bus from outside the train station every one or two hours) is the magnificent sandy beach of Guincho.

Other Museums along the city:

Museu de Arte Popular: www.map.imc-ip.pt/

Museu Coleção Berard: www.museuberardo.pt/

Museu Nacional dos Coches: www.museudoscoches.pt/

Museu do Fado: http://www.museudofado.pt/

Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga: http://mnaa.imc-ip.pt/

Museu Nacional de Arte Contemporânea: http://www.museudochiado-ipmuseus.pt/

Cultural institutions:

Cultural Center of Bélem  (CCB): www.ccb.pt

Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian: http://www.gulbenkian.pt/

Fado houses:

Clube de Fado: http://www.clube-de-fado.com/eng/contactos.html

Casa de Fado - A Baiuca:  R. de São Miguel, 20 Alfama: http://www.lisbonlux.com/fado/a-baiuca.html

Restaurants and Night Clubes:

A Gruta Velha : Rua Horta Seca 1(close to Largo Camões)

Taberna Ideal: Rua da Esperança 112-114

La Paparrucha: http://lapaparrucha.com/en/ (close to Príncipe Real)

LX Factory in Alcântara: http://www.lxfactory.com/PT/welcome/

In LX Factory you will find a variety of restaurants, several shops, a theater school, and a famous bookshop named “Ler Devagar”.

Fábrica do Braço de Prata: http://www.bracodeprata.net/

The Factory in Lisbon had a role in the inaugural movement to recycle forgotten buildings. In this place you can find spaces with exhibitions, bookstores, bars, cinema, workshops, art workshops, contests / call and restaurants.

Bica do Sapato: http://www.bicadosapato.com/

It has an undeniable aura of "glamor" and is quoted in international guides. It is "the" trendy restaurant in Lisbon, a status gained just from opening. Credentials are weight: Malcovicht John and Catherine Deneuve are members of the house, along with Fernando Fernandes and José Miranda, the duo responsible for Pap'Açorda, another phenomenon seriously successful for many years. Bica do Sapato comprises different spaces and different types of cuisine. Enters the bar where you can make small meals more affordable. Then extends to huge ground floor living room dominated by Mediterranean cuisine, creative and varied. And upstairs works even a sushi bar with Japanese food exclusively.