Welcome to the capital of Portugal, the oldest city in Europe after Athens, yet often overlooked! The city of Seven Hills is so chockablock with unique attractions that it was near impossible to narrow this list down to 29 places! However, this means that every single place on this list is essential to have an authentic Portuguese experience! So let’s begin…
#1 THE PINK STREET
Lisbon’s Pink Street, as it is now known, was originally the throbbing heart of the city’s red-light district! The street was painted pink back in 2011 to try and gentrify the area. It worked! Hipster cafes have taken over the shady brothels and sex shops of Rua Nova do Carvalho! Or at least that’s how it seems from the family-friendly street. Behind some of the alleyways and closed doors, you can still find Lisbon’s wilder nightlife! Not to mention, a few sex shops which are now part of clubs and burlesque bars! Come early to get your Insta shot of the pink street and make sure you return at night to try out some of Lisbon’s most exciting bars, such as Pensao Amor (I will mention later) or the ever-popular club, Music Box, tucked away under the bridge, opposite The Wine Point!
#2 BELÉM TOWER
Did you know there is such a thing as ‘The 7 Wonders of Portugal’?! I didn’t either, till now! It turns out that Belem Tower is one of them! Even more strangely, the walls of the tower are peppered in tiny rhinoceros carvings! You have to squint though!
The tower was built to replace a large ship in the harbour, as a means of defence against attacks. At one time, the tower rested upon an island, guarding the port of Lisbon. The tower must have looked even more magical before! However, after the fateful earthquake in 1755, the course of the river shifted, and the island disintegrated, merging with the mainland! Later, it was used as a prison for political prisoners!
#3 VIEW FROM CASTELO DO SAO JORGE
The Castle of Sao Jorge, once home to Moorish Kings, has witnessed five violent exchanges of rulers of Lisbon, all the way from the Romans to siege held against Lisbon by the Spanish! The surviving fort sits at the highest point in Lisbon, easily allowing it to claim ownership of the best panoramas in the city! Wander through the cobbled courtyards and ancient walls, overhung with pine trees, to find the best viewpoints over the fortress walls. The mixture of shady Mediterranean pines and sun-baked ancient ruins makes it feel as if you have travelled to Greece, not Lisbon! This dream is made ever more real by gazing out on to the blue Tagus estuary!
Entrance to the castle is €10 for adults and €5 for students.
#4 BORDALO 2
If you read my Porto post, you’ll know this art style already. However, the creator actually lives in Lisbon. Bordalo II, as he is known, likes to take, recreate and repurpose long-life materials such as plastic and turn them into works of art. He hopes to bring environmental issues of waste to people’s attention through eye-catching street art.
The original Bordalo, his grandfather, was an artist too, but instead of plastic and environmental issues, he used cartoons and ceramics to satirise the politics of his time. You can visit the surreal Bordalo Pinheiro Gardens to experience his art for yourself. It’s a kind of sculpture park of comedy. Giant ceramic animals jump out at you from the bushes, ants trying to catch another ant about to fall off the wall and even life-sized ceramic monkeys hanging from the trees!
#5 SANTA JUSTA ELEVATOR
In a city known as ‘The Seven Hills’ you would expect, or at least hope there are lifts or public transport! The Santa Justa Elevator is both of these! For this reason, you should definitely get a day pass for travel around Lisbon (€6.50 – which covers all forms of public transport, including the lift) instead of paying €5 separately for the lift!
The lift was built by a student of Gustave Eiffel, as was the iconic Dom Luis Bridge in Porto! This strange wrought-iron, gothic tower rising from the centre of the street was designed to connect Baixa’s lower streets to the Largo do Carmo Square above! The equivalent of 7 storeys higher than street level! At first, I was confused, as from the viewpoint in this photo, the lift appears to be floating, unconnected to higher street levels! But if you take a ride in the elevator and tear yourself away from the spectacular views, you enter a walkway connecting you to a quiet square all those metres above!
#6 ASCENSOR DA BICA
Another form of public transport turned tourist attraction are the 19th-century yellow trams. In particular, the iconic Ascensor Da Bica! This particular tram is a favourite, as it climbs one of the steepest hills in the city! There are steps on either side of the tram if you fancy a leg and bum workout! I feel a little sorry for the residents that live halfway up the hill and so can’t catch either end of the tram! Originally, there were two trams. One would wait at the bottom of the hill until the one at the top (the counterbalance) was heavy enough with water, then it would descend the hill, pulling the tram with passengers up! I can’t even begin to imagine how time-consuming that must have been!!
If you’re joining the tram at the start of its journey, from the bottom of the hill, don’t expect to come across it easily! The tram is actually hidden inside a yellow house. The inside of which is covered in azulejo tiles, making this the most elaborate tram stop I’ve ever seen!
#7 MIRADOURO DA SENHORA DO MONTE
Lisbon has far too may incredible viewpoints to list, so here are a few of my favourites! First, Miradouro Da Senhora Do Monte. Otherwise known as Graça (which is actually another viewpoint just a few metres to the side)! From here you can admire the postcard view of the church, castle and the river, as you recline into the grassy bank! Whilst you’re in the Graça neighbourhood, check out the impressive street art!
#8 MIRADOURO SOPHIA DE MELLO BREYNER ANDRESEN
Another beautiful viewpoint is Miradouro Sophia De Mello Breyner Andresen. The long name is to commemorate an award-wining and beautiful Portuguese poet, who used to wander up to this spot to admire the city which inspired her work.
There is also an outdoor cafe up here, so why not grab a drink and take a seat on a bench for a lazy afternoon watching the city.
#9 MIRADOURO DE SANTA LUZIA
Perhaps one of the most sought after miradouros in the city, as this one is decorated in those famous blue and white azulejos tiles. The story depicted in the tiles is that of Castelo de São Jorge being recaptured from the Moors!
Though many of the tiles are in need of repair, the balcony has a character of its own. The stone pillars hold up a trellis woven with vines, which frame the view below like draping curtains, creating the perfect romantic shot. Compared to the busy streets near by, this viewing point can feel very calm, hidden beneath a leafy green curtain and backing onto a decorative pond. I just hope there isnt a great big cruise ship wating in the port to ruin the view when I go! Haha
Extra tiles – For another incredible view and an even larger array of tiles, go to the top of São Vicente de Fora Monastery! You won’t regret it!
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#10 PALÁCIO DOS MARQUESES DA FRONTEIRA
If you’re looking for a secret garden complete with grottoes and balconies, tiled from floor to sky in azulejos then you have found it! This palace garden belongs to the Marquises Da Fronteira, who still live in the grounds! Their house is also part of the tour, which contains multiple themed rooms. One of which has been dubbed ‘The Sistine Chapel of Azulejos’! However, as it is a private residence, you must visit with a tour and not take any photos of the inside. But don’t let that put you off, if you consider yourself a more independent traveller, as this house and garden is regarded as second only to the National Tile Museum for its display of azulejos!
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Palacio dos Marqueses da fronteira, Lisbon – Kotomi Creations – https://flic.kr/p/VnNHKe
#11 Jardim da Quinta dos Azulejos
This is the very best of the secret gardens in Lisbon! Jardim da Quinta dos Azulejos, which means ‘The Estate of Azulejos’ is unheard of by most tourists, let alone seen. It is hidden behind the walls of Colegio Manuel Bernardes! Although you do need permission to enter, you can ask the porter on the day, or email the day before. Plus, entrance is free! Though its not as simple as just walking in, this garden is well worth the effort! Not only is the garden decorated with tiled alcoves and seats, but the tiles tell the stories of Greek mythology, not just in blues and whites, but in vivid pinks and greens! If you go during the spring, the garden is filled with white orchids, whose petals dapple the floor like a white carpet.
Though it’s a 10 minute ride from the city center, the neighbourhood alone is worth a wander, as the district of Lumiar was originally home to many of the Lisbon’s elite whose grand mansions remian today!
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#12 PRAZERES CEMETERY
I know, I know! Why am I suggesting you should visit a cemetery?! No! I’m not trying to make you into a tombstone tourist! Just hear me out!
For those of you interested in gothic architecture and more unusual locations, this is a beautiful spot to visit. The tree lined avenues of the cemetery, known as ‘The 70 Streets’, guide you past some of the most elaborate tombs I’ll bet you’ve ever seen! Many of these resting places are actually designed to look like miniature houses or chapels! Some are even decorated with curtains, which are often pulled back so that you can peer inside and see the coffins! Some of the larger mausoleums hold up to 200 family members!
I know some of you may feel you have entered a ‘city of the dead’, but let me reassure you, the name of this cemetery translates as…. ‘Cemetery of Joy’. The most ornate tombs in ‘The Cemetry of Joy’ are found down the stairs on the south side of the cemetery (its a big place!). As if that isn’t enough, from the edge of the cemetery you have views out on to the ‘Golden Gate Bridge of Lisbon’!
#13 PARK ROOFTOP BAR
I cannot wait to visit this rooftop bar! As soon as I hear a rooftop bar is decorated with trees and lots of greenery, a rooftop jungle, I get very excited! Strangely, this jungle can be found on the 6th floor of a multi-storey car park, in the nightlife district of Barrio Alto. Park serves up exotic cocktails but keeps the dress code casual, creating a relaxed cosmopolitan vibe. So sink into your seat as you relax and watch the sunset roll down over the city skyline! Ohhhhh, I’m so in love!!
Beware, many people feel the way I do, and as Park doesn’t take reservations, I advise you to grab a seat early! It’s not exactly a hardship to sit on this balcony sipping cocktails, waiting for the sunset, is it?!
#14 LOST IN ESPLANADA
Another rooftop jungle to adore in Lisbon is Lost In Esplanada! This bar is similar to Park, except with a more eccentric theme. The cloth-covered tealight lanterns hanging from the trees, the bright coloured benches covered in Indian cushions and patchwork sari parasols create the sensation of an Indian summer, perched on the roofs of Lisbon!
#15 WANDER ALFAMA DISTRICT
The most interesting district of a city is usually the oldest. Alfama is no exception. Alfama was the only area to survive the 1755 earthquake! As it was built so deeply into the bedrock, high above the city, that the tsunami couldn’t reach it, and the earthquake couldn’t shake it! It sits directly under Sao Jorge Castle, making it the perfect way to venture back into the city after a tour of the castle! (*Check out Cafe da Garagem before you go down the hill, or wander a little further up, to the rooftop of Topo! Thank me for the views later! :p) This lucky neighbourhood is a maze of medieval cobbled streets, uneven roofs, balconies draped in hanging flowers and wrought iron lamps jutting from the corners of buildings. In other words, the perfect place to get lost and take some photos!
#16 FADO NIGHT IN BARRIO ALTO
This funky Fado Vadio mural was painted as a tribute, by Nuno Saraiva, who I will mention again later in the post! Fado is a Portuguese form of entertainment usually restricted to cafes and bars, that involves someone passionately playing a Portuguese guitar, whilst a lady sings a profoundly emotional song as though it were her dying words! I know! It all sounds a bit more than you bargained for when you sat down to have drinks, but apparently, it is crucial to an authentic Lisbon experience!
Just beware, depending on the bar you choose, it could either be a few short impromptu performances, or a full 3-hour performance as you eat! Maybe dip your toe in first, before signing up for the full 3 hours! If it’s the impromptu sets you’re after, try out Tasco do Chico on Monday/Wednesday nights, and Povo or Tasca do Jaime for some truly wild impromptu moments! If you are ready for the entire theatre of Fado, try a few of the pricier tavernas such as Adega Machado, or Mesa de Frades in a former chapel!
#17 ROSSIO TRAIN STATION DOORWAY
I love a bit of Art Nouveau, which is why I have included these doorways! These interlocking horseshoe-shaped doorways are the entrance to the main train station in Lisbon! Don’t bother going inside if you’re not catching a train. The theme doesn’t continue.
#18 Casa do Alentejo
I don’t know about you guys, but this place has been catching my eye on Instagram for a while! It was designed in the style of a Moorish Palace but is actually an events space. The name ‘Alentejo’ translates as ‘beyond the Tagus river’, meaning people from beyond the river, in the Alentejo region of Portugal. Originally, the house was a meeting place for people from this region, who had moved to Lisbon to create a new life for themselves. However, when I first saw it, I thought, it’s going to be a fancy hotel and I won’t be allowed in! Not the case at all! Everyone is welcome! Locals often come here for ballroom dancing lessons, or to visit the cantina, which serves tasty dishes typical of the Alentejo region for just €11! There’s also a bar, where you can sit back and enjoy your exotic surroundings! Being completely truthful though, I’m coming here for the stunning courtyard!
#19 JARDIM DO PRÍNCIPE REAL
This tree has been growing on this spot for over 150 years! Its canopy has now grown to 20m in diameter and is the pride of the community! At one time, there was an openair public library held beneath it! Unfortunately, Lisbon closed its ‘library gardens’ in 1980! Such a shame! Despite this, the trees literary past is revived each year during the Lisbon poetry festival as extracts from poems are hung from the branches, creating a living library for anyone to enjoy! The park also springs to life every Saturday for a farmers market, as well as a popular antique market every last Saturday of the month!
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#20 CAFÉ JANIS
I’m not a cafe person at heart, but once I see a sneaky bit of greenery growing inside, I’m done for! You can find the lovely Cafe Janis in the Biarro Alto district, where it functions as a day long cafe/restaurant! Finally, I have found a restaurant happy to serve me breakfast for supper! Breakfast is my favourite meal of the day, it has all the carbs! I no longer need to stay at home to get my granola fix for supper! Yes Cafe Janis!
Time Out described the cafe as being ‘one of the most natural feeling cafes in Lisbon’ and I couldn’t agree more! The plants make it feel like you are sitting in a chic garden shed! With the doors left open, you can watch the world go by and listen as it wafts in through the cafe! It is such a calm space! I’m very much looking forward to visiting!
#21 AZULEJOS MUSEUM
The National Tile Museum of Lisbon is secreted away over three floors of a Baroque convent, still standing at over 600 years old! The convent itself is tiled, the greatest collections of tiles can be found in the Chapel and the cloisters! This unparalleled collection of azulejo tiles, tells the story of their creation throughout Portuguese history. See if you can follow their journey across the walls.
Entrance is incredibly reasonable at €5, considering the history stored inside!
#22 Lisbon’s Underground Water Temples
One of Lisbon’s lesser-known attractions is its underground water reservoirs. Usually, they are located directly beneath the city parks! If standing on floating platforms underneath the city gardens isn’t magical enough, you could also go on a tour of Lisbon’s underground tunnels and overground aqueduct, that takes you to the abandoned restaurant on the hill (later in the post)!
Anyway, let’s talk about the reservoirs! The two most beautiful examples, are Reservatório Mãe D’água (Mother of Water), underneath Amoreira Garden and The Patriarchal Reservoir, under Principe Real Garden. The Mother of Water Reservoir (photo below) is fed through a white karst fountain, emerging from the wall of the temple. It’s such an unexpectedly serene location that it is has been used as a concert venue, art gallery and even to host a fashion show! I imagine, the echos bouncing from the walls during the concert, and the reflections on the water surrounding the platform conjure a magical experience for any event!
The other main reservoir people visit is the Patriarchal Reservoir, which is similar, except instead of four stone pillars, tens are surrounding the platform. Also, the tiles beneath the water are painted blue, creating a very different atmosphere, and a more exotic photo!
If you enjoyed these two secret temples, I strongly suggest you visit another of Lisbon’s most overlooked attractions. The 11mile long Águas Livres Aqueduct, which brought Lisbon’s entire population its first clean drinking water! The aqueduct even withstood the 1755 earthquake!! The best part is that you can walk on it, giving you a unique view of the city and a very dramatic photo!!!
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For the macabre among you, this aqueduct is famous for another reason. A serial killer, Diogo Alves, forged a key to the aqueduct entrance and over the years, brought his 70 victims up here, to throw them from the aqueduct! He managed to get away with it for so long, as the country was going through a political and financial crisis that the police assumed caused the rise in suicide! Really?! Diogo was eventually caught after the aqueduct was finally closed to deter ‘suicides’. As a consequence, he and his gang started robbing and killing their victims in their own homes! For those of you fascinated by this story, Diogo’s head has been perfectly preserved in the Lisbon Museum of Medicine! His expression is disturbingly calm!!
#23 MONSANTO’S ABANDONED VIEW POINT
This is one of the stranger and less talked about viewpoints in Lisbon. The unusual circular building above the city was once a luxury restaurant! I had to find out what happened!
The panoramic restaurant opened its doors in 1969, after much hype, and quickly became the jewel of Lisbon. That was until the restaurant closed in 2001 as a result of miss-management and financial difficulties! How did this 32-year-old business suddenly collapse?!
For a long time, the abandoned restaurant became the embarrassment of the city but remained as it was. Smashed glass and other trash filled the site, as it became vandalised. The abandoned restaurant became an eyesore, looking down over the city from the top of Monsanto Park. The city council didn’t know what to do with it! They estimated refurbishment would cost €20 million! So instead, they cleared away all the trash and glass and secured parts of the building that could be dangerous! Thus, creating what you see now! It has recently become a cult attraction and art space! You can even hold festivals here!! The central spiral staircase leading you to the viewpoint certainly adds to the curious appeal, as well as the large greenhouse roof fixed to the back of the restaurant! If you take photos, be careful not to point your camera at the military base next door! They will not be happy (sometimes they have guards on the site)!
#24 RUA NORBERTO DE ARAÚJO ARCHWAY
Inside an archway, covering one of the many staircases rising out of the Alfama district is a funky mural painted in a comic strip style. It narrates the story of the city throughout history! I love this idea! I’ve always been a visual learner! The archway was illustrated by Nuno Saraiva, whose work can be found all over the city. You may have already seen his popular painting of a Fado singer (earlier in the post)! I especially love that the final part of the comic was painted by his daughter!
I intended to translate the story for you guys, but I couldn’t find any images crystal clear enough! 🙁
Whilst the wonderful illustration covers the entire archway, it is broken up by the entrance of a public toilet. I guess that adds to the humour? I just pray that it doesn’t smell like one too!
#25 RUA AUGUSTA ARCH
This triumphant archway seems to either welcome you into the city or out to sea. It was built to celebrate Lisbon’s recovery after the 1755 earthquake! The earthquake was devastating and destroyed roughly 90% of Lisbon’s buildings. The day of the earthquake was a holy day, this meant the majority of the population were in churches, where candles had been lit and flammable decorations hung everywhere. When the earthquake struck, many of the churches collapsed on the people inside! Those that didn’t collapse, caught fire, which carried on for 5 days! Survivors ran to the safety of the harbour, where they noticed the water had receded to reveal treasure in shipwrecks no one had noticed before! People rushed to collect it, not realising that a 9m high tsunami wave was about to rush through the city! Lisbon lost 75,000 people that day! Many people feared this must be the wrath of God, for this all to have happened on such a holy day! Easy to understand!
The King, who luckily had gone to the coast with his family for the religious holiday, escaped the destruction. However, for the rest of his life, he refused to live within stone walls, and moved himself and the royal court to a complex of tented pavilions!
For less than €4 you can climb to the top of the arch, where you are met with 360-degree views of the harbour and the famous tiled shopping street of Rua Augusta. Its a bargain!
#26 Pensão Amor
Finally, we come back to the red light district! Pensão Amor is proof that no amount of pink hipster paint can banish the pleasures of the night! Pensão Amor, which means ‘love hotel’, was once a run-down brothel, notorious for hosting the sailors coming into port. Luckily, you pay by the drink and not the hour anymore, as you would rack up quite a debt in this burlesque den. The bar’s burlesque theme is painted and hung on every surface, from the mirrors and chandeliers on the ceiling to paintings of burlesque dancers and photographs of naked patrons (the original – not current!) leaning towards you from the wall. The velvet armchairs and low light candle mood effortlessly keep the sense of the building’s history alive and kicking! At the back of the bar, there is a pole dancing area and even a sex shop! This is as close as you can get to Moulin Rouge fantasies outside of Paris!
#27 Pasteis de Belem
Although I looooove food, it’s rare for me to go out of my way to try the local cuisine when I travel. As I save my money for other things. However, these custard tarts look far too good to miss! Of course, they are sold all over the city, but the original and best recipe can be found at Pasteis de Belem!! What does it tell you, that even during these quarantine times, Pasteis de Belem are doing home deliveries!!! Before quarantine, 20,000 tarts were being handmade and sold every day! They are so popular that there is a Portuguese saying that a bride who eats one will never take her ring off! I’m sure they meant because it’s good luck, not because she has grown so fat she can’t remove the ring!
#28 LX FACTORY
This former industrial park/factory is now a veritable goodie box of hipster hangouts! So do up that top button, slap on your moustache and fake glasses and grab a skinny chai latte!
There is a lot about hipster culture that people find irritating, but one thing I can’t deny is my love for funky and weird cafe spaces! If you’re like me, sidestep the painfully hipster home furnishing store and car-park that says ‘hello world’ and head to some of these places instead…
One. Lisbon’s street art doesn’t end at the river! Some of the biggest murals in the city live in the LX Factory!
Two. Sweet tooths need look no further than LXeese Cake, a cheesecake cafe which never fails to make the cheese creamy and the base buttery biscuity! Why isn’t all cheesecake held to this standard!? There is also a chocolate cafe dripping in everything cocoa beans!
Three. The Underground Village, which is actually an above-ground cafe, in a raised double-decker bus and stacked containers!
Four. I’ll include the Ler Devagar bookshop even though I don’t find it that interesting. It has become a popular Lisbon Instagram spot, but personally, I’m not a fan of minimalist white backdrops in my photos! I want clutter and colour! For those of you who don’t know the bookshop I’m talking about, it’s the bookshop with a bike hanging in the middle!
Five. Last, but certainly not least, Rio Maravilha rooftop bar! This is the only rooftop bar in Lisbon that can claim Lisbon’s version of the Golden Gate Bridge and a giant statue of a woman (who looks like Elmo the elephant painted her!) as it’s backdrop!
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#29 Secret Garden Tunnel
A tiny one to finish off the list. I came across this secret little gem tucked away down a side street of Barrio Alto when I was researching the secret gardens of Lisbon! Páteo João e Teresa is a secretive community garden just off of Rua Nova da Piedade, at number 60, through a large archway! Whoever gets to this grotto garden first, please let me know about your experience, as there is very little to go on so far, other than it’s a sweet alleyway covered in flowers and frescoes!
[googlemaps https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/embed?mid=1HYX-ldPFdmyzDD7EAH_-najs1OrF7G4Y&w=640&h=480]COMING SOON….
Sintra
Cascais & Boco do Inferno
Ursa Beach & Cabo Da Roca
Pena Palace
Óbidos
Peniche & Berlenga Islands
