The European Museum Night

The European Museum Night was created by the French Minister for Culture and Communication and it takes place on May 19th.

This is an opportunity to visit and revisit some of the city’s museums that will organize a number of nocturnal activities, including dance performances, concerts and guided tours, all of which will offer visitors a different and enriching experience.

Find here the complete program.

Street Art Route

Time Out Magazine recently prepared a route of Lisbon’s street art, combining several styles and artists making a unique combination that can’t be missed. 

In this post we’ll highlight the ones closest to us:

1 - Universal Personhood by Shepard Fairy.

Foto Bruno Lopes

The man who created the famous Obama poster “Hope”, came to Lisbon and left his mark in Rua da Senhora da Gloria, a shared work with Vihls, Universal Personhood is a series of works that stand for women rights.

2- Calçada by Vihls
Vihls first work in “Calçada Portuguesa” (Portuguese sidewalk) is located between Cable car 12 stops in Rua de S. Tomé e Rua dos Cegos and it is a work that celebrates Portugal.

3 – Desassossego by Aka Corleone 
Located on Rua Damasceno Monteiro, by Senhora do Monte viewpoint it’s a tribute to Lisbon’s most representative character, Fernando Pessoa.

4 - André Saraiva Tile Mural
With an incredible 52 738 tiles, this was Lisbon’s last big street art event. Located in Santa Clara, the 188m mural reinterprets the city combining some of Lisbon’s monuments with other elements such as the Eifel Tower.

Foto Ana Luzia

5 – Estátua de Pichi&Avo
Executed under the exhibition “Versus” by Galeria Underdogs and located in Calçada de Santa
Apolónia, it is a perfect example of the quality of the work by the duo Pichi&Avo, artists that like to combine classic art and graffiti wildness.

6 – Disquietheart by Tamara Alves
Near “Time Out Market” in Cais Sodré, one can enjoy Tamara Alves’s work inspired by José Saramago’s words “If you have an iron heart, enjoy it. Mine is flesh and bleeds all day”.

The full route here.

Exhibitions in Lisbon

May is just starting and although the good weather invites to outdoor activities, Lisbon’s cultural program can’t be left behind and so, we are happy to suggest 3 exhibitions not to be missed on your visit to Lisbon.

The Marvelous Variety of the World

Until June 3^rd the Padrão dos Descobrimentos hosts extraordinary beings and wonderful creatures, imaginary or real, of today and from the past.

The natural and social world is a permanent source of wonder, whether through the regularity of its order or through the irruption of the unusual. These two sides go hand in hand: the extra-ordinary breaks the usual landscape of the world, whilst simultaneously confirming it.

“The amazing variety of the world” is an exhibition that promotes a reflection on the unusual, associated with the unknown, the difference and the rarity, through objects, fantasy drawings and representations from the real.

For more information on www.padraodosdescobrimentos.pt

A Museum from Another World

José de Guimarães conceived an unprecedented and specific intervention for the Museu do Oriente, whose starting point is the Museum's wide and diverse collection, in articulation and dialogue with the artist's pieces, his collection of Chinese art, as well as other objects and images that constitute the universe of references of the author.

In many cultures, the "other world" is where the dead live life beyond death. In turn, the work of José de Guimarães is deeply marked by the rituals of ancient cultures, tracing an arc of influences that goes from America to the Far East.

“A Museum from Another World” promises visitors a contact with ancient Chinese artworks and José de Guimarães’s reliquary boxes, as well as with the objects and images that the painter has collected. This exhibition seeks to open the door to a reflection on the museum as a form of otherness while inviting people to step into this “other world”.

More information on www.museudooriente.pt

Post-Pop. Beyond the commonplace
Pop detours in Portugal and England, 1965-1975

This exhibition presents, in its entirety, works produced almost exclusively between 1965 and 1975, in Portugal and England. Some of them are united by a witty divergence from the commonplace put forward by Pop Art.

And, in the case of the Portuguese artists, true defectors from the mediocrity which characterised Portugal, we find a common link in seeking inspiration and motivation from abroad, in Paris and in London in particular, which was a true Mecca in the 1960s.

More information on www.gulbenkian.pt

Cruise passengers choose Lisbon

A couple of months after the opening of the new cruise terminal, the news couldn’t be better, for cruise passengers who love Lisbon.

In an inquiry made by Lisbon Tourism Office, Lisbon was recommended by 100% of the cruise passengers who visited us during 2017, and 97% will most likely return.

Another relevant number is that 89% of passengers who already visited Lisbon reinforce the city as a major destination.

Within the city, passengers have elected Belém, Bairro Alto, Cais Sodré and Baixa-Chiado as their favorite spots, tourist bus and the underground as the preferred transportation system and in a scale of 1 to 10, Lisbon scored 9 in terms of monuments, churches, museums, weather, cleanness, and safety.

Lisbon is the place to visit in 2018

Another year has begun and Lisbon is still on everyone’s mind.

CNN Travel elected Lisbon as one of the 18 places to visit in 2018. In the list “18 best place to visit in 2018”, Lisbon is presented as a city that “offers Mediterranean skies, Atlantic surf and hilly, cobbled streets with panoramic views of red roofs and houses in shades of yellow, pink and blue.

CNN states that Lisbon’s isn’t a secret anymore highlighting our gastronomy, especially the 28 Michelin stars, 6 of them in Lisbon and the Eurovision Music Festival, taking place in May.

The article also mentions that it is not only the Europeans that will visit Lisbon, the new Delta Airline daily flight from Atlanta, will certainly bring a lot of Americans to a city that has grown as a European tech hub.

Find here the complete CNN's list.

2017’s most visited Monuments, Palaces and Museums

The Direcção Geral de Património (DGCP) presented 2017’s results concerning visits to the Portuguese Monuments, Palaces and Museums.

As expected, and somewhat reflecting the continuous growth of tourists visiting Portugal, the number of visits to the Portuguese most important sites has increased in 8,9% when comparing to 2016.

If you look to the top 6, the Castelo de São Jorge is by far Portugal’s most visited monument, with
1.970.858 visitors, followed by Mosteiro dos Jerónimos  with 1.166.7933, then the Torre de Belém with 575.875, Mosteiro da Batalha with 492.093, the Palácio Nacional de Mafra with 377.961 and finally the Convento de Cristo in Tomar with 354.763 visitors.

In regards to museums, MAAT – Museu de Arte, Arquitetura e Tecnologia surpassed its numbers reaching 375.000 visitors, followed closely by Museu Nacional dos Coches with 350.254, the Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga in third and in fourth place the Museu Nacional do Azulejo.

Sintra also has its place in this list, Parques de Sintra and Monte da Lua shared the numbers of 2017 and Sintra’s palaces, monuments and parks welcomed 3.19328 visitors, with Palacio da Pena as the most visited one.

Lisbon, the Europeans Favorite Destination

A recent analyses made by the flight and hotel search engine Jetcost show Lisbon as the most search cities by Europeans.  

Portugal is in the Top 10 of the European countries most searched by tourists from all over Europe, especially by French, British, and Spanish,

The analysis made of the searches on Jetcost’s website and so obtaining a more reliable data, since they are real surveys and not interviews, indicates that Lisbon has been the most required city by Spanish, French, German, Italian, Dutch and Russian customers, and ranked second in the preferences of British tourists.

In regards to the rest of the country, Faro, the gateway to the Algarve, is the favorite city for British tourists, chosen second by the Dutch, occupying the third position for the French, Germans, Italians and Russians and fourth for the Spanish.

Porto who is been increasing is popularity is the second most requested by the Spanish, French, German, Italian and Russian, the third by the Dutch and the fourth by the British.

Lisbonland

From December 14th to the 23rd the Luminous Fountain of Alameda hosts a show of lights and colors called Lisbonland- Father Christmas’ House.

Created by OCUBO, Lisbonland promises to bring joy and entertainment and to warm up the winter season with an exciting story about Christmas told through a 4D projection synchronized with pyrotechnics.

This free video mapping show will be project on the Luminous Fountain of Alameda presenting the virtual interaction between the elves and Father Christmas with the façades of the fountain.

The show introduces Father Christmas at work, inventing and building toys that will make dreams come true, and unveiling the secret of his address.

Every day from December 14th to the 23rd at 7pm, 8pm and 9pm.

Portuguese Christmas Traditions

Christmas is just around the corner and it is time to go through some of Portugal’s Christmas traditions, some of them still very up-to-date.

In this month’s edition of Lisbon’s Agenda Cultural, Tomás Collares Pereira presents some of the Portuguese Christmas Traditions.

In a time when most of us struggle through the shopping list, the “fights” at the shopping mall or the constant advertising bombing all to make sure that Christmas has all it should have, there are still some traditions that survived the standardization that is taking place in our society.

In the list below you will find traditions that no longer take place and other that are more recent, enjoy:

The Christmas Turkey
Brought to Europe by the Spanish and the English it was introduced to the Portuguese in the early 20th century and it was only available to the richest due to the rationing caused by the war.

Christmas Lights
Always associated with this festivity the electric lighting allowed a more elaborate decoration of the city, which is by itself a reason for a visit to the city center, as it happened in 2004 when, in association with a local bank, the Comércio Square assembled a Christmas tree that was, informally, considered the highest in Europe.

The Circus
Christmas is not Christmas without a visit to the Circus and this tradition started early. During the second half of the 19th century, the Theatro-Circo located in Lisbon offered various circus spectacles, but the true circus house in Lisbon is Coliseu dos Recreios, which opened in 1889 and hosts Circus spectacles almost every Christmas.

Traffic
One must think that Christmas traffic is an event of the modern times but you couldn’t be more wrong. In the old days, the Downtown area was the center of Lisbon shopping and it was always very busy at this time of the year.

Traffic Policeman
Here’s a tradition lost in time. With the arrival of the automobile and in consequence its complicated relation with pedestrians, it was necessary to find someone to control traffic. The Traffic Policeman, wearing white gloves and hat/helmet so they can be easily seen, was not well accepted by the drivers in those days. Pedestrians felt safer and for that, and also due to the low incomes, on Christmas they offered gifts to the Traffic Policeman.

Santa Claus
Santa Claus had its origin on St. Nicolau, a bishop that besides his miracles anonymously offered presents to the needed. Although it is common to associate Santa Claus with the Coca-Cola commercials, he has been presented with red clothing in the 19th century. In Portugal, for instance, the tradition of Baby Jesus and a little shoe to receive gifts, prevailed over Santa Claus.

Pilar 7 – Bridge Experience

Last week, Lisbon’s new attraction, Pilar 7 – Bridge Experience - opened to the public.

Located in the Avenida da Índia, this new attraction features a panoramic viewpoint on the bridge’s deck level and a virtual reality experience on its pillar.

Areas inaccessible to the public can now be visited through a sensory experience lived inside this vital bridge’s pillar, resulting in a journey through the history and construction techniques of this national monument, which ends with the construction of an elevator that goes up 80 meters to the top by the road, allowing an unprecedented view of the city, in particular of such as Belém, Almada and the Tagus River.

The visit starts in the area outside the central massif of Pilar 7, where it is possible to contemplate the scale of the structures of the Bridge, as well as getting to know some of the peculiarities inherent to its construction.

Within Pilar 7, it is possible to see 360° projections about the Bridge’s construction with four short films that show the interventions and the grandeur of this work.

In a contiguous room, the visitor is surrounded by the blue waters of the Rio Tejo, climbing on a platform that will allow him to emerge from these virtual waters, and when reaching the top of the platform one can feel, hear and see the train that crosses both margins, approaching.

A suspended staircase will give you access to another room where a set of upper and lower mirrors provides an illusion of depth and grandeur of the interior of the Pilar 7 massif, where the project’s main attraction is located, the viewpoint with a panoramic view, where the visitor will have an unparalleled experience.

Do not miss this unique experience.

Rossio Fashion Day

On September 21st, the Rossio Square hosts another edition of the “Rossio Fashion Day”.

The Praça D. Pedro, mostly known as Rossio, welcomes another edition of the “Rossio Fashion Day”, an event that aims to promote the best that the Downtown area has to offer to locals and tourists.

After last year’s success with over 40 models in a 50 meters catwalk, the expectations are high but be aware that the collections to be displayed are not from Paris or Milan, they are from local Portuguese stores, established on the downtown district.

Come and see what the local stores are selling, in an event promoted by the “Associação Dinamiza Baixa Pombalina”.

LISB-ON #Jardim Sonoro

Lisbon doesn’t stop and September starts with a new edition of LISB-ON #Jardim Sonoro.

A sound garden opened from 2 pm to 12 am in a special corner of Parque Eduardo VII, LISB-ON #Jardim Sonoro is an experience to awaken the senses and, probably, the coolest party in Lisbon that stands out for its uniqueness.

Going for its 4th edition LISB-ON #Jardim Sonoro is a combination of heritage and music, tourism and culture, leisure and pleasure in one single concept, a day party in a garden we consider our own.

A three-days party at an almost secret sound garden in the city's most emblematic park "blessed" by Lisbon's incredible light. LISB-ON #Jardim Sonoro is a compulsory event for music lovers who want to enjoy an urban experience in broad daylight with the city as center stage.

These are some of the names present in this edition: AMP Fiddler, Cassy, De Los Miedos, DJ Koze, Etienne Jaumet, Francisco Coelho, João Tenreiro, Kiamos, Lerosa and much more.

A special groove to be watched, heard and felt.

Lisbon's Best City Views

One of the beauties of Lisbon is its landscaping nature, made out of valleys and hills, giving it a unique asymmetry.

Visitors can consequently see the city from various points of view, continuously discovering new details and new treasures, once hidden.

In this article, we will share five of the most interesting and beautiful views to find in Lisbon.

1 - São Pedro de Alcântara
This is one of Lisbon’s best known viewpoints. Located in Bairro Alto the view extends itself across Restauradores and Baixa and up to the Sé and the Castle.

2 – Senhora do Monte
One of the highest points of view in the city is Senhora do Monte (Our Lady of the Mount), with a small chapel behind the viewpoint, a view which includes the Castle, the Graça church and the Mouraria quarter.

3 – Santa Luzia
One of the most famous, near the Largo das Portas do Sol. It has all the proper trappings, including a pergola with tiled pillars, walls and benches forming a veranda for the view.

4 – Castelo
With a view over Alfama, Baixa and Bairro Alto this is one of the viewpoints not to miss. The light here is particularly warm in the late afternoon, encouraging you to linger.

5 – Elevador de Santa Justa
Last but not least important, the Elevador de Santa Justa provides the best close-up overview of Baixa and Rossio, with the Castle above. It is reached thru an extremely tight spiral staircase, but it is worth the climb.

Raspberry Rum

In the peak of the Summer, Lisbon is bubbling with visitors, it’s even hard to walk in the Downtown area. Lisbon is shining!

Every Restaurant or Coffee Shop that has tables outside is full. Rua Augusta, Rossio, you name it, there are even “fights” for seats. But don’t worry, there’s enough room for everyone.

In the summer nothing beats a late afternoon drink, the one that you have after a hot day in the city, and what better place to drink it than in our Bar or Lounge refreshed by the air conditioning.

Especially for this season, Gustavo Oliveira, our Head Bartender, created the Raspberry Rum.

This cocktail combines perfectly the bitterness of rum with the sweetness of fruit.

Here are the ingredients: Fresh Raspberry, rum, lemon juice, egg white and soda water.

It is very easy to prepare: fill a long drink glass with ice and a quarter of soda water, mix all the ingredients in the shaker, then pour it into a long drink glass mingle it with the ice and soda water and garnish it with a sliced fresh raspberry.

The result is wonderful and it is the perfect drink to finish a hard touring day.

Restaurants in Lisbon

Before diving into the unknown, which might be Lisbon’s restaurant offers, stop by our concierge desk, he will help you decide and most importantly will help you avoid the worst ones.  

A recent scandal hit a couple of restaurants in Lisbon’s downtown. Apparently, they were picking clients on the street, showing a menu with some prices but, once the clients were seated they would immediately try to sell different items, way overpriced, but hidden on the bottom of the menu.

Obviously, the clients followed the waiter’s recommendations, but in the end of the meal, the bill come bearing bad news: 140€ for a swordfish dish, 250€ for a mixed shellfish platter or 15€ for bread and these are just some of the examples.

After being confronted with that rip-off, clients asked for the menu and realized that the prices were really there, they just didn’t check them, as they followed the waiter’s recommendations.

So, our first recommendation for today is: always check on the menu what you’re going to eat, be picky, make the waiter point it out for you, “couvert”(yes you have to pay for it), dessert and of course wine, you can take recommendations but please check the list and its prices.

Our second recommendation is: if you’re staying in a hotel listen to the Front Desk staff, they will help you avoid some of these troubles. In our case, guests can always find support in our Concierge Desk.

These are skilled employees that know by experience the restaurants they are recommending and they try to match your wishes to the offer available in the city.

Further down, you will find some of our Head Concierge’s suggestions, other references are also available on our APP.

Largo
Established in one of the most iconic areas of Lisbon, the square do Teatro S. Carlos, in Chiado, space mixes aspects of the original construction of the cloisters, with modern, bold design in a combination of architectural concepts absolutely unique.

As Velhas
Located near the Avenida da Liberdade, this typical Portuguese restaurant, offers a comfort and family atmosphere, and a menu that emphasizes all the best that Portuguese cuisine has to offer.

Monte Mar 
Monte Mar Lisboa was created in an elegant and urban-chic atmosphere that Monte Mar Lisboa, presenting fresh fish, shellfish, and all the traditional Monte Mar Cascais cuisine. The hake fillets with cockle rice, our signature dish, has a simple name but is very rich in flavor. Since Monte Mar Lisboa is not just a fish and seafood restaurant, if you prefer a more traditional option, choose "iscas", a delicious and tender liver dish served in a skillet.  

Cervejaria Ramiro
The tradition of well-serving seafood
Founded on the 7th of April of 1956, Cervejaria Ramiro is known nationally and abroad for its excellent quality of seafood, for its level of service and for the price-quality relationship.

Mar ao Carmo
Located in the well know Chiado district, more exactly in Carmo Square, is a seafood restaurant in a modern and elegant space, with neutral tones, which invites you to sit down and enjoy a pleasant relaxed meal.

Sacramento
The Sacramento is a relaxed venue, located in the heart of Chiado's historic district, in the former Confeitaria Nacional, once stables of the old Palace of the Counts of Valadares. With its traditional Portuguese cuisine with a touch of innovation and a careful presentation, the Sacramento promises to delight its customers.

Gambrinus
Situated in the heart of Lisbon, Gambrinus is a reference point in Lisbon’s Cuisine. Over the past 78 years, national and international personalities, artists and politicians have met to enjoy these meeting places.
The Restaurant has maintained a comfortable environment, with high-quality products and service of excellence, since the remodeling done in 1964 by the architect Maurício de Vasconcelos.

Lisbon’s Museums and Monuments

Tourists’ interest in Portuguese culture exploded in 2016, and 2017 promises to be even better.~


When walking the streets of Lisbon, one can easily see the increasing number of tourists visiting the city. The lines to access major sights, monuments and museums, especially over the weekends, are the major obstacle for those who don’t have a great amount of time to visit the city.

The numbers now available, clearly demonstrate that the growth is real, in the 1st trimester of 2017 visits to Lisbon’s monuments, palaces and museums increased 14% and the Castelo the São Jorge is the most visited one.

Regarding the museums the increase was 10%, and here is where we can easily see the tourists’ influence, in 2011 only 38% of visitors to the museum were tourists, which in 2016 raised to a little over 50%.

For instance, the event “Night at the Museums” welcomed in 2015 10,833 foreigner visitors, in 2016 that number reached the 45,611 mark.

In terms of the most visited museums, Museu Coleccção Berardo ranks first, but this is most certainly influenced by its free access. Ranked in second is the Fundação Gulbenkian, in third the Museu dos Coches followed by the Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga and the Museu do Azulejo.

Strangely enough, the most visited exhibition is from one of the most visited museums, the exhibition of Joana Vasconcelos in Palácio da Ajuda, followed by “O meu corpo é o teu corpo” at the Museu Colecção Berardo and “José de Almada Negreiros: Uma maneira de ser moderno” at the Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian.

The study presents other curious facts, for instance, that English tourists prefer monuments, the French museums, and the Spanish palaces. The study also demonstrates that the visitors to the museums are young, mostly women and educated.

Source: Expresso

What to do around the Hotel - 10 tips by the Concierge (part 2)

Here is the 2nd part of our Concierge's recommendations of what to know around the hotel, enjoy.

6.  Baixa - Downtown Lisbon

Europe's first urban planning - downtown Lisbon's broad square and pedestrian streets.
Baixa, or downtown Lisbon, is the heart of the city. The main shopping and banking area district that stretches from the riverfront to the main avenue (Avenue Liberdade), with streets named according to the shopkeepers and craftsmen who traded in the area. It was completely rebuilt after the Great Earthquake of 1755 with streets flanked by uniform, neoclassical buildings.

7.  Lisbon's Cathedral

Lisbon's oldest building. Lisbon's ancient cathedral was built by Portugal's first king on a side of an old mosque in 1150 for the city's first Bishop, the English crusader Gilbert of Hastings.

From outside (with 2 bell towers and a splendid rose window) it resembles a medieval fortress, while inside it appears predominantly Romanesque, with a Gothic choir and ambulatory.

8. Castle of St. George

Overlooking the city from millennium-old walls
Saint George's Castle can be seen from almost everywhere in the city. Its oldest parts date from the 6th century, when it was fortified by the Romans, Visigoths, and eventually the Moors. It served as a Moorish royal resident until Portugal's first king Afonso Henriques captured it in 1147 with help of Northern European crusaders on their way to the Holy Land. It was then dedicated to St. George, the patron saint of England, commemorating the Anglo-Portuguese pact dating from 1371, and became the royal palace until another one (that was destroyed in the Great Earthquake) was built in today's Comércio Square.

9.  Miradouro Nossa Senhora do Monte (Our Lady of the Hill Viewpoint)

This is the highest point in the city, and its serene atmosphere attracts young couples. A small image of the Virgin standing in front of a chapel dedicated to the Saint Gens overlooks the city.

10.  Comércio Square

Lisbon's monumental riverside square.

The vast waterfront square also is known as Terreiro do Paço or the "palace's square", is where the Royal palace stood for over 2 centuries until 1755, when it was destroyed by the Great Earthquake. The royal family moved to another residence in the district of Belem, and the new arcaded buildings acted as the port of entry to the city.

Marchas Populares 2017

Monday is the big day! The day that the Avenida da Liberdade will host another St. Anthony’s parade.

The Marchas Populares are a long-standing tradition of the city of Lisboa and a source of the purest neighborly cultural pride.

Each year on the evening of June 12th, the different city neighborhoods descend one of Lisbon’s most iconic avenues, Avenida da Liberdade, in a parade showcasing the dedicated efforts of the different city communities and districts.

There are 20 marches competing against each other with songs, lyrics, costumes, choreographies and overall impression judged by a special jury. The first parades took place on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th of June at Meo Arena, but it is in the Avenida da Liberdade that the competition is taken to another level.

This night is also the scene to an enormous party, street festival and dance, unmistakable for the smell of grilled sardines and manjericos (basils) permeating the entire city. A party that is uniquely lisboeta and that each year draws thousands of people onto the streets of the city and that only winds down early in the following morning.

Come and join us in this unique celebration that will join roughly 2000 participants.

What to do around the Hotel - 10 tips by the Concierge (part 1)

In Lisbon, there's always something to visit and to discover and a wide range of possibilities and experiences. 

Walking through this thousand years old city, rich in monuments and typical neighborhoods where the city finds its roots and remain close to its most genuine traditions is perhaps the best way to feel its life pulsating.

To help you discover the city around the hotel here are some of our Concierge recommendations.                                              
1. Miradouro São Pedro de Alcântara

A garden with a panoramic view over Lisbon Miradouro São Pedro de Alcântar is a garden with

panoramic views across the city to St. George Castle and central Lisbon. A map made of tiles marks all the distinctive buildings, and the lower geometric garden contains busts of heroes and gods from Greco-Roman mythology, such as Minerva and Ulysses.   

 2.   São Roque Church & Museum of Sacred Art Home of the world's most expensive chapel.

 The church with the plainest façade in Lisbon as one of the city's richest interiors. Each of the chapels is a masterpiece of Baroque art but the showpiece is the fourth one left, the world's most expensive chapel. Adjoining the church is a Museum of Sacred Art, containing 16th Century Portuguese paintings (including one of Catherine of Austria, and another of the wedding ceremony of King Manuel I), a display of vestments, and an impressive collection of baroque silver.

3.   Bairro Alto & Chiado

Lisbon's Cultural and bohemian heart; nightlife and shopping mecca.

Bairro Alto is a picturesque working class quarter dating from the 16th century that has traditionally been the city's bohemian haunt of artist and writers.

Neighboring Chiado is an elegant, sophisticated district of theaters, bookshops, old-style cafes, art
nouveau jewelry and luxurious international names such as Hermes and Cartier

4.   Carmo Convent and Church Romantic Gothic ruins. 

The ruins of this gothic church are evocative reminders of the devastation left by the 1755 earthquake. At the time of the earthquake is was the largest church in Lisbon, but today the roofless nave open to the sky is all that remains of the arches and rubble that caved in on the congregation as they were attending mass. In what used to be the main altar is now a small archaeological museum with an eclectic collection of tombs (the largest on in of King Ferdinand I), statuary, ceramics, and mosaics.

5.   Santa Justa Elevator

An Eiffel Tower-like landmark overlooking the city. On of the city's best-loved landmarks and also know as the "Elevator of Carmo" this extraordinary structure was built at the turn of the century by the Portugal-born French architect Raoul de Mesnier du Ponsard (an apprentice of Gustave Eiffel, explaining the structure's similarities to Paris' Eiffel Tower), to connect downtown to Bairro Alto (lowest and highest points of the city).

Top 5 – 2017’s most visited Museums

The Directorate General for Cultural Heritage just released the information regarding the most visited museums during the 1st trimester of 2017.

According to several publications, Lisbon is one of the cities to visit in 2017, and among the features mentioned by all of them are Lisbon’s cultural and historical richness.

The Directorate General for Cultural Heritage, the organism in charge of museums and monuments, released the number of visitors all through the 1st trimester. As expected, the Museu Nacional dos Coches, just reopened, was the most visited museum of the 1st trimester, with an increase of 1,4%,  followed by Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga, but the big surprises come from the Museu Nacional de
Arqueologia and the Museu Nacional dos Azulejos both presenting good results, with increases around 20%, as seen below on the top 5.

1. Museu Nacional dos Coches - 70.227 visitors
2. Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga - 47.089 visitors
3. Museu Nacional de Arte Contemporânea Chiado - 46.973 visitors
4. Museu Nacional de Arqueologia - 38.301 visitors
5. Museu Nacional do Azulejo - 33.568 visitors