Lissabon i Portugal - 7 sevärdheter

Lisbon, Portugal, is a charming city of bright and pastel-coloured houses, which are worn and beautiful at the same time. This city is full of nice outdoor cafes and historical sights - a city that we instantly fell in love with! We give you tips on 7 interesting sights in Lisbon!

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Lisbon in Portugal - with a dramatic history

Lisbon has been the capital of Portugal since 1256, and was for a long time a very important city in Europe. During the period of Portuguese exploration and colonisation, Portugal was by far the largest and most important trading city in Europe. This strong position was lost during the Spanish occupation (1580-1640), but the city still flourished.

Lissabon i Portugal — A typical city centre street

The Lisbon earthquake of 1755

The devastating the 1755 earthquakeWith two-thirds of Lisbon in ruins and 20-30 000 people killed, it was a major disaster for the whole of Portugal. The earthquake, which is believed to reach almost nine on the Richter scale, occurred in the Atlantic Ocean and lasted six minutes. After that, a tsunami came in from the Algarve coast, devastating much of the coastline.

Lissabon — Lisbon before the earthquake (Pixabay)

The earthquake, along with Brazil's independence in the early 19th century, led to a period of economic decline. It was only in the early 20th century that the city began to recover, and today it is a truly charming and beautiful capital!

Sevärdheter i Lissabon — Lisbon is an incredibly charming city

Mountain railways and trams in Lisbon

Lisbon is said to be built on seven hills, which means that the city has some very steep streets. Sometimes the streets are even too steep for motor vehicles, which is why the city has three cable cars and a lift. The steepness of the city also means that there are several really good vantage points that are worth travelling to.

The easiest way to get around the city is by tram, which runs frequently and to good locations. A good tip is to get both a map of the city and a tram map. You can also use the cable cars, such as Elevador da Gloria or Elevador da Lavra. These are a great way to get where you want to go, as well as offering Lisbon's must-sees on holiday.

Spårvagnar i Lissabon — Crazy cool when it's small and the trams meet (Pixabay)

Lisbon's narrow alleys

Everywhere you look there are quirky little balconies, dotted with potted plants and laundry hanging out to dry in long rows. There's also a lot of graffiti, which is sometimes artistic and creative, but more often pure graffiti.

Since it was the Christmas and New Year holidays when we were here, the town was also filled with Santas and red flags with baby Jesus. The cobblestone streets slope steeply up and down, and the little crowded trams chug along the slopes.

kakelfasad — Tiled walls on the houses and this is typical Portugal.

We had a nice sunny day in Lisbon, Portugal. We could enjoy both lunch at a nice outdoor restaurant, and coffee and ice cream in a green park. This is a capital city we really like! Now we conclude with 7 sights in Lisbon that are worth seeing in this city.

READ MORE: Nazaré in Portugal - the city of the seven skirts
READ MORE: 8 things to do in Albufeira on the Algarve coast

Sights in Lisbon

There's plenty to see and do in Lisbon, Portugal, and if you wish, you can visit the tourist office in Main Square. Here, for example, you'll find the Alfama district, Lisbon's oldest neighbourhood, filled with winding streets and narrow alleys.

Another popular neighbourhood is Bairro Alto, known for its hectic nightlife. In the centre of the city you will also find the famous and wide Avenida da Liberdade boulevard. Here are seven more places to visit in Lisbon.

1. Rossiot Square

Rossiot Square or Rossio Square is located in the centre of Pombaline and has been one of the most important squares since the Middle Ages. Bullfights, parties and executions have been organised here. Today it is a beautiful square, with tiles and fountains.

2. National Theatre D. Maria II

National Theatre D. Maria II is a palace that survived the 1755 earthquake, but was instead destroyed by fire in 1836. A new palace was built in the mid-19th century, but turned into a theatre. The six columns (pillars) seen at the entrance were reused from the Convent of Saint Francis in Lisbon. The theatre stands in Rossio Square.

3. Rossio railway station

Rossio railway station is also located in Rossio Square. The Central Station (Esta Cao De Caminhos De Ferro Do Rossio) was completed in 1890 and has a 2600 metre long tunnel leading to Rossio Square. A romantic building with a 16th century design.

4. Belem Tower

Belem Tower (Torre De Belém) was built in the early 16th century to honour Vasco da Gama and all the explorers. Together with the nearby Hieronymus Monastery, the tower is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

5. Jeronimos Monastery

Jeronimos Monastery (Mosteiro dos Jerónimos) is a large monastery in honour of Vasco Da Gama's successful expedition to India. The monastery or monument was built from the riches they brought back (or plundered) from their travels in the Far East. The monastery is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

6. Lifts Elevador

Elevador lift (Elevador do Carmo) runs from the lower parts of central Lisbon to the higher Carmo Square (Largo do Carmo). The iron lift is of Gothic style with different patterns on each floor, and was designed by a disciple of Gutave Eiffel himself. It was built in the early 20th century and clad in wood.

7. castle of Saint George

Castle of Saint George (Castello de Sao Jorge) is a medieval castle with a lot of history, which has also withstood many battles over 2000 years. There are remains of the first fortification from Roman times, and the castle has since been rebuilt several times. The castle with its citadel is of course located on a hill overlooking the city, with moats and strong walls. The tower of the citadel (Ulysses Tower) is the highest point and offers a 360-degree view of the city centre.

Things to see and do around Lisbon in Portugal

There are quite a few around the city centre and bear in mind that Lisbon has a riviera as well, and some Unesco heritage sites not far from the city.

Cascais is the nicer part of the west coast with beautiful beaches, perfect for sunbathing and swimming.
Estoril is the second seaside resort with long beautiful beaches.
Sintra and the beautiful palace near Cascais
Cabo da Roca are steep cliffs at Europe's westernmost point

Slottet Sintra i Portugal — Sintra Palace in Portugal is like a fairytale palace, photo: Pixabay

12 Comments

Add yours →

Mr Steve says:

Lisbon is easy to like and it's fascinating to wander around the different neighbourhoods, of which Alfama is my favourite. If you spend a whole day strolling around, you can feel that the city is built on seven hills. All the beautiful monuments on the waterfront are also something that stuck in my mind.
Perhaps a day of rest was just what you needed right now. Keep up the good work on your journey.

03 January 2015 - 8:49

Aila says:

Looks wonderful. A city to put in the car. Travel to the list.
You seem to be doing well...
/Aila

03 January 2015 - 9:44

Bosse and Gerd says:

Boa tarde!

Lisbon is and has always been our favourite city in Europe !

Try to get a ride over the 25 April bridge and then turn off the motorway towards Costa da Caparica (if we're not mistaken, it's the first exit after the bridge) and sit on an outdoor terrace and eat small clams in garlic sauce...!
(in this town there are also 3 campsites)

Take a trip to the fishing village of Sesimbra, 40 kilometres south of Lisbon. It serves giant crabs and has a special way of serving them - you can park right outside the Hotel de Mar (the hotel is at the bottom of the seafront - turn right when you reach the sea).

03 January 2015 - 11:14

Lennart says:

Nice car Super Lotus 7 you have photographed.

03 January 2015 - 11:29

Marina says:

Lisbon is one of those unexplored cities in Europe that lies in wait for us, but eventually, it...

03 January 2015 - 12:14

Comment by post author

admin says:

Steve, you do notice the hills! We were in several neighbourhoods, but I can't say which one I liked best...

Aila, Lisbon is definitely worth a visit!

Bosse and Gerd, many thanks for all the great tips! Nice with seafood restaurants! Do not know if we take the time for it right now though, as we would like to fix the gas, which is further south.

Lennart, is that what it was?

Marina, please visit here sometime! The city did not feel so insanely big either and not so stressful, like some other capitals. Nice city to stroll around in!

03 January 2015 - 13:34

Ditte says:

We like Lisbon too, but then we like a lot of cities, and especially the old neighbourhood, Alfama, is well worth a visit too. If you have time, go to a club and listen to fado singing.
It's nice to have the sun and some warmth and to sit outside and eat.
Enjoy and stay well

03 January 2015 - 18:28

Ama de casa says:

I like Lisbon! A lovely city, with swimming areas within commuter train distance.
🙂

03 January 2015 - 18:42

Ulla & Torgny says:

Yes, we liked Lisbon too, even though it was raining when we were last there. We went on the old tram, but didn't see much because all the windows were fogged up with all the people coming in from the rain...... but we liked it anyway.

Hugs and drive carefully!

03 January 2015 - 19:41

Comment by post author

admin says:

Ditte, you can't do everything, but we still feel very happy with our Lisbon visit!

Ama de casa, we saw some of the beaches outside Lisbon - super nice!

Ulla & Torgny, the weather always affects part of the experience... glad you still liked Lisbon despite the rain!

03 January 2015 - 22:42

Deciree says:

You seem to be having a good time. That's what you should have when you are travelling:-)) So keep it up.

04 January 2015 - 19:55

FANTASYDINING-A blog about themed restaurants and travel says:

Looks fantastically cosy 🙂

06 January 2015 - 13:09

Lisbon in Portugal - 7 attractions

Lisbon in Portugal - with a dramatic history

The Lisbon earthquake of 1755

Mountain railways and trams in Lisbon

Lisbon's narrow alleys

Sights in Lisbon

1. Rossiot Square

2. National Theatre D. Maria II

3. Rossio railway station

4. Belem Tower

5. Jeronimos Monastery

6. Lifts Elevador

7. castle of Saint George

Things to see and do around Lisbon in Portugal

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12 Comments

Mr Steve says:

Aila says:

Bosse and Gerd says:

Lennart says:

Marina says:

admin says:

Ditte says:

Ama de casa says:

Ulla & Torgny says:

admin says:

Deciree says:

FANTASYDINING-A blog about themed restaurants and travel says:

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