Essential Lisbon orienteering

Charming and stunning architectural treasures are spread all over Lisbon, and its multiethnic society and magical atmosphere make of it a special and lively city. Lisbon is truly a fascinating city. In 1755 it was hit by a disastrous earthquake, and needed to be rebuilt in many of its parts. The city plan was then reinvented by the Marquis of Pombal, who designed a new Lisbon, giving birth to the first anti-seismic buildings. Nowadays, it’s got a historical centre and a modern one, so that you can walk through its ancient areas, then catch the metro and find yourself in its astonishing modern part, built for the Expo ‘98.

The daytime centre is near the river Tejo and is called Baixa. Its southern end is Praça do Comércio, a wide square looking towards the flowing water, hosting an equestrian monument on its centre and separated by a Triumph Arch from Rua Augusta. This shopping pedestrian avenue is the centre of a reticulate of little streets that have the peculiarity, for the Marquis’ will, to be named after craftsmanship jobs. Walk towards north through Rua Augusta, and you’ll end up in Praça Dom Pedro IV, also known as Rossio, directly connected to Praça da Figueira and Praça dos Restauradores. Go on through the Avenida da Liberdade (Freedom Avenue) and you’ll finally meet the Marquis of Pombal, in the square named after him (Praça Marquês de Pombal), which hosts his statue. Walk just a bit more further and you’ll end up in a green area, to relax a little bit; the green grass of Parque Eduardo VII will help you having a little time for yourself and look at Lisbon’s blue sky.

When you’re ready for some modernity, go north-east, to the Parque das Nações. It’s the Expo ’98 area; very modern, it’s very interesting from the architectural point of view, and is also known for its huge Oceanarium the biggest in Europe.

From the Baixa, going towards west you’ll find the Chiado, and elegant zone which will lead you directly to the Bairro Alto, absolutely a must for your Lisbon nights! There are restaurants, clubs and cafés in every street, and in case you’re in a fado mood, no doubt you’ll be able to find a fado house to have a drink while listening to some heartbreaking melody; but don’t worry, if fado’s not your genre (although you should dedicate a respectful thought to the most traditional Portuguese music), you can cheer up with some lively pub or club, that you can easily find just walking about through the Bairro Alto streets.

On the far western end of the city, don’t miss Belém; here you will see the Jerónimos monastery and the Belém Tower, emblems of the Manuelin architecture (the XVI century’s Portuguese review of Baroque, named after Dom Manuel I).

Going east from our referring point, the Baixa, you’ll end up in the Alfama. It’s the most ancient zone of the city, and survived the earthquake thanks to the strong rock on which it’s built. Its Moresque appearance brings us back to the times in which it was the most important part of the city, during the Arabic occupation; today it’s known to be a picturesque part of the city, with its charming roads, shops and belvederes. On the top of the Alfama there’s the Castelo de São Jorge, towering the surrounding area since the 5th century, when it was built by the Visigoths (it was then enlarged by the Moors in the 9th century). The river Tejo divides Lisbon in two although the central part is on the northern side, the other one has its charms, too. In Almada there’s the Santuário do Cristo Rei (Christ the King Sanctuary), a 110mt high statue of Christ built in 1959. The connection between the two sides is worth to be mentioned too: it’s the Ponte 25 de abril (25th April Bridge); at first it had been named Ponte Salazar, after the dictator, because it was built in 1966, during his 46 years long dictatorship.

Afterwards it obviously and ironically changed its name into Ponte 25 de Abril in honour of the revolution day, occurred on the 25th April 1974. Spreading throughout Lisbon we can mention a chain of Vip hotels offering absolute comfort at reasonable prices. You can easily find one of htem inn any of these districts and could be a good starting point to visit Lisbon. In high season from June to August, for example, you can expect to spend 30-50 euros per person with breakfast and full services included. They often are set in big buildings, where a room on upper floors can offer you a superb view on Lisbon! For your convenience, here’s a list of some of them spreading all through the Portuguese Capital: Hotel Vip Executive Suites Eden; Hotel Vip Executive Madrid; the Vip Executive Zurique Hotel; Vip Inn Veneza Hotel; Hotel Vip Executive Arts; Vip Executive Barcelona; Hotel Vip Executive Suites Marques; VIP Grand Lisboa Hotel and Spa.Hotel; Vip Inn Berna; Hotel Vip Executive Diplomatico.