| The single most important
influence on the face of Lisbon was the Great Earthquake of
1755 which, one way or another, destroyed most of the city.
It was a rich place, however, capital of an empire stretching
from Brazil to Goa, and was rebuilt before the turn of the
century. This and the fact that one man, the Marquês
de Pombal, was responsible for most of the reconstruction
made the city, especially the lower quarters, the Baixa, remarkably
homogeneous.
Lisbon Travel
Sights. Lisbon is a good choice for a citybreak type
of holiday or as the start or end point of a more extended
visit to Portugal. Its praças and ruas;
shops, museums and monuments; trams and buses are enough to
keep most people amused during the day, and in the evening,
its cafes and restaurants feed the body and, if you choose
somewhere with fado singing, soul. It does not have many great
sights - its must-sees are the Monasteiro dos Jerónimos,
the Castelo de São Jorge, and the Torre de
Belém - but it is a good place to explore with
no particular destination in mind.
Nightlife. If you are going to take in some
fado, probably with dinner, the Alfama district is the place
to head for. Later, Lisbon's cafés and pubs do not
really get going until around 11 pm, so it is a good idea
to dine late (though not as late as in Spain). The Bairro
Alto is the most interesting area at that time of night. To
see the dawn in, Lisbon's greatest concentration of clubs
and discos is on the riverside, along the Av. 24 de Julho
and in the Alcântara district.
Practical Lisbon
Food and Drink. Eateries are scattered all
over, but Rua de São Jose is the restaurant street.
Even more than in the rest of Portugal, specialities tend
to be fishy things, though meat-eaters will not starve. Fish
soups of one kind or another are a good start to a meal, while
for your main course bacalhau, salt cod, is the national
dish, prepared in a variety of ways, the smell of fresh sardinhas,
sardines, grilling is likely to remain in your memory, especially
if you are in Lisbon during its June festas; the
eel-like lampreia, lamprey, is a delicacy when in
season; and the caldereidas, fish stews, are fabulous.
Meat eaters will find dishes such as the bife à
Marrare, steak in pepper sauce, or its variant bife
à café, steak in a pepper and mustard sauce.
Lisbon's sweets are famous, particularly those traditionally
convent-made - it is considered almost sinful not to try the
pastéis de Belém. Choosing a wine in
Lisbon can be a problem, as the region has no fewer than 18
denominaçãoes de origem controlada,
the Portuguese appellation controlée.
Getting Around. One of Lisbon's joys is
the variety and appeal of its forms of public transport: bus,
metro, ferry, etc. The seductive stars are the Lisbon trams,
with which many people seem to fall in love at first sight.
Getting There. Portugal's Air Luxor and
Britain's Monarch Scheduled are supposed to operate low-fare
flights to Lisbon, but I can see nothing to that effect on
their websites, so I would appreciate any information in this
regard.
SPV Articles and Links Pages
Lisbon
Links
The SPV links directory for Lisbon covers the city, getting
around, museums and sights and more.
Lisbon Hotels
A selection of 4- and 5-star accommodation in the Lusitanian
capital.
Lisbon Accommodations
Spain and Portugal for Visitors' collection of links, search
engines and on-line booking services for Lisbon lodgings.
Lisbon Photo
Galleries
Photos by Antonia Fernández, José Manuel, António Sacchetti,
Joăo Paulo and Rui Morais de Sousa.
Lisbon
Strolls
A photo-illustrated article covering the city's main quarters
- the Baixa, Bairro Alto, Alfama, Castelo, Belém -
and how to see them on foot.
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