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Lisbon in a day

Ponte 25 de Abril
Photo: Turismo de Lisboa
Photo: Turismo de Lisboa

Don't miss
  • take a tram ride
  • try a pastel de Belém

In one day, it is possible to discover the main points of the Portuguese capital - museums, monuments, and breath-taking views.

First, starting the morning right from the top: from the walls of Castelo de São Jorge (São Jorge Castle), a view over the entire city, the other hills, the Tagus, the rooftops. It is a serene place to savour Lisbon, from the top of this stronghold conquered by D. Afonso Henriques, the first king of Portugal, from the Moors in 1147.

As you walk down the slope, catch the 28 tram opposite the Portas do Sol viewpoint, to pass (and stop) at the mythical Lisbon’s Cathedral Sé de Lisboa. It's a historic building with a Romanesque design, founded where there was once a mosque and where you can currently visit the Museu do Tesouro (Treasury Museum) and the cloisters. Returning to route 28, we head in the Downtown direction, an area of the Lisbon map that is perfect for walking. Heading up towards Chiado, it's time for lunch. Whether at a pavement café or a more exclusive restaurant, there's a wide and varied choice.

The afternoon arrives and the sun always turns westwards. We save some time to visit the Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga (National Museum of Ancient Art), one of the most emblematic in the country, which boasts countless sculptures, gold smithery and Portuguese and European paintings from the 14th to the 19th centuries - the main highlight being the Painéis de São Vicente (Saint Vincent Panels). We continue on to Belém, towards the Museu dos Coches (Coach Museum), which houses a unique collection of vehicles, many of them used by the Portuguese and European courts.

Next up is the impressive Mosteiro dos Jerónimos (Jerónimos Monastery), which has been classified as World Heritage since 1983. A veritable book in stone and marble about a golden period in the history of Portugal, it's worth venturing into the cloisters and the church, where the famous Luís de Camões and Vasco da Gama are laid to rest, after a closer look at the south portal.

On the western edge of Praça do Império (Imperium Square), an impressive modern building catches the eye: it is the Belém Cultural Centre (Centro Cultural de Belém), marble walls rarely apart from the city's cultural and media scene, with a diverse and renowned programme of shows. It is home to the Contemporary Art Museum.

The day is drawing to a close, and with the sun already low, we head for the Torre de Belém (Belem Tower). The old fortress was built in the 16th century to defend the entrance to the Tagus from sea attacks - in true Portuguese style, it is a military structure that stands out unusually for its elaborate adornments, which belong to the Manueline school of style.

The tour ends in Belém - or you can return to the historic centre and head for Bairro Alto, one of the areas with the greatest concentration of nightlife in Lisbon, with restaurants, bars and clubs for all tastes and moods.


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