6 Exploring Lisbon Lisbon’s historic center is compact. Most attractions can be reached by foot or by hopping onto the historic streetcars, elevators, and funiculars. Safe and mostly efficient public transport and relatively cheap taxis will get you to farther-flung attractions like historic Belém, modernist Parque das Nações, or the Gulbenkian museum. To really see the city, allow at least 3 days, more if you make side trips to Sintra and Cascais (see chapter 7). Suggested Itineraries For more extended itineraries, not only of Lisbon, but Portugal itself, refer to chapter 4. If You Have 1 Day Take a stroll through Alfama, Lisbon’s most evocative bairro (neighborhood). Visit the 12th-century Sé (cathedral) and take in a view of the city and the River Tagus from the Miradouro Santa Luzia belvedere. Climb to the Castelo de São Jorge. Then, head out to Belém to visit the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos, stroll along the river to Torre de Belém, and take in the modern art at the Berardo Collection Museum. Be sure to try a pastel de Belém (custard tart) in the historic cafe of the same name. If You Have 2 Days On Day 2, start by checking out the food on show at Mercado da Ribeira, then stroll along the waterfront to Praça do Comercio to begin a walking tour through Baixa and Chiado to peruse the historic shopping streets. Stop for a shot of coffee at Café A Brasileira before walking up to the ruined Convento do Carmo and gold-lined São Roque church, and take in the view at Miradouro São Pedro de Alcântara. After lunch in the hip Príncipe Real neighborhood, cram in some culture at the Gulbenkian Museum and relax in its delightful gardens. In the evening, go full circle to enjoy the gourmet experience at Time Out Market and some Cais do Sodré nightlife. If You Have 3 Days Head east to spend the morning by the river at Parque das Nações to admire the modern architecture and visit the Oceanário, an awe-inspiring aquarium. Enjoy fish in a different way over lunch at Senhor Peixe before crossing town to admire the magnificent old masters at the Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga. Wrap up the afternoon with a visit to the hip LX Factory area of stores, cafes, and bars, and a wander along the Tagus for more cutting-edge design at the MAAT contemporary art museum. Castelo & Alfama Let’s start in the cradle of Lisbon, its ancient hilltop fortress and the emblematic hillside quarter where a warren of lanes connects Renaissance palaces, baroque churches, and taverns emitting the scent of barbecued sardines and the plaintive melodies of fado. Castelo de São Jorge Nowadays the castle is a peaceful green oasis. Come in the early morning or evening when there are fewer visitors and it’s more like a tranquil garden than a fortress. There are pathways shaded by venerable olive, pine, and cork trees, peacocks hopping among the ruins. The setting sun adds another dimension to the extraordinary views Within the walls there’s an archeological site where secrets of past centuries are still being unearthed; a neat little museum Rua de Santa Cruz do Castelo. www.castelodesaojorge.pt. Fundação Ricardo do Espírito Santo Silva Largo das Portas do Sol 2. www.fress.pt. Igreja da São Vicente de Fora Ironically, it holds the tombs of the Braganza royal family, who kicked the Spanish out and ruled from 1627 to 1910. Fourteen monarchs are buried there, together with their consorts and children. When you visit the somber pantheon The monastery-church takes its name from St. Vincent, one of Lisbon’s patrons, and from the fact that it was outside (fora) the city walls. Its white limestone facade dominates Alfama’s skyline.
