Lisbon Travel Guide

Lisbon is located in the estuary of the River Tagus, and is linked to the other bank by two bridges. But the Ponte 25 de Abril is one of the biggest bridges in Europe. As for the inhabitants, Lisbon is known for the characteristically warm and friendly locals.

Tour One: Mastering Lisbon's Subway Stations

You should pay attention to the stations on Lisbon's subway network, especially the red (Alameda/Oriente) and the yellow (Rato/Campo Grande) lines.

If you take the yellow line you will see that the stations are inspired by traditional Portuguese azulejos. In the Campo Pequeno station, where one of the exits is Avenida da República, you will notice the large marble statues, featuring Lisbon women. If you want to shop, get off at Saldanha's station. This is also the station that goes to Praça de Touros do Campo Pequeno. At Campo Grande, you can visit the Museu da Cidade in Palácio Pimenta.

The red line, Alameda/Oriente, has stunning stations that are themselves worth the metro ride. The red line was used for Expo'98, so the stations are bright, spacious, and uniquely designed. You will notice a mixture of national and international architecture; in Lisbon, the metro introduces riders to beautiful art.

If you take the Baixa-Chiado/Amadora Este blue line, to Alto dos Moinhos you can visit the Museu da Música. The next one is Jardim Zoológico, where you can appreciate the contemporary work in azulejos by Júlio Resende, and also visit Lisbon's zoo. In Praça de Espanha's station you can visit the wide green areas of Jardins da Museu Calouste Gulbenkian. As you are already there, why not go to Centro de Arte Moderna José De Azeredo Perdigão as well.

In Parque, you will have the opportunity to see a beautiful exhibition featuring blue azulejos, representative of the Portuguese Discoveries and created by Françoise Schein. On the walls, you can read philosophic thoughts from well-known Portuguese people.

Tour Two: Lisbon Along Tagus

Spend a day along the Tagus River and you will be surprised at the many things it has to offer. You can start in Santa Apolónia or in Cais do Sodré. Any way you choose, you will always have the view of the south bank areas of Barreiro and Almada.

First of all, visit the Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga, situated in Janelas Verdes. In this museum you find a vast collection of paintings from the XVIth century, ceramics, goldsmith, among others. The museum has a variety of international and national art between XIIth and XIXth centuries.

When you arrive to Mercado Municipal 24 de Julho (at night it is an area extremely full of people frequenting the numerous bars and discos in the area), use public transportation to get to Belém. This place is fabulous, one of the most visited places in Lisbon. From here you will see the Torre de Belém, which marks the point from which Portuguese sailors departed on their way to discover Brazil and the sea route to India. From here, you can see Padrão dos Descobrimentos, a monument built in homage to Portuguese exploration and discovery. Visit the terrace and you will have an impressive view above Lisbon and the Tagus River. If you need to relax, visit one of the nearby cafés and ask for pastéis de Belém (a small cream tart which is a Portuguese specialty). This Lisbon specialty is very traditional, the origin of this recipe belongs to the old convents. In this area, you can also visit Museu Nacional dos Coches.

For a subway, sightseeing and shopping tour all in one, visit the Avenida da Liberdade at the Avenida Metro Station. Here, you can walk along the city's most famous avenue, relax at an outdoor cafe, and spot some of the finest architecture around.2008-08-02T07:29:22.000 213