Hello there! Welcome! You’re just in time.
Make yourself comfortable and get ready, because today we’ll be taking a look at my personal top 7 things to see in Lisbon, Portugal.
If you don’t know… I absolutely LOVE Lisbon.
Like…a lot.
There are so many things to see and do, that narrowing it down to only a measly 7 things, is a real torture. But hey, on the bright side, i can write EVEN more about it! With that said, here are my top 7 things to see in Lisbon Portugal. Let’s go!
1. Monastery of Jerónimos (Mosterio Dos Jerónimos)
Impossible to miss, the Monastery of Jerónimos is such a bizarre sight, you’ll be gravitating towards it once you see it. (I call it the “what the heck is that?” effect). It’s pretty amazing and no trip to Lisbon, is complete without it.
The monastery is located in the center of Belém and replaced a church that once was there. The construction of the monastery took 100 years to complete, and is designed in the very classic Portuguese “manueline” gothic style, that some of the other monuments of the city also follow.
For 400 years the monks who lived there, prayed for the wellbeing of the sailors who, in the age of discoveries, went out to explore the world. The first European to reach India, Vasco da Gama, as well as some of the most important Portuguese writers, have their tombs at display here at the monastery.
If you have some time, i’d recommend you head over to the Belem park and grab some super famous “Pastéis de Belém”. They’re less than a block apart, and the original recipe was created by the monks who once lived in the monastery!
2. São Jorge Castle
Easily one of the most visited site in Lisbon, this castle is the real deal. It’s in my opinion an extremely obvious “must see” if you come to Lisbon (it’s atop the hill, so it’s hard not to), and it’s exclusion from this list would be crazy, but here is why:
Lisbon was conquered and reconquered and fought for, over and over, (for years) and the hill atop which this castle is built upon, was the “hub”, and base for building the defensive fortifications of every leader who ever tried to take hold over the city…pretty much ever. Basically if you controlled the hill you controlled the city.
From here, you get a breathtaking view of the whole city, the Tagus river, the bridge of the 25th of April that crosses to Almada, The Belem Tower, the old town, the Praça do Comércio…and much much more.
3. Praça Do Comércio
I’m not giving these 7 spots out easily, but Praça Do Comércio definitely deserves one!
The Praça Do Comércio is a monumental opening towars the Tagus river, that was created after the Lisbon earthquake (and tsunami) of 1755, to reconstruct the previous building (Ribeira Palace) that was destroyed because of it.
The Portuguese architect Eugénio dos Santos, designed the Plaza in the shape of a “U”, where the arms end in towers that are reminiscent of the previous palace, and at the center, lies the Arch “Arco da Rua Augusta” that takes you towards the old city (which is a walk you have to take, by the way).
The plaza is huge, and at the center of it, there is a monument to the King Jose the first, who reigned during the earthquake and tsunami and who lived to see the reconstruction of the city.
They mount a pretty epic christmas tree in the plaza when the holidays come around too, if you’re in town, go check it out!
4. Belém Tower
Another masterful piece of the classic Portuguese Manueline style architecture and pretty much THE icon of the city of Lisbon, the Belem tower (Torre de São Vicente) is a reminder of the military and naval power of the Portuguese, in the centuries past.
Constructed with Lioz limestone (aka the royal stone), the same material used to build the Monastery of Jerónimos, the tower was made in order to protect the approaches to Lisbon through the open sea, and is riddled with cannon posts and has a dungeon where prisioners would be left to drown when at high tide…messed up, i know.
This innocent looking, ship-wrecking, prisoner-drowning tower, was built by order of the King Manuel I and was the departing point for hundreds of voyages to India and Africa. The influences of many cultures can be found in the construction: Venetian, Arab, Byzantine and Indian too.
The tower is fairly small in size, so it actually feels a bit underwhelming, (compared to the other great monuments that the city has to offer) and it can get a bit crowded with all the tourists and such. But it’s really close to the Monastery of Jerónimos, so you can take your Pastéis de Belém over to the tower without them getting cold!
5. Colombo Shopping Mall
One of my favourite locations as a kid, the Colombo shopping mall has all you could ever ask for.
Althought it’s not a “obvious” contender for top things to see in Lisbon, and would probably not make it on any other list, this shopping attracts a lot of visitors and turists, is pretty well known, and it’s just massive.
Inside, you can find 8 cinema screens, a bowling alley, an outdoor garden, over 60 restaurants and in total, around 340 stores. If taken into account the number of stores, this shopping mall is the biggest in the Iberian Peninsula, beating out even some of the Spanish malls, which is not an easy feat to accomplish at all.
Also (and as expected from the Portuguese), the malls architecture and design, was themed to the Age of Discoveries which was one of the most important periods of Portuguese history. Some of the sections on the inside, have been named accordingly.
For example, there is a section called “Avenida dos Descubrimentos” (Discovery Avenue). There is also an amazing sculpture of the sea god Poseidon inside, see if you can spot it, once there!
6. Ponte Vasco Da Gama (And Parque Das Nações!)
Thought that this list would be complete without the 2nd largest bridge in the whole of Europe getting a spot? Nope!
Created in honor of the 500th year anniversary of the discovery of India by the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama, the main goal of the bridge was to relieve a bit of the congestion that was already happening on the 25th of April Bridge.
The bridge is 12 km long and was constructed in the span of 3 years by 4 different companies, and can withstand an earthquake 4.5 times stronger than the one that demolished Lison in 1755.
Okay, i’m cheating a bit here, but i’m including the Parque das Nações here too…but shhh don’t tell anyone!
Parque das Nações is located a few hundred meters south of the bridge, and is a MUST see area for sure.
There is a whole lot to see here. From aerial lifts, to the Museum of Science and Technologies, the Vasco da Gama Mall, one of the finest aquariums the world has ever seen, as well as the tallest building in the whole country that is open to the public (the Vasco da Gama tower), all can be found in Parque das Nações. Can’t miss it!
7. Eduardo VII Park
Leaving the best for last…this is my personal favourite thing to see in Lisbon!
Okay, It’s not really a “thing” perse, and i know i’ve been getting a bit out of line with spot number 6… but let me explain.
The Eduardo VII park, is the biggest park in central Lisbon that was built in tribute to the English king Eduardo VII, when he visited Portugal in 1902. As a tribute, the parks main “theme” is English, in that, the way it was built ressembles the English parks.
Now, from the monument to the 25th of April (Carnation Revolution) looking down, you get the most amazing view of Lisbon that’s comparable only to the view from São Jorge Castle (but i think is even better 🙂 ).
From here you can see the park architecture, the Marquis of Pombal Square that connects mayor streets of the city, the beautiful trees of the luxurious Av. da Liberdade (one of the most expensive streets in Europe), sections of the old city and finally, the river Taugus and the Almada area futher out.
Apart from the view, you can now walk from here, straight down into the old city and get to the Praça Do Comércio uninterrupted (and find yourselves with a few jems i haven’t mentioned!).
By the way, the São Jorge Castle is clearly visible on the left side, on top of the hill, so if you wish to be interrupted in your walk towards the plaza, and want to check out the castle to see which sight of the city you like better, go ahead!
There you have it everyone! My top 7 things to see in Lisbon, Portugal.
I hope that you enjoyed the read! If you did, and if you love Lisbon as much as i do, you might also like to check out my other post on the 10 Reasons You Should Move To Lisbon. I’ll spoil you 1 of the reasons: The weather. It’s been called by many “Simply Perfect”, go check it out!
Before i leave! Did i miss something? Which was your favourite thing to see in Lisbon? Is there something that is not in the list, that absolutely 100% should be there? Which sight of the city do you like better? From the castle or from the park?Let us know in the comment section below!
Adeus!
Pablo P.