cinematographer
d&m
for travelers
If you're traveling for our wedding, chances are you're planning on visiting Lisbon as well.
Here are some advices and tips on where to stay and what to visit. Enjoy!
Where to stay
We recommend staying around Arroios and Anjos subway stations. Why?
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25-ish minutes walking from the historical centre - mostly flat;
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Green subway line, takes you to the most touristic areas - no need to change lines;
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Close enough to downtown but still affordable and not as touristy.
If you want to stay somewhere else, we suggest:
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Avenida da Liberdade - beautiful, touristic, very centric, lots of fancy hotels;
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Saldanha or Campo Pequeno - very nice, very flat, very calm, less touristic.
When looking for a place to stay, take into account:
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Ground floors can get noisy;
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Most buildings are old timers - stairs are usually steep and somewhat narrow;
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Stay close to a subway station (5min away or less) - Lisbon is known to be steep and you'll probably have your fair share of walking during your sightseeing;
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After walking, the subway is the best way to move around Lisbon: you'll mostly use the green line. Yellow and blue lines connect to the green line in the downtown area and can come in handy too.
A comprehensive list of our favourite places to visit in Lisbon (and nearby)
Downtown
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it's a must see, with a beautiful view over the city and river
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free guided tour of the ruins inside the castle walls (iron age, moor and roman ruins) - highly recommended
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try to go in the camera obscura while the sun is high and shinning
Arco da Rua Augusta, Praça do Comércio & Cais das Colunas
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although very touristic, are a staple of the city and worth the hype
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it's the perfect spot to finish off your walk around the historic centre
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less touristy area by the river, next Praça do Comércio
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very nice amphitheater shaped grassy area that looks over the river
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perfect to sit and relax for a while
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art nouveau facade very worth the small detour from Rossio Square
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still in business but now as an x rated film theater
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very touristy but staple neighbourhood
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mostly known for its night life
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steep streets and old apartment buildings
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Big avenue that connects Marquês do Pombal to Rossio Square
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Lots of old, beautiful, intricate facades
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High-end stores avenue
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Cinema São Jorge - one of the most prestigious film theatres in Lisbon, dating from 1950
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Cinemateca Portuguesa in a nearby street
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CineTeatro Éden - nowadays an hotel, is an impressive art deco building that used to be a concert hall
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Casa do Alentejo - XVII century building with revivalist alterations in 1919, leading it to its staple neo moorish interiors. Great tavern (ground floor - don't go to the restaurant on the 1st floor) for traditional portugueses snacks (petiscos)
Green areas
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huge amphitheatre park, overlooking Avenida da Liberdade
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great view of the city, from the top of it
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it has Estufa Fria inside its perimeter
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staple of the city, with a huge Portuguese flag on top
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was stepped on by the Pope - not a joke
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cultural and arts institution of Portugal
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two museum buildings with great permanent collections, bringing state of the art temporal exhibitions as well
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their gardens/grounds are one of the best spots in Lisbon to chill, hang, have a beer, an ice cream, whatever you're feeling like
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one of the locations for Miguel Gomes' As Mil e Uma Noites (amphitheatre scene)
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cozy urban garden with old folks and old trees
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in front of the beautiful baroque Basílica da Estrela
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the lung of Lisbon
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great trails, gives of an away form the city vibe
Viewpoints
Lisbon is known as the city of the seven hills. Naturally, there are an infinite number of impressive viewpoints. Here's a few of our favourites (but you should do your own research too):
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Jardim da Cerca da Graça (similar to Miradouro da Senhora do Monte but more garden, less clout)
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one of the best museums of Portugal
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triptych of Temptations of St. Anthony, by Hieronymus Bosch
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free on sundays
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like a zoo but for aquatic creatures
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much, much better than a zoo
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has otters and penguins
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supposed to be the second best Aquarium of the world (after the Monterey Bay one)
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magical, tbh
Pavilhão do Conhecimento - Ciência Viva
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very fun science museum
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Make Science Fun Again
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a must for kids but great fun for adults too
Belém
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breathtaking gothic monastery
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breathtaking gothic monastery (to imprint it in your subconscious)
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world heritage landmark
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a super hyper duper must-see
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lines get huge so be sure to get there early
Torre de Belém e Padrão dos Descobrimentos
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staple monuments of Belém
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marked connection with Portuguese nationalism (nevertheless pretty impressive)
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Torre de Belém is also a world heritage landmark
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world renowned Portuguese custard tart (but please don't call it a custard tart, sounds gross and it's not what it's called)
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delicious hot or cold
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add cinnamon on top for improved tasting experience
Sintra
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cute little historical town
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used to be the Bath of Lisbon (think Eça de Queirós)
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known for its Queijadas de Sintra
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can get there by train
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crazy colourful and picturesque palace
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one of the major expressions of XIX century romanticism in the world
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the depiction of a triton is one of its most know features
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inspired Ernesto Caballero in conceiving Pawn's Labyrinth forest
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neomanuelism style palace, with some gothic vibes
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widely know for its woods, populated with small but various constructions of admirable beauty and diversity, esoteric inspired
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Poço Iniciático is a magical must see attraction that amazes everyone
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it's not in Sintra, it's in Cascais, but it can be a stop on the way
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an impressive cliff where the waves crash violently, screaming and turning into white foam
Margem Sul
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talking a walk around the old part of town - has its similarities with Lisbon but in a smaller scale, more town like
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Jardim do Rio - an inspired viewpoint towards Lisbon