Lisbon

Lisbon is a beautiful city filled with history, culture, food, and wonderful views. Although it is lively & busy, the city has a relaxed vibe and the rhythm of life is much slower. A hidden corner, some lost history, a forgotten gem – Lisbon has a lot going for it. The bus from Madrid dropped me at the main station in the relatively quiet morning hours. After checking the bus schedule for Porto (for my onward journey) and deliberating a bit about my mode of transportation into the city, I took the metro and made my way towards the hostel.

After freshening up at the hostel, I took to the streets. The first thing that caught my eye was the wonderful street art. I loved how the amateurs and pros had decorated the city's streets. In Lisbon, exploring the street art soon became an obsession as I chased various nooks and corners to glimpse the next 'masterpiece'!

Lisbon has secured a place on the list of the world’s 25 cities with the best street art. And it shows! You can see bits of urban art all around. Sometimes they are huge murals, one more beautiful than the next. There is also a book published about Lisbon street art, which has many pictures and also includes a map showing the location of all the pictured street art.

While walking through the narrow streets, you’ll immediately sense the friendly atmosphere. A city divided into different neighborhoods, each with their own charm. It’s an absolute pleasure to spend a few days here - the delicious wines, cheese and espresso to incredible street art, cute laundry-filled balconies and of course the southern European climate.

To get in the mood straight away, I started with the neighborhood of Alfama. Like almost everything else in the city, this neighborhood is easily reached by subway (a day pass for unlimited use of the subway, tram & bus costs €6 - quite a bargain). But, as time was never a constraint for me, I decided to walk & explore the city at my own pace. Once you’ve arrived in Alfama, you can choose to take a meandering walk through the scenic streets (do not forget the camera!).

Alfama is famous for its castle situated on one of the neighborhood’s seven hills. From the castle walls you can enjoy a beautiful view of Lisbon and the river Tagus. This is a very compact small district but beaming with lots of amazing history. It is hailed as the oldest part of the city and dates back to the Moors of Africa, during the time of Moorish Domination. To complement the experience, one can also enjoy a ‘wine with a view’. You’ll find an inventive mobile wine bar at the castle, where you can order a glass of delicious Portuguese wine or port (the wine glass can be kept as a souvenir) and enjoy the view while sipping on a glass of wine. What more do you need?

The streets of Lisbon are known for the typical old-fashioned trams. These funny slow trams are still widely used within the general public transport network. If you want to experience a ride through the super narrow and sometimes steep streets of Lisbon, take tram 28 (operating for more than 80 years). This is also the most touristic ride, but it’s a unique experience.

The cafes/bakeries with their variety of mouth watering specialties interrupted my progress repeatedly. Gaining a lot of calories and then walking it off throughout the day was my mantra! The Portuguese custard tart (Pastel de nata) is a must try - I was never satisfied with just one and my heart kept craving for more. While placing an order in one of the bakeries, I was witness to an awkward encounter between the owner and a Asian tourist, who was merrily clicking at anything and everything that was displayed on the counter. The owner was so pissed that she shouted at the hapless girl asking her how she could take such photos without her permission. Granted that everything in the bakery looked worth photographing, but the girl did cross the line on what is acceptable and what not! I decided to take a couple of photos for my collection from the relative safety of my seat :)

The Portuguese like to start the day with a ‘bica’, also known as an espresso. You can find pastelarias where you can drink a tasty espresso amongst locals everywhere. Treat yourself to scrumptious cakes or bonbons too, because the Portuguese are patisserie masters. When it comes to eating out, there are plenty of options and one of them is Timeout. You’ll find a ring of restaurants here in a huge covered market where you can pull up a chair for some delicious bites and drinks. From tapas and hamburgers to Portuguese wines and spectacular gin & tonics, this is a place worth visiting.

If you enjoy exploring flea markets, Feira da Ladra is the place to go in Lisbon. This market is only open on Tuesday and Saturday. Feira da Ladra in Portuguese means Thieves Market and Ladra is a Woman thief. The traders here are perfectly legal though, offering everything from junk to unexpected treasures. It has been going since the 12th century. You can get to the market on tram 28 and spend an eventful morning, checking out the bargains to be had!

Lisbon is one of the oldest cities in Europe. It was first invaded by the Romans in 205BC. As legends maintain, Lisbon was founded by the Greek traveler and hero Ulysses, while returning from the Trojan War. Its original name, Olissipo, meaning “Enchanted Port”, is a reminder of how it was coveted by most nations in the old days, who were intent on dominating the city.

The Enchanted Port was the main departure point of the Portuguese discovery expeditions. Explorers sailed from this city, discovering new lands in South America, Africa, and even a new route to India. This made Portugal one of the ruling nations of Europe, while Lisbon was Europe’s most prosperous trading center. However, the Great Lisbon Earthquake of 1755 destroyed the city and it was followed by a series of fires and a tsunami. Lisbon’s commercial center, Praça do Comércio, was completely destroyed and it was rebuilt from scratch in the 18th century.

One of the biggest squares in Europe and overlooking the stunning Tagus River, it has some wonderful restaurants and cafes which deserve one's attention. With the Triumph Arch forming an impressive backdrop, it is a great place to relax and take in the magnificent Portuguese architecture. The beautiful buildings here are no ordinary buildings. They were among the earliest earthquake resistant constructions in Europe. It is quite interesting how earthquake tests were done in those times. Small wooden models were built. Then, troops were asked to march around these models in order to simulate an earthquake. Quite an innovative way to do things!

Next up is the LX Factory - a collection of cool independent shops, cafes and restaurants. Before it was the LX factory, in 1846 it was a fabric production plant - 50 years later, the company decided to move and, in its place, a succession of businesses took advantage of the unique location and facilities. Then later they also shut down and the place was abandoned. A private investor saw a space could be something great and out came LX factory. It is full of arty shops and trendy ones with lots of street art dotted all-round the venue space.

Also worth a visit is Ler Devagar bookstore located in the area. It is one of the most instagrammed bookshops in Portugal (the other one is located in Porto - called Livraria Lello & Irmao, it is said to have given JK Rowling some inspiration for Harry Potter’s Hogwarts when she was living in Porto).

Getting the best views of the cities you are visiting is on my list of things to do while traveling. Lisbon has no shortage of places to get a great view of the city. São Jorge Castle is one such place as it stands on the city's highest hill. The monument was built to defend and protect Lisbon. As it is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the city, it is better to arrive early or late in the day to have a leisurely visit when the crowd is less.

The hill on which São Jorge Castle stands has played an important part in the history of Lisbon, having served as the location of fortifications occupied successively by various armies over the centuries. As the royal palace, the castle was also the setting for the reception of the navigator Vasco da Gama when he returned from discovering the maritime route to India in 1498.

I enjoyed the views from a church located within the castle. It was a welcome break from all the walking I had done since morning.

From my vantage point, I could see the rain clouds rushing over the Atlantic Ocean towards the city. In minutes, visibility was close to zero & Alfama was drenched! I had no other option but to vacate my observatory. I was lucky that I had this beautiful church (in which I took refuge) all to myself and I sat there admiring the interiors while the building took a pounding from the heavy rains lashing out in all its glory.

After a few minutes, the weather cleared and I was able to explore the tiny streets of Alfama once again. For sure, it is one of the best places in Lisbon to click photographs - I even entered an Instagram contest which asked citizens (and tourists!) to submit their best black and white photographs of this famous neighborhood.

Next stop was the Lisbon Cathedral. It is one of the city’s oldest and most robust monuments. Dating back to 1147, it survived battles & the devastating earthquake of 1755. It suffered countless alterations over the centuries, and ended up with a mix of the different styles. Archaeological excavations have revealed different layers of Lisbon’s past 3000 years. Upstairs is the treasury, with a collection of manuscripts, silverware and priceless sculptures.

One interesting thing to note is how black and white, patterned stones adorn the sidewalks and public squares all over the city. Also known as Portuguese pavements, these public pieces of art have been around for the last 5-6 centuries. In fact, you can see many versions of it in former Portuguese colonies like Brazil and Macau. There is also a special paving school in Lisbon dedicated to the art. The pavements impart a charm to Lisbon like nothing else does. It is almost like constantly walking on a beautiful carpet of stones adorned with faces, flowers, patterns, and waves.

Under the city center, lie numerous Roman galleries complete with upper class homes, factories, and swimming pools. These galleries are open to tourists only a few times during the year. Unfortunately, it was not open during the time I was there. Commuting within the city using a metro has an added benefit. Walls of Lisbon’s metro stations are clad in vibrantly colored ceramic tiles depicting stories and remarkable events from Portuguese history. Touring these metro stations is like walking through a tile museum - one of the things to do on a rainy day!

Lisbon’s street art accompanied me wherever I went. The city is like a big open art museum - of street murals and graffiti!

The Vasco da Gama bridge which crosses the Tagus River, was Europe’s longest bridge until 2018 when it was surpassed by the Crimea Bridge. At its inauguration, a Guinness World Record was broken for something very Portuguese - the record for the world’s biggest bean stew (“feijoada”) that was served to 15,000 people on a 5 km (3.1 miles) table. I also stumbled into Village Underground Lisbon (pictured below - right). Composed of 14 maritime containers and 2 disabled buses, it is a co-work space for creative activities, as well as a venue for cultural events. It was really cool!

The 25th April (“25 de Abril”) bridge is visible from almost every part of Lisbon. It was built very high and its red color and steel skeleton make it quite hard to look away. The bridge is often compared to the Golden Gate bridge in San Francisco. If you let your gaze follow this bridge, you will be faced with a massive statue of Jesus Christ opening his arms towards Lisbon (inspired by the statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil). Walking on the banks of the river was a sure shot way to relax while making decent progress towards my next pit stop.

Next up is one of Lisbon's newest landmarks - MAAT (Museum of Art, Architecture & Technology) - located in Belem. The curvy, white-tiled building (which resembles a wave rising towards the river) is one of Lisbon’s modern icons. Even if you don’t go inside to see the exhibitions, it’s worth a stop for the view - you may walk around, and even on top of, this waterfront landmark.

One can also take the train along the Tagus river to Belem, the port of the 15th century discoveries. There we can see some monuments from that time and honoring the brave navigators who faced the storms of unknown seas. Also, it is the place to taste the famous Pasteis de Belem (Portuguese pastry). Its recipe is a family secret for almost 200 years and only the shop’s owners and trusted chefs know of it. And these people never travel together lest they lose the recipe to one mishap!

There is also a Rhino at the Belem Tower- not a real one but the sculpture of an Indian rhino. The animal was unheard of in these parts of the world. So, it is quite strange how it figures on one of Portugal’s famous landmarks. The story is quite interesting. The rhino traveled to Portugal from India as a diplomatic gift. It saw many owners and finally met with a tragic end. But it went on to inspire several sculptures & paintings across Europe. You will have to know about it to look for it - something I did not do. Always better to do your homework before visiting the tower!

One very interesting fact about Lisbon is the fact that spying flourished in the Portuguese capital during World War II. Portugal’s neutrality and its strategic location as the main point of entry and exit into Europe facilitated espionage. In fact, Ian Fleming (the British Writer who created the James Bond series) was a real-life spy who was stationed in Lisbon for the British Secret Service. It was at the Estoril Casino on the Portuguese Riviera that he was inspired to write his first book, Casino Royale. For someone who loves the secretive world of spying (like me), it is a most interesting fact!

My visit to any city is not complete if I don't visit its famous sports stadiums or arenas (luckily, football stadiums are aplenty in Europe). First up was the visit to Estadio Josa Alvalade, home of Sporting Clube de Portugal. It was the club where Cristiano Ronaldo rose to fame before he moved to Manchester United and became a household name. The stadium visit was high on my agenda as CR7 is one of my favorite footballers and I had to try and trace his roots, so to speak.

Then it was Estadio da Luz or Estádio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica, which hosts the home game of S.L. Benfica. It is the biggest stadium in Portugal and has hosted some of the biggest matches in Europe, including the final of Euro 2004 and UEFA Champions League Final of 2020.

Portugal’s capital is a city that has something to offer every type of traveler on any kind of budget. It would make the perfect Portugal long weekend and is a beautiful destination waiting to be explored. Compared to the major European cities, Lisbon is quite cheap. The city offers loads for your money, particularly in the food department.