Lisbon Guide

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City breaks in Lisbon or a short break to Lisbon (however you label it) are for some reason less well documented and written about than other European city breaks, for us though Lisbon holds as much or perhaps more appeal than better known European cities such as Paris, Rome or even Barcelona.

History

With a history of Lisbon that dates back more than 300,000 years Lisbon is ranked as one of the oldest established cities in the world - having been occupied by the Romans - invaded by the Moors - gone through periods of fabulous wealth and the paradox of abject destruction (following the earthquake, fires and floods of 1755), the Lisbon of today is a fabulous tapestry of ancient and modern.

Getting Around

Like so many cities, Lisbon’s inner districts have their own characters. Known as the city built on seven hills with its winding cobbled streets, we would recommend taking some sturdy walking shoes and if you chose to wear your high heels in the evening make sure that you go by taxi! It is extremely easy to get around with a metro/underground that is easy to use as well as a great tram network.

For a more detailed Lisbon guide on particular subjects or areas follow the links on:

• A brief history of Lisbon
• Getting around Lisbon – you just have to take the number 28 tram
• The Bairro Alto – Old quaint and great for an evening out amongst, cobbled streets, cafes and bars
• Chiado – The bohemian home to elegant shops and boutiques amongst the cobbled streets and cafes
• Alfama – Often referred to as a village within a city, Alfama is another area of Lisbon that survived the earthquake to “tell its story” of how live used to be between its narrow streets and whitewashed houses – a photographers dream
• Belem – Where Portuguese explorers set out on their voyages of discovery in the 15th and 16th century and some spectacular statues that tell the story and depict the wealth of the era
• Museum’s of Lisbon, we feature the Maritime and most visited of Lisbon’s 28 Museums
• St Georges Castle, which from the 16th century still dominates the city
• The most spectacular of Lisbon’s palaces – the Fronteira Palace
• Lisbon’s Miradouro de Sao Pedro De Alantara park
• The funicular railway that rattles up from the city