1-Alfama
Alfama is Lisbon’s oldest, most picturesque and most fascinating
area. Here, in a labyrinth of steep, crooked streets, alleys and stairways – a
layout left by Moorish occupants of the city – little seems to have changed
since the Middle Ages. The whole area between the castle and the waterfront is
a jumble of tilting houses with peeling paint, laundry hanging from windows,
bars and fish stalls. The streets are so narrow that it’s not uncommon to
overhear elderly women sharing gossip across balconies. You are almost certain
to get lost, but in this area – safe and easy-going by day – that’s part of the
attraction. Stick to the narrow streets; if you find yourself in a street wide
enough for two cars to pass, then you have strayed from the Alfama area. A good
start to your explorations is at the bottom of the hill at the Museu do Fado in Largo do Chafariz de Dentro. This
sets the tone for the soul of the district, with a history of the city’s famous
music in song sheets, film clips and recordings, and a complete mocked-up fado tavern where you can sit and listen to Amália
Rodrigues and other bygone stars, then select a souvenir from the CDs on sale.
Nearby is the Museu do Teatro Romano the
contemporary home of a ruined Roman theatre that was buried in the 1755 earthquake
and excavated in 1964.
2-Miradouros
Alternatively, take the easier path into Alfama, with a tram to
one of its vantage points, and let gravity lead you back down towards the
river. The Miradouro de Santa Luzia is one
such bluff on the edge of Alfama. From a pretty balcony covered with painted
tiles and bougainvillea there are stunning views over a jumble of tiled roofs
that cascade down to the river. Tourists mix with old men in black berets
playing cards and chatting. Two detailed and dramatic azulejos (tile panels) on
the wall facing the belvedere show Lisbon’s waterfront as it was before the
Great Earthquake and, in bloodthirsty detail, the rout of the Moors from the
castle. Just up the street is another terrific miradouro
(lookout point), with even more expansive views. A small café on Largo das Portas do Sol serves snacks and beverages;
visitors have been known to remain here for hours on end. Between the two, and
just above the Miradouro de Santa Luzia, the fine 17th-century Azurara Palace has
been filled with magnificent pieces of furniture, Chinese porcelain, a
priceless silver collection, and several tapestries from 16th- to 19th-century
Portugal and its colonies, forming the Museu de Artes
Decorativas The museum belongs to the Ricardo do Espírito Santo Silva
Foundation, which was established in
the 1950s by the eponymous banker and displays his valuable collection. The
Foundation has 18 workshops where artisans practice traditional crafts such as
woodwork, metalwork, gilding and bookbinding.
3-Miradouros
Alternatively, take the easier path into Alfama, with a tram to
one of its vantage points, and let gravity lead you back down towards the
river. The Miradouro de Santa Luzia is one
such bluff on the edge of Alfama. From a pretty balcony covered with painted
tiles and bougainvillea there are stunning views over a jumble of tiled roofs
that cascade down to the river. Tourists mix with old men in black berets
playing cards and chatting. Two detailed and dramatic azulejos (tile panels) on
the wall facing the belvedere show Lisbon’s waterfront as it was before the
Great Earthquake and, in bloodthirsty detail, the rout of the Moors from the
castle. Just up the street is another terrific miradouro
(lookout point), with even more expansive views. A small café on Largo das Portas do Sol serves snacks and beverages;
visitors have been known to remain here for hours on end. Between the two, and
just above the Miradouro de Santa Luzia, the fine 17th-century Azurara Palace has
been filled with magnificent pieces of furniture, Chinese porcelain, a
priceless silver collection, and several tapestries from 16th- to 19th-century
Portugal and its colonies, forming the Museu de Artes
Decorativas the museum belongs to the Ricardo do Espírito Santo Silva
Foundation, which was established in
the 1950s by the eponymous banker and displays his valuable collection. The
Foundation has 18 workshops where artisans practice traditional crafts such as
woodwork, metalwork, gilding and bookbinding.
4-Alfama gems
Some of Alfama’s lesser-known attractions are best stumbled across
by accident, through an arch or around a blind corner. Here is a selection of
them. Rua de São João da Praça is where the
first king of Portugal, Dom Afonso Henriques, entered Lisbon through the
Moorish defensive wall on 25 October 1147. The remains of a tower that was part
of the Moorish defences can be found on Largo de São
Rafael. Rua de São Pedro is Alfama’s
boisterous main shopping street and site of a fish market. On weekday mornings,
it’s a cacophony of shouting fishmongers, gossiping shoppers, chickens, dogs
and children playing football. Igreja de São Miguel
(St Michael’s Church) was built in the 12th century and restored after the
earthquake; it has a glorious ceiling of Brazilian jacaranda wood and a rococo
gilt altar screen. To the east, Igreja de Santo
Estêvão (St Stephen’s Church) has a 13th-century octagonal floor plan,
but has been rebuilt several times over the years; the overhanging back of the
church nearly collides with the front gate of an old palace. The alley called Beco da Cardosa, with its blind-alley offshoots, is
the very essence of Alfama’s appeal. On Beco do
Carneiro (Sheep Alley), ancient houses sag towards each other across a
stepped-street barely wide enough for two people; above, the eaves of the
buildings actually touch.
5-São Vicente de Fora and the Panteão Nacional
Just beyond the dense quarters of the Alfama, but linked to the
neighbourhood, are two of its top sights. Though you might have trouble
navigating the crooked streets up to it, the twin towers of the Igreja e Mosteiro de São Vicente de Fora (Church and
Monastery of St Vincent Beyond the Walls), rising above a hillside east of the
São Jorge castle, are impossible to miss. Founded by Dom Afonso Henriques
immediately after retaking the city from the Moors (tombs of the Teutonic
knights who helped him lie beneath the Sacristy), it was reconstructed in the
16th century around the time of the Inquisition. This huge Italianate building
succeeds in combining substance with grace. The entrance to the monastery (Mon–Sat 9am–8pm; Sun 9am–12.30pm and
3–5pm) is on the right, where there is a pleasant café. Built over an enormous
cistern, many of the monastery’s walls and courtyards are lined with azulejos, though the Fables
of La Fontaine, depicted in 38 azulejo
tableaux, have been removed and repositioned for display on the first floor. An
exhibition explains the history of the Patriarchate of Lisbon, granted by the
Pope in 1720, and pantheons contain tombs of the patriarchs and of Bragança
royalty, including Catherine of Bragança, queen of Charles II of England, and
Carlos I and his heir Prince Luís Felipe, assassinated together in 1908. A
further pantheon, the Panteão Nacional (Igreja
de Santa Engrácia; Tue–Sun 10am–5pm) is the other dominant building in the
area, just downhill from the monastery. This grandiosely domed marble church
was begun in the 17th century, but the final touch, the cupola, wasn’t
completed until 1966. To describe something as the ‘works of Santa Engrácia’ is
to call it an endless task. Santa Engrácia remained a church until a few years
ago, when it was deconsecrated and became the national pantheon, honouring
great figures in Portuguese history with symbolic tombs in the sumptuous
rotunda. To one side are the real tombs of presidents of the republic and
contributors to Portuguese culture, including the famous fado singer Amália Rodrigues (1920–99), which
always has fresh flowers. You can climb to the gallery for a view onto the
marble floor of the rotunda, and to the terrace and dome, though there is often
a queue for the lift.
6-The castle
Almost every hill in this elevated part of town has a miradouro, but the best panorama of all belongs to
the Castelo de São Jorge which is reached by
the steep alley and steps that continue up from the tram stop on Rua de Santa
Justa. From the ramparts, you can look out across the centre of Lisbon, over the
Baixa to the Bairro Alto, down to the river and the Ponte 25 de Abril, as far
as Belém. The Moors, who ruled Portugal between the 8th and 12th centuries,
clung hard to their castle but were finally dislodged in 1147. The new
proprietor, Dom Afonso Henriques, expanded the fortifications, but earthquakes
as well as general wear and tear over the following centuries left little
intact. Restoration has since given new life to the old ruins, even if that
means that much of the castle is not original. Apart from the sensational
vistas and the chance to roam the battlements, the castle is worth a visit for
the park gardens inside its walls. Peacocks and other birds strut around as if
they own the place. There is a café and restaurant in the castle, and souvenir
shops are to hand. Also, inside is Olisipónia,
an exhibition with a 30-minute multimedia history of Lisbon.
7-A detour east: two museums
Along the riverfront just to the east of Alfama are two important
museums. The Museu Militar (Military Museum;
Tue–Sat 10am–5pm), in a large building across the square from the Santa
Apolónia railway station, is on the site of a foundry where cannon were cast
during the 16th century. Among the exhibits is Vasco da Gama’s two-handed
sword, almost as tall as a man, relics of the Napoleonic Wars and mementoes of
Portugal’s last skirmishes in its colonies. A short way beyond is the
marvellous, light-filled Museu Nacional do Azulejo devoted
entirely to the art of the painted ceramic tiles that are on view everywhere in
Portugal. The museum occupies much of the former Manueline Convento da Madre de
Deus (1509), and includes a small double-decker cloister surrounded by tiles in
Moorish-style geometric patterns. It is filled with around 12,000 beautiful azulejos, ranging from 15th-century polychrome
designs to contemporary examples. One treasure is the Lisbon Panorama, a 36m- (118ft-) long composition
of blue-and-white painted tiles, recording Lisbon’s riverside as it looked 25
years before the 1755 earthquake. Another is the fabulous interior of the small
church of Igreja da Madre de Deus, a heady mix of rococo gilt and gorgeous azulejos. Side walls are adorned with
blue-and-white tiles from The Netherlands; two rows of enormous paintings hang
above them, and the ceiling also serves as a giant canvas.
8-Baixa (lower city)
Praça do Comércio (Commerce
Square) is a rare extravagant touch in understated Lisbon. Stately arcades and
bold yellow government buildings line three sides of the vast square; the
fourth is open to the river, with Venetian-style marble steps leading down to
the water. On the east side of the steps is the Terreiro do Paço terminal for
ferries to the opposite shore Ferries also leave from Cais do Sodré to the
west. Terreiro do Paço (Palace Square) was the name of this square during the
four centuries when the Royal Ribeira Palace stood here, and many Lisboetas still use this name today, but the 1755
earthquake wiped out the entire complex of palatial buildings. The post-quake
layout is harmonious and stately, but it remains part of many citizens’ daily
lives. They catch buses and trams here, while children play around temporary
exhibitions and installations. The Praça do Comércio has been the backdrop for
some of history’s dramas: King Carlos I and his son were killed here by an
assassin in 1908, and this is where the first uprising of the Carnation
Revolution of 1974 was staged. On the west side, at Rua do Arsenal 15, is the Lisboa Welcome Centre, the city’s main tourist
office. In the middle of the square is the bronze equestrian statue of José I,
patron of the Marquês de Pombal, who designed the square as the centrepiece of
his post-earthquake reconstruction. Another sculptural flourish is the
triumphal arch, depicting the Marquês de Pombal and the explorer Vasco da Gama,
and connecting government buildings on the north of the square. The arch leads
to the pedestrianised Rua Augusta, the main
thoroughfare of Pombal’s 18th-century grid and an attractive shopping street.
Tiled façades and Art Nouveau touches are a feature of these 15
earthquake-proof side streets, which are full of intriguing shops, banks and
small restaurants. The parallel Rua de Prata and Rua do Ouro (Silver and Gold
Streets) are named after the original specialist shops in the area. At No. 24
lies Lisbon’s newest attraction, the exceptional MUDE-Museu do Design e da Moda
Europe’s leading museum of 20th-century design. A starkly converted bank
contains an incredible collection of furniture, industrial design and couture,
including items by Charles Eames, Frank Gehry, Phillipe Starck, Givenchy,
Balenciaga and Yves Saint Laurent.
9-Rossio
Turn left up Rua do Carmo to enter the Chiado district, or follow
it down to the right to emerge on the Rossio!
(formally named Praça Dom Pedro IV), Lisbon’s main square, once the scene of
public hangings, bullfights and the burning of the Inquisition’s victims.
Today, the square is still one of the main centres of activity in Lisbon – it’s
a great place to window-shop, meet friends, watch the busy crowds go by from
pavement cafés, such as the Art Nouveau Nicola,
and listen to the fountains and the cries of the newsboys and flower sellers.
It is also a popular place to hail a taxi or catch a bus.The statue on the
column in the square honours the first emperor of Brazil, Pedro IV (1826–34).
On the northern end of the square is the handsome Teatro
Nacional Dona Maria II Just beyond the theatre on the right are a couple
of ginjinha (cherry brandy) kiosks, which
make the area an evening gathering place. Nearby is the southern end of Rua das Portas de Santo Antão, a street bustling
with lively restaurant tables, much appreciated by patrons of the popular Teatro Politeama up on the left. At No. 58 is the Casa do Alentejo. Once the property of the counts of
Alverca, it is unassuming from the outside, but as you go through the entrance
and up the steps you’re confronted by a riot of interior styling: an attractive
Moorish courtyard with Art Deco flourishes, and on the first floor, a
traditional restaurant with massed panels of vivid azulejos,
serving excellent Alentejo dishes at reasonable prices. On the west side of the
square, one street removed, is the Estação do Rossio,
the railway station from where local trains run to Sintra and Mafra. Its horseshoe
arches make it look like a Moorish palace, but it is a romantic effort of the
late 19th century. To the east of Rossio is another major square, Praça da Figueira, which is another hub for buses
and the No. 12 tram. At its centre is a statue of João I, founder of the Avis
dynasty. Just to the northeast is Praça Martim Moniz,
decked with fountains that function as a water park for children. The views of
Alfama and the castle district from here are lovely.
10-Bairro Alto (upper city)
Like the steep Alfama district, the Bairro Alto is a hilly and
dense area full of picturesque old houses, their wrought-iron balconies hung
with birdcages and flowerpots. Half asleep during the day, Bairro Alto is the
nightlife epicentre of Lisbon. After dark, the sad songs of fado nightclubs spill out into the cobbled
streets, as do bar-hopping bohemian revellers. The easiest way to reach the
Bairro Alto is to board the Elevador da Glória,
the yellow funicular trolley at Praça dos Restauradores. Locals, however, are
as apt to walk up the hill as wait for the funicular. At the top end of the
brief journey is a lookout park, Miradouro de São
Pedro de Alcântara, with an excellent view of the Castelo de São Jorge
across the Baixa. Opposite the top of the funicular, on the ground floor of the
18th-century Palace of São Pedro de Alcântara, is the Solar do Vinho do Porto @
(Port Wine Institute; Mon–Fri 11am–midnight, Sat 3pm-midnight), where you can
sample the famous port wines in the comfort of an armchair, served by waiters.
North of the miradouro, along Rua de São
Pedro de Alcântara, lies the Jardim Botânico
(Botanical Garden; daily summer 9am–8pm, winter 9am–6pm), reached through the
university gate alongside the Academy of Sciences. It concentrates on the
scientific cultivation of unusual plants from distant climes, but this serious
activity doesn’t disturb the lush, slightly unkempt beauty and tranquillity.
The tree-shaded gardens slope steeply downhill to a lower gate near the Avenida
Metro station.
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