Lying with its back to Spain and its face to the Atlantic Ocean, Europe’s most westerly country is about three-quarters the size of England or slightly smaller than the state of Indiana. Around 2.8 million of its 10.7 million inhabitants live in Lisbon, the capital, which sits halfway down the coast on the estuary of the River Tagus (Tejo in Portuguese). The city is built over a number of hills on the right bank, facing south, at the estuary’s narrowest point, where it shrinks to around 3km (2 miles). The largest bridges in Europe reach across to the expansive delta on the far side.
A global language
There are 270 million Portuguese speakers in the world, making it the fifth most-spoken language in the world.
A tram ride through steep, narrow streets
Lydia Evans/Apa Publications
A few kilometres downriver from the city centre, just past the district of Belém, from where Vasco da Gama and other explorers of the Golden Age set out to explore the world, a lighthouse marks the point where the river ends and the Atlantic begins. The ocean defines the city: its limpid light turns to gold – a ‘Straw Sea’ – in the afternoon sun, and its fathomless, melancholic soul wells up in the music of fado.
Laid-back capital
Lisbon’s great days are over, its colonies gone. Fortunes have risen and fallen dramatically over the course of its 3,000-year history. Even in recent times, a burst of economic activity that was sparked by the EU at the end of the 20th century is a distant memory, and Portugal is currently one of the economically weak links in the Eurozone, asking in 2011 for an EU bailout in return for the imposition of strict austerity measures.
Lisbon may have corners that are cutting edge, in its nightlife, designer boutiques and galleries and chic restaurants, but it is also a place that resonates with the difficult-to-define Portuguese characteristic of saudade (nostalgia), enjoying a slightly regretful, thread-bare, drawn-out retirement from its time as centre of empire and greatness.
Even when tourists began to arrive in any number, in the 20th century, Lisbon was seen as a lovely but laid-back provincial capital, known more for the charms of the narrow Moorish-style streets, the beauty of its hand-painted ceramic tiles and occasional ornate architectural flourishes than for economic dynamism. With its neighbourhoods clustered on the sides of hills along the placid Tagus, there are gentle reminders everywhere of Lisbon’s distant past: the Phoenician profile of the modern fishing boats; the Moorish expertise with painted tiles; the pained notes of fado’s longing and lament.
Hand-painted tiles of Palàcio dos Marqueses de Fronteira
Lydia Evans/Apa Publications
Streets and viewpoints
The narrow whitewashed streets of the old Moorish neighbourhood, Alfama, twist and turn; they remain the heart of a modest, working-class, inner-city village. Here and elsewhere, Lisboetas decorate their balconies with flowerpots, their walls with colourful tiles, and the pavements with mosaics. Faded and frequently crumbling façades are festooned with lines of brightly coloured washing hung to dry. Building and restoration work is everywhere in evidence, but it is a slow and expensive business and there is a lot to do.
Lisbon’s tourist offices offer a discount Lisboa Card that entitles holders to free Metro (subway), bus, tram and lift transport; free entry into 27 museums and monuments; and discounts of between 10 and 50 percent in other places of interest, as well as discounts in some shops. The card (available for one, two or three days) covers nearly everything of interest to visitors, including sights outside Lisbon, such as the palaces in Sintra and Queluz.
Local women carry bags of bread and groceries up and down Lisbon’s hills without complaint, but visitors may prefer to opt for one of the charming century-old electric trams that still trundle through the city, or let one of the eccentric yellow funiculars take the strain. Wandering is rewarded with picturesque nooks or brilliant panoramic views of the city’s red-tiled rooftops stepped down towards the river. Whether from one of the lookouts in Alfama, the gardens of Castelo de São Jorge (St George’s Castle) or the top of Santa Justa, the iron lift that used to transport workers and residents from the Baixa (lower) to the Bairro Alto (upper neighbourhood), Lisboetas never miss an opportunity to take in the whole of their city in its sun-kissed splendour.
Although the cold Atlantic lies only a few kilometres downriver, Lisbon feels decidedly Mediterranean. A sheltered, south-facing location and mild winters allow palm trees and bird-of-paradise flowers to flourish, and the balmy weather encourages an unhurried pace. Lisboetas have a quiet, modest dignity and are the most gracious of hosts. Despite the inescapable presence of a greater past, this is a modern, cosmopolitan capital, which has a sense of the world outside. The city’s streets teem with people of diverse ethnicity and dress. Many are immigrants from Portugal’s former African colonies – Angola, Cape Verde, Mozambique – or from Brazil, Macau and Goa, who arrived in Lisbon and soon founded their own little colonies, speaking a slightly softer version of the language and adding spice to the cuisine.
Upper and lower districts
For the visitor, one of the high points, literally and figuratively, is St George’s Castle, perched on top of Lisbon’s loftiest hill. From its ramparts, the castle overlooks Lisbon’s oldest and most picturesque neighbourhood, Alfama. This working-class quarter, once home to the city’s elite, survived the tremendous earthquake of 1755 (for more information, click here), and retains the labyrinthine layout of the Moors, as well as a remarkable village-like atmosphere.
To the west is the residential suburb of Belém, the city’s most monumental district. It proclaims Portugal’s Golden Age of Discovery with the finest Manueline monuments.
Street scene in Baixa
Lydia Evans/Apa Publications
Between the two is the Baixa – ‘lower’, downtown Lisbon, a commercial waterfront district of neoclassical buildings, the old stock exchange and government ministries, quaint shops and grand squares, and the city’s stunning modern MUDE-Museu do Design e da Moda. Most of the Baixa was lost to the natural disaster, but was quickly and elegantly rebuilt on a grid pattern.
Exploring MUDE
Ricardo Boleo Henriques
The upper city, the Bairro Alto, is reached by tram, lift or steep climb. One of Lisbon’s quintessential neighbourhoods, it is home to much of the city’s nightlife, including fado houses, restaurants and bars. Within the upper city is the chic district of Chiado. Though much of it was razed in 1988 by a devastating fire, it has been impeccably rebuilt and once again houses elegant shops.
Renovation work that began in the late 20th century has turned the city once again towards the river and the sea. The transport infrastructure continues to be improved. Old quays and warehouses have been transformed into trendy restaurants and hot nightspots, and the Parque das Nações has added interest to the north of the city.
In the Parque das Nações
Lydia Evans/Apa Publications
Around the city
Monuments to former splendours, a beautiful cityscape, and cutting-edge museums are not the end of the capital’s charms. Lisbon is surrounded by some of Portugal’s most appealing spots, easy excursions by car or public transport. To the northwest, Sintra is a magical place, with palaces and quintas (estates) studding beautiful pine-clad hills with views of the coast. To the west are the sparkling beach resorts of the Estoril Coast, while over the Tagus to the south are the wild Serra da Arrábida and the fishing town of Sesimbra. Closer to the capital, the handsome Versailles-style palace at Queluz is another major draw for visitors, including heads of state.
Food and wine
One of the great joys of Lisbon is Portuguese cuisine and wine, whether they are enjoyed at a simple country inn or at one of the capital’s chic designer restaurants and bars. Local cooking owes much to the country’s close ties to the sea: fresh fish, seafood and soups hearty enough for a tired sailor’s homecoming.
One of the country’s great secrets is its table wine, produced in every region. It’s affordable, unpretentious and sparkles with flavour – which is an apt description of the city of Lisbon itself.