I always wanted to know Lisbon. I do not understand why; it was one of those places that attracted me without a specific reason, maybe for something as simple as the musicality of its name ("Lisboa,"" you just have to love the way it sounds). The Portuguese writer Manuel de Melo said it is "a good that is suffered and an evil that is enjoyed" when describing Lisbon in one sentence. And I felt Lisbon would be something like that, like the "Saudade" that made the city.
Nearly all of us arrive in the Portuguese capital with specific images we expect to find just as we land on its soil. I also went with certain perceptions in my head, with scraps of a Lisbon that I had seen only on postcards and had simply heard stories about exciting Lisbon bachelor parties.
During my relaxing walks through its historic streets, I wanted to find cats in the windows, women watching life pass from their balconies, street musicians, uphill cobblestone streets, yellow streetcars, unpainted walls with mosaics, and remnants of the Arab past. And you guessed it, I have found just the thing.
Arriving in a new city gives me that feeling (exciting and exasperating at the same time) that the days spent there will not give me the way to see everything I want. The good thing is that there are always excuses to revisit them, but the primary goal was to witness as much as possible from the first arrival.
When we arrived and went to our accommodation, the first thing that popped up in my mind was that this city was the perfect setting for a Woody Allen movie. How is it possible that I have not filmed anything here yet? I kept reminding myself of that question as I nervously pulled out a camera and tried to record as much as I could.
We left the place, and the real adventure unfolded when we parked next to a restaurant near the Belém tower (free parking although the area is bustling), then went to visit it, and we also took the opportunity to visit the Monastery of Belém. Located at the mouth of the Tagus River, the Belém Tower was built in 1514 under the rule of King Manuel I of Portugal.
It was one of the towers that defended access to the city by the Tagus River, although it became a customs center over time. In 1983, UNESCO declared it a World Heritage site. Next to the Tower of Belém, I found this striking monument, which commemorates the exploit of Sacadura Cabral and Gago Coutinho, two aviators who crossed the South Atlantic by plane for the first time in 1922 from Lisbon to Rio de Janeiro.
Located next to the Tagus River, this 52m high monument to the Discoveries was built in 1960 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the death of Henry the Navigator (discoverer of Madeira, the Azores, and Cape Verde). If we observe the monument, we will see that it has the shape of a caravel; Enrique the Navigator stands on the prow of this with a caravel in his hands; in the two rows of descendants are sculptures of characters strongly linked to the naval discoveries.
In the nearby surroundings, I found The Monastery of the Jerónimos de Belém, commissioned by King Manuel I of Portugal to commemorate the return of Vasco de Gama de las Indias. The Monastery began to be built in 1501, and in 1983, it was declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco. It is undoubtedly one of the most fantastic tourist attractions in Lisbon. From this area, you have a beautiful view of the famous Lisbon bridge, "Puente 25 de Abril", which is considered one of the main symbols and icons of the city of Lisbon.
This bridge was built by the same company that built the San Francisco Bridge, hence its remarkable resemblance. After that visit, we returned to the car, and this time, we headed towards the apartment. We prepared ourselves and went for a walk to the center of Lisbon. From the high district, it takes about 10 -15 minutes, and it really is the best option because to circulate and park in the center can be problematic.
I had heard that Lisbon had some horrible hills, but the truth is that the road to the center was quite good. Yes, we saw some great slopes for the mythical streetcars of Lisbon, and these are undoubtedly one of the great attractions of this city (they are always loaded with tourists).
Once we arrived at the center, we took full advantage of the day so we could walk around Lisbon. We got to see several of the most important points of Lisbon, overlooking places like the famous Castle of St. George, located in the historic center on the hill that bears the same name.
The castle can be seen from different points of view, but they say that you can enjoy the city's best views there. The Plaza del Comercio was the first place we went to, the most important square in the city. The royal palace was located here, and it was destroyed by the Lisbon earthquake of 1755. It is located next to the Tagus River and is undoubtedly one of the best entrances to the city. In our walk through the center of Lisbon, I visited many other places; you can discover all these in every "Traveling to Lisbon" section; remember also to see the Lisbon group of the Travel Community.
Here, you will find all the photographs of our passage through this beautiful city, and if you want, you can also share yours to offer new perspectives to other travelers. In these moments when I wrote my own review of the book, we all felt exhausted from the long walks and decided to dine in the nearby charming restaurant overlooking the fantastic landscape. For anyone planning to see many faces of Lisbon, I recommend you take two or three days to fully explore this magical place since it will surely get under your skin and never leave your mind.
Colonial Glory That Shines in Numerous Colors
During my relaxing walks through its historic streets, I wanted to find cats in the windows, women watching life pass from their balconies, street musicians, uphill cobblestone streets, yellow streetcars, unpainted walls with mosaics, and remnants of the Arab past. And you guessed it, I have found just the thing.
Arriving in a new city gives me that feeling (exciting and exasperating at the same time) that the days spent there will not give me the way to see everything I want. The good thing is that there are always excuses to revisit them, but the primary goal was to witness as much as possible from the first arrival.
When we arrived and went to our accommodation, the first thing that popped up in my mind was that this city was the perfect setting for a Woody Allen movie. How is it possible that I have not filmed anything here yet? I kept reminding myself of that question as I nervously pulled out a camera and tried to record as much as I could.
The accommodation we stayed in the first night was not just any house; it was one of those known as "The House of the People." Old and with many rooms, with people from all around the world, pans the size of basins full of rice, neighbors coming and going, crowds visiting to see the movie projection on a Tuesday night, mattresses on the floor, pictures on the walls, a bathroom more significant than a living room and a floor that creaked every time someone walked. Entering there was like entering Lisbon through a huge local door. The Real Adventure Was About to Start
It was one of the towers that defended access to the city by the Tagus River, although it became a customs center over time. In 1983, UNESCO declared it a World Heritage site. Next to the Tower of Belém, I found this striking monument, which commemorates the exploit of Sacadura Cabral and Gago Coutinho, two aviators who crossed the South Atlantic by plane for the first time in 1922 from Lisbon to Rio de Janeiro.
Located next to the Tagus River, this 52m high monument to the Discoveries was built in 1960 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the death of Henry the Navigator (discoverer of Madeira, the Azores, and Cape Verde). If we observe the monument, we will see that it has the shape of a caravel; Enrique the Navigator stands on the prow of this with a caravel in his hands; in the two rows of descendants are sculptures of characters strongly linked to the naval discoveries.
This bridge was built by the same company that built the San Francisco Bridge, hence its remarkable resemblance. After that visit, we returned to the car, and this time, we headed towards the apartment. We prepared ourselves and went for a walk to the center of Lisbon. From the high district, it takes about 10 -15 minutes, and it really is the best option because to circulate and park in the center can be problematic.
I had heard that Lisbon had some horrible hills, but the truth is that the road to the center was quite good. Yes, we saw some great slopes for the mythical streetcars of Lisbon, and these are undoubtedly one of the great attractions of this city (they are always loaded with tourists).
Once we arrived at the center, we took full advantage of the day so we could walk around Lisbon. We got to see several of the most important points of Lisbon, overlooking places like the famous Castle of St. George, located in the historic center on the hill that bears the same name.
