48 hours in Lisbon

Flea markets, fine food and fado: how to spend a weekend in Europe's westernmost capita

Looking for things to do in this wonderful city, Lisbon? Not much time to do them in? Here's a quick-stop guide to the city's best restaurants, bars, museums and more.

Day one: the old town

9am

Head up to St. George's Castle (Rue de Santa Cruz do Castelo) to get your bearings, taking the antique no.28 tram or a bus if you want to ride all the way. The battlements afford breathtaking views of the river and the city draped over a series of hills.

10am

Wander down towards Alfama, stopping off at the Museu-Escola de Artes Decorativas (Largo das Portas do Sol 2) if you have a taste for applied arts, or detouring to the remains of the Roman theatre (Pátio do Aljube 5, Rua Augusto Rosa).

Noon

If it’s a Tuesday or Saturday, take in the Feira da Ladra (ampo de Santa Clara, São Vicente), a sprawling flea market. The nearby monastery of São Vicente has magnificent azulejo tile panels – and more views. Lunch on grilled sardines or bacalhau at a local tasca, or go for a more exotic alternative, such as Michelin-Starred Tavares (Rua da Misericórdia 35).

2pm

After lunch, catch the tram across to Chiado for some shopping or people-watching. Of the many local churches, the highlight is the Igreja de São Roque (Largo de Trindade Coelho), with its lavish baroque decoration.

4pm

Art lovers may want to schedule a visit to the very Portuguese Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga (Rua das Janelas Verdes) or the wider-ranging Museu Calouste Gulbenkian (Avenida de Berna 45). Although the latter has a lovely garden, keen botanists will find more to marvel over closer to hand in the Jardim Botânico (Rua da Escola Politécnica) in Príncipe Real.

6pm

Time for an aperitif, with the Solar do Vinho do Porto (Rua de São Pedro de Alcântara 45) an excellent place to have one. It’s on the edge of the Bairro Alto, with its myriad restaurants and late-opening bars. When these finally close, those with sufficient stamina should head downhill to Lux (Avenida Infante Dom Henrique) or another all-night club.

Day two: discoveries and rediscoveries

10am

Set aside half a day to explore Belém, a district that will be forever linked with ‘the Discoveries’, the golden age of Portuguese maritime exploration. As well as key examples of the late-Gothic Manueline style of architecture, the area has museums galore and a fine modern art collection. Take a break from culture to indulge in some of the famous custard tarts of the Antiga Confeitaria de Belém (Rua de Belém 84-92): it’s almost considered a sin by lisboetas to walk past here without stepping inside to munch a few of its specialist pastéis de Belém.

1pm

Have lunch at Alcântara Cafe (Rua Maria Luísa Holstein 15) – a Lisbon landmark since the 1980s that remains the centre of 'new Portuguese' cuisine, but with proper old-fashioned generous portions. Or, for a kitscher flight of fancy by the same designer (Antonio Pinto), nip round the corner to Espaço Lisboa (Rua da Cozinha Económica 16). Tables are laid out in a mock-up of a Lisbon square with tipico shops, but the food is less stylish than at its nearby cousin.

3pm

Cross town to the Parque das Nações, the former site of Expo 98, whose theme was the oceans and the Discoveries. It has attractions for visitors of all ages, with the Oceanário (Esplanada Dom Carlos I) the big crowd-puller. To cover more ground, let the mini-train or cable car take the strain. Otherwise, hire a bike or a pair of inline skates.

6pm

Head back into town for a late-afternoon drink at one of the numerous miradouros, Lisbon’s wonderful look-out points.

8pm

Dine at a casa de fado, where singers will pour their hearts out for you, accompanied by a lute-shaped Portuguese guitar. The best bets are Tasca do Jaime up in Graça (Rua da Graça 91), for songs punctuated by the rumble of passing trams, and Tasca do Chico in the Bairro Alto (Rua Diário de Notícias 39). The origins of the saudade they are expressing lie in part in seafarers’ homesickness and the longing of the women they left behind.

Stay

The Barrio Alto Hotel (Praça Luís de Camões 2) sits at the pricier end of the city's hotel spectrum, but the understated opulence of its boutique suites justifies the pricetag. Head to the rooftop bar for a pre-dinner drink with a view.

For shoestring travellers, Lisbon Lounge Hostel (Rua de São Paulo 111) provides just about everything you'd expect from budget accommodation, as well as a few things you wouldn't. Rooms are comfortable and clean, while the lounge boasts modern decor and internet access. Offbeat bars are just around the corner.

Happy travelling! 

by timeout.travel

Azulejo. Art of Portugues tiles making.

In Portugal, tiles (azulejos) reminiscent of the influence of the Moors during the Middle Ages were - and still are - used here to a far greater extent than in most other European countries. Throughout Portugal, in streets, on façades and inside buildings, there are tiles that represent the different styles and languages of times past and present and fill any visit to the country with colour.

Originating from the Arabic term al-zuleique meaning “small, smooth and polished stone”, the production of tiles in Portugal on a national scale began at the end of the 15th century.

However, it was not until the 18^th century that tiles began to “invade” churches, palaces, houses, gardens, fountains and staircases. Based on geometric patterns and telling the life story of saints or using secular themes such as the fables of La Fontaine, sometimes using captions like an early type of cartoon, tiles became the main feature of Portuguese decoration.

Following a notable resurgence in popularity in the second half of the 20th century, tiles are now prominent again in public art, and it is a must to visit the Lisboa underground stations where works by great Portuguese artists such as Vieira da Silva or Júlio Pomar are on permanent display.

Situated in the convent of the Madre de Deus Church in Lisboa, the National Tile Museum houses a magnificent collection of tiles, of which the outstanding feature is a priceless blue and white mural depicting a panoramic view of the city of Lisboa before the earthquake in 1755. Here, it is possible to see the historical, technical and artistic development of the tile in Portugal, from the 15th century until the present time.

by visitportugal

Douro Museum. Heritage, History and Beauty. Learn... Then go and taste its best!

The Douro Museum can be defined as the Museum of the Douro Territory, as an expression of the cultural identity of the Demarcated Region of Douro, a Community Museum, as it expresses the identity of the Man who built, builds and looks after the landscape of the region and produces wine of highly renowned special features: it is therefore also a Wine Museum.
The Fundação Museu do Douro (Douro Museum Foundation) was established on 23 March 2006 by Decree-Law No. 70/06. It is an institution of private law and a public utility with legal personality.

The Foundation’s purpose is to pursuit cultural activities, including the facilities, maintenance and management of the Museum of the Douro Region, created by Law No. 125/97 of 2 December, and the fulfilment of the duties established in this law.

O Museu do Douro, criado pela Lei 125/97, foi concebido como um museu de território, polivalente e polinuclear, vocacionado para reunir, conservar, identificar e divulgar o vastíssimo património museológico e documental disperso pela região, devendo constituir um instrumento ao serviço do desenvolvimento sociocultural da Região Demarcada do Douro. Numa perspetiva de "museologia de comunidade", o Museu do Douro assume-se como processo cujo desenvolvimento deverá envolver a colaboração ativa com as instituições locais, regionais e internacionais.

A gestão do Museu do Douro é da responsabilidade da Fundação Museu do Douro, criada pelo Dec.-Lei 70/2006, instituindo-a como pessoa coletiva de direito privado e utilidade pública. A Fundação Museu do Douro tem como fim a instalação, manutenção e a gestão do Museu do Douro.

Para atingir a sua missão o Museu do Douro preserva, estuda, expõe e interpreta objetos materiais e imateriais representativos da identidade, da cultura, da história e do desenvolvimento da região do Douro, independentemente da época histórica, de vários tipos e fabricos, com especial incidência nos elementos associados à vitivinicultura, atividade primordial na região.

O Museu do Douro pretende assumir o papel que lhe cabe na formação de valores culturais, em articulação ativa com os demais agentes e instituições, promovendo não só uma função educacional de divulgação e contextualização da cultura e história da região mas, sobretudo, proporcionando experiências capazes de motivar a participação e o envolvimento ativo do público que serve.

by museudodouro.pt, Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e do Porto

Lisbon Story Centre marks the 257th Anniversary of the 1755 earthquake. Secrets of Portugal..

1 November and the 1755 earthquake Holiday and long weekend with reduced prices in the Lisbon Story Centre. From 1-4 November, the Lisbon Story Centre marks the 257th Anniversary of the 1755 earthquake and invites tourists and residents to know the history of the brand-new Portuguese city equipment, at special prices. Feeling through an immersive experience, the devastating effects of the natural disaster that struck the Portuguese capital on 1755, 1st November, meet all plans for rebuilding the city and its development, through the use of special effects and multimedia solutions. Through a "time travel", the visitor learns about the key moments of the collective memory of Lisbon, its myths and its realities, and see how past events influenced the current city. The visit lasts for 60 minutes, guided by an audio guide available in 9 languages including a children's version, through the themes "Lisboa, Myths and Realities," "Lisboa, Global City", "November 1, 1755, the day of All Saints "," The vision of Pombal "," The Terreiro do Paço" and "Virtual Lisbon. " The exit is via the shop and a tourist information center, where visitors can gather all the information needed to prepare and plan a visit to the tourist and cultural offer of the Portuguese capital. Located in the Terreiro do Paço, the Centre Lisbon Story - Memories of the City is an unmissable experience. Lisbon Story Centre - Memories of the City Palace Square 1 to 4 November 10h00-20h00 Last entry at 19:00 by visitlisboa.com