Castelo de São Jorge

Following on our category “See it from your room”, which started with the article  Avenida da Liberdade, we are now introducing the Castelo de São Jorge.

Considered as one of the most symbolic Monuments of Lisbon, the Saint George’s Castle witnessed some unique moments of the Portuguese and Lisbon’s History.

The name emerged as a gesture of gratitude as many crusaders dedicated devotion to the martyr St. George. Nowadays, the day of the conquest, October 25th, is commemorated "Army Day" and the Portuguese Army has St. George as patron.

In the context of the Christian conquest of the Iberian Peninsula, the forces of D. Afonso Henriques, attacked this fortress, which surrendered after three months. A legend which arose later states that the knight Martim Moniz, who distinguished himself during the siege. After realizing that one of the castle’s gates was open, he sacrificed his live by sticking his body in the gate’s vain to avoid its closure by the Moors and allowing access and the victory of his companions.

The earthquake of 1755 contributed to the decay and degradation of the monument. Classified as National Monument in 1910 it received significant restoration interventions in the 1940s and late 1990s which helped restoring the monument and recovering its medieval traces.

It is currently one of the most visited monuments in the city of Lisbon. The monument also features gardens and sights, the castelejo, archaeological and museological center and a periscope in Ulisses’ Tower which allows us to admire the city in a 360º perspective.

Another good reason to visit the castle is the restaurant “Casa do Leão”, with a splendid view over Lisbon. It is located where, in the past, the lions brought from Africa were kept. The restaurant is well-known by a sophisticated interpretation of the traditional Portuguese cuisine.

If you’re thinking about the ride to the top, don’t be troubled. There are cable cars, as the famous 28 which will take you up. By walking, the experience is even more spectacular and during the summer the castle is open until 21h, allowing a perspective of Lisbon by night.

Avenida da Liberdade

One of the most important avenues in Lisbon is also the core of haute couture stores iin Lisbon and it now offers a large and new variety of snack bars.

The Av. da Liberdade was built after the big earthquake in the 1755. At the time was called "Public Promenade" and despite the name it was surrounded by wall and was  accessible just for aristocrats. Only in 1821 after the Liberals came to government it became open to the general public.

The avenue that we can see today was built in 1879-1892, with the same style as the Champs Elysées in Paris and it became the center of parades and local festivities

The Avenue itself is filled of hotels, including ours, cafes, theathers, and cinemas, but the last couple of years has been the heart of haute couture in Lisbon with stores of most of the great designers such as Louis Vuitton, Prada, dolce & Gabbana, Armani, Todd's, Burberry, Armani, Adolfo Dominguez and Ermenegildo Zegna

This year, to take advantage of the large sidewalks, several snack bars were installed in typical Lisbon quiosques, each with its own specialty. Pizzas of chef Airoli da Mariaca, Hot Dog Lovers, Smoothies, Coffee, Salads, Ice Cream and O Melhor Bolo de Chocolate do Mundo are some of the offers.



You can try one every day without getting bored.

This is the scenario for a perfect afternoon, shopping in haute couture stores and a snack on one of the most emblematic avenues of Lisbon.