๐ต๐น Lisbon๏
Lisbon in the capital of Portugal and one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, being a mixture between a traditional city but at the same time cosmopolitan, which gives this metropolis a special attraction.
This city has one of the oldest histories on the European continent since it was founded 3000 years ago and after Athens, it is the oldest capital in the entire European Union, being built 400 years before Rome.
The Tagus River flows into Lisbon, which is the longest in the Iberian Peninsula, thanks to its strategic position, in its port the ships that traded between the Mediterranean and the North Sea were replenished. Also because it is located in the southwestern corner of Europe, it was an important point for trade routes with America and Africa.
To get to know Lisbon, there are countless tours that can show you the city, but if you prefer to travel on your own, we are going to give you some tourist tips that can be very useful for you in the brand new capital.
The first thing is that the airport is in the same city, so it is a very good option to take a taxi from the airport to the center of Lisbon.
One of the most emblematic attractions is the Castle of San Jorge, a large fortification that stands on one of the cityโs hills. This castle originated after the Arab invasion and later became the Royal Palace, after the reconquest of King Alfonso I for Christianity. The castle was destroyed after the Lisbon earthquake in 1755, but even so it is one of the main monuments that you must visit, also from there you will have the best views of the Tagus Estuary and the city, being the great viewpoint over Lisbon. But if you want different panoramic views, you can go to the Santa Lucรญa viewpoint that is located over the popular Alfama neighborhood, whose view is more oriented towards the inner part of the Tagus estuary. Even if you walk around the surroundings you can see the church of Santa Lucรญa built in the 18th century and reach the Puerta del Sol viewpoint, where you can see the perspective of the eastern part of the city.
Going down you will see the neighborhood of Alfama, one of the most authentic in Lisbon, where you will find small houses with colored facades and several traditional restaurants where you can enjoy the musical expression of Fado and arriving in the city along the same route, you will find with the Sรฉ de Lisboa Cathedral that was built from the year 1147 and is the oldest church in the city, in a romantic style, next to which a Gothic-style convent was later built, where archaeological excavations are currently being carried out.
One of the most typical events is to get on one of the old trams, one of its most popular lines among tourists being tram 28, which runs from the Baixa neighborhood to the Castle hill.
Most of Lisbonโs commercial life takes place in the Baixa neighborhood and you can take the Santa Justa elevator from the lower area of โโthe neighborhood to the upper area, where the Alto and Chiado neighborhoods meet. One of the attractions is precisely getting on this elevator built in 1902 and this metal structure is more than 45 m high, from its top you will have the best panoramic views of the city.
The Chiado neighborhood is one of the most luxurious areas of the city where you can find modern shops, restaurants and cafes. The Barrio Alto stands out for being a space to enjoy nightlife, full of bars, restaurants and terraces where you can drink until dawn and you can also get there from the Santa Gloria elevator, which is a rack tram that takes you You can go up from the Plaza de Restauradores.
The nerve center of the city is the Rossio Square that extends to the Restauradores Square, in its center is the monument to Don Pedro IV who was the first emperor of independent Brazil.
If you like Portuguese tiles, you should visit the Tile Museum located in the old convent of the Madre de Dios, where in addition to seeing the vision of Lisbon made in a spectacular set of tiles, you can see the interesting corners of the Church. This artistic gem made of tiles demonstrates Lisbon at the beginning of the 18th century, before the earthquake leveled the old Royal Palace and the Baixa district.
Your visit to Lisbon will not be complete until you go to the Belem neighborhood where you can see some of the most emblematic monuments of the city, such as the Torre de Belem, the Jerรณnimos Monastery or the Monument to the Discoveries.
The Jerรณnimos monastery is the best example that exists in Portugal of the Manueline style in architecture, founded at the beginning of the 16th century and you can walk through its beautiful cloister and other outstanding rooms such as the church of Santa Marรญa, which is from the same period and gothic style. While the tower of Belem located in front of the monastery is also from the 16th century and was built to defend the city from attacks by corsairs or other enemies. During your visit you will be able to visit all the floors of the Manueline-style tower and when you reach the terrace you will have the best panoramic view of the monastery.
But if you have a passion for sweets, you should visit the establishment where the popular Belรฉn cakes are made. These sweets that are so famous in Lisbon have been produced in this historic factory since 1837 and today, it has numerous rooms where you can taste these delicious cream cakes.
This beautiful city is made up of seven hills and uses an elevator and three funiculars to transport the population to the highest parts of Lisbon. Lisbon is full of history and can offer you a warm stay, as well as a large number of interesting places to discover.