Lisbon - a cosmopolitan historic city with many stories to tell

Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, is located on hilly terrain at the confluence of the Tagus River and the Atlantic Ocean. With over half a million inhabitants, it is the political, cultural, and economic centre of the country. By Helen Cleary.

Lisbon has always been a city of trade, where spices, fabrics, ceramics, and precious commodities from distant lands have been sold in markets since the Middle Ages. With the dawn of the Age of Discovery in the 15th century, it became one of the world's largest trading ports, attracting European, African, and Asian merchants.

This contributed to a flourishing economy and had a lasting impact on the city. The heyday of the Portuguese maritime and trading empire is symbolized by, among other things, the Torre de Belém (Belém Tower) at the mouth of the Tagus River. Along with the nearby Mosteiro dos Jerónimos (Jerónimos Monastery), a 16th-century religious building, the tower is one of the few outstanding examples of Manueline architecture that survived the 1755 Lisbon earthquake. Both monuments have been UNESCO World Heritage sites since 1983.

One of the city's many attractions is the imposing Castelo de São Jorge. From the viewing platform of this fortress with integrated castle ruins, you can enjoy a view over the old town with its colorful houses, the Tagus River, and the third-longest suspension bridge in the world, the Ponte 25 de Abril.

The Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga houses an important collection of paintings, sculptures, goldsmithery, and decorative arts from Europe, Africa, and Asia from the Middle Ages to the 19th century. Contemporary art can be found in the Museu de Arte Contemporânea.

Housed in the former Madre de Deus convent, founded in 1509, the Museu Nacional do Azulejo tells the story of tiles from the 15th century to the present day.

Another popular museum is the Museu dos Coches with its collection of richly decorated carriages, Berlines, calèches, phaetons, coupés, horse-drawn coaches, and sedan chairs from the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries.

The Parque das Nações “Nations Park” on the riverbank is a leisure facility which was created by revitalizing a former industrial area. In the park’s in the Oceanarium you can marvel at over 8,000 marine creatures from more than 500 different species from the world's four oceans. 

Many city’s sights can be reached by Carreira 28E dos Elétricos de Lisboa, one of six tram lines in Lisbon. It connects the neighborhoods of Alfama, Baixa, and Lapa with the district of Prazeres. The vintage trams used on the steep route through the narrow streets and winding bends of the old town are particularly popular.

After a shopping spree in the elegant Chiado district, it’s time for dinner in trendy bohemian Bairro Alto.