Bars and pubs Top things to do in Lisbon. Markets and fairs Be especially careful about your purse and/or wallet in busy touristy areas.You’ll also find very questionable men looking to sell tourists drugs around the Praça do Comércio square and late at night in the Bairro Alto neighborhood. From sightseeing to hidden gems, find out what makes the city unique with the help of the locals who know it best. And lining the edges are various restaurants where you can sit outside and enjoy an afternoon cocktail.While you’re at Praça do Comércio Square, head around the corner to Another one of the best things to see in Lisbon, the If you walk through the center of the old church you will come upon the museum section of the ruins, where several elaborate tombs are on display. Roman transplant Constanza Ventura churns out 34 perfect, spatula-slabbed flavours of traditional gelato/sorbet...Opened in 1956, Ramiro has legendary status among Lisbon's seafood lovers. Go early or later in the day to avoid the masses. Explore the MAAT; Museum of Art, Architecture, and Technology13. Sightseeing & landmarks. If you're planning a trip over the summer make sure to add these events in Lisbon to your things to do list.
The crisp pastry nests are filled with custard cream, baked at 200°C for that perfect golden crust,...Don't leave the city without riding popular tram 28E from Largo Martim Moniz. Belém’s undisputed heart-stealer is this Unesco-listed monastery. Try another? More Intricate blue tilework covers the old buildings and the steep hills provide spectacular views of the bustling city below. The fusion of architectural designs, known as the Manueline style, stands as testimony to the cultures encountered by Lisbon’s explorers, while the money used to build the structure came from Portugal’s international trade in cloves, cumin and exotic spices.It is also another of the city’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites.Located out in the blue waters of the Tagus Estuary, the huge Lisbon Oceanarium rises like a hulking aircraft carrier.Inside, the structure houses countless exhibits related to marine life, which together pull in over one million visitors each year.You can get up close to colorful puffer fish as well as watch the marauding sharks.You’ll see curious moray eels and meet cuddly penguins.There are also interesting collections of sea anemones and corals, not to mention an artificial boating lagoon out front where you can rent a pedalo if it is sunny.The National Museum of Ancient Art is the home of Portugal’s prestigious national art collection.Pieces here range from pious saintly depictions by Nuno Gonçalves to chiaroscuro portraiture by Josefa de Óbidos.Most of the canvasses date from between the 16th and 19th centuries, and came into public ownership following the Liberal Wars that rocked the country in the early modern age.Patrons here can also enjoy countless traveling exhibitions, with past collections reflecting Lisbon in the Renaissance period as well as featuring historical paintings from the Age of Discovery.You only need to set foot in places like Sri Lanka and Goa to realize how far the reach of Portugal’s great Renaissance Empire stretched.These far-flung eastern corners of the realm are the subject of Lisbon’s Museu do Oriente and the space itself is huge.It is housed in a colossal former fish processing factory, which now enjoys up-to-date exhibition rooms.The focus here is on all things Asian, with stories of Chinese rituals and seafaring across the South China Sea all part of the tour.Unlike Rome, the city planners here developed a series of funicular railways to help with transport to and from the neighborhoods above the city.It’s a real joy to ride on some of the tracks such as the old Ascensor do Lavra which dates all the way back to the late 1800s and has been honored with a national heritage tag.There is also the Ascensor da Bica, which winds up the tight-knit cobbled lanes off Largo do Calhariz.Let’s also not forget the soaring Santa Justa Elevator which lifts people from Baixa to Carmo and offers sweeping views of the Lisbon downtown area along the way.There are two distinct sides to Lisbon’s most famous food market.First of all there is the downstairs part, which throbs with local fruit and vegetable sellers touting succulent legumes and Mediterranean fruits every morning of the week, so make sure to get there early if you want to get the best deals.Then there is the upstairs section which comes packed with more modern, often quirky food stalls and cutting-edge eateries.It is there that you will be able to taste the local specialty of custard tarts, sip fine Portuguese wines, and even attempt to conquer a massive francesinha sandwich which is one of the treats to come out of Porto in the north.The plane tree peppered Rossio Square is where Lisbon’s local life ticks over each day.Officially titled Pedro IV Square, the spot marks the very heart of the Pombaline Lower Town, which spreads out in wide boulevards between the Tagus and Baixa rivers.The site of the plaza itself has been famous since the medieval age, when public beheadings and bullfighting showdowns were held on its cobbles.Today, it’s a fine place to stroll and people watch.You can relax on the shady benches, watch the locals play dominos in the park, and enjoy elaborate Baroque fountains babbling under the sun.Bringing up the more modern side of Lisbon’s already formidable array of world class museums and exhibition spaces is the acclaimed Berardo Collection Museum.This massive institution now pulls in excess of 2.5 million visitors each year.They come to wonder at the smorgasbord of eclectic artworks, which range from abstract expressionism to digital art installations or neo-realism and photography.Curators are dedicated to maintaining the cutting-edge aspect of the collections, which means there are also regular touring collections so you can expect the likes of French avant-garde pieces and European cubism to be on display.Apart from being the premier touristic district of Lisbon, packed with al fresco cafes and international restaurants, the Bairro Alto is also the city’s top nightlife spot.You’ll typically have to wait until early evening for the establishments to really get started, but when they do, it’s all about the authentic pastelaria bakeries and the bohemian drinking joints.There’s a smattering of old Fado music holes if you fancy a night full of artistic passion, all interspersed with cool new breweries and beatnik style bars.Grab a board, wax it down, and don some board shorts or preferably a wetsuit, because the waters where the Tagus Estuary meets the Atlantic Ocean can get pretty chilly.Nestled just to the west of Lisbon central, this pretty enclave of sand and sea is where most of the capital’s wave riders will retreat at the weekend.It’s got some challenging left-to-right breaks, and there are plenty of tour outfitters offering surf lessons on the swells which are perfect if you’re a total beginner looking to escape the city for its beaches.Now something of a historical monument in its own right, the Padrão dos Descobrimentos marks the shore of the Tagus Estuary with its grand architecture and beige stone.It’s been here since the early 1960s and is an ornate testimony to the successes of Portuguese exploration during the Age of Discovery.You can reach the towering landmark by strolling along the waterside of Santa Maria de Belém.Once you spot it, be sure to pick out the legendary figures of Vasco da Gama (an explorer of India and Arabia) and Prince Henry the Navigator (an adventurer of the Great Sand Sea).Once you’re done wandering the wonderful districts of the Bairro Alto and old Alfama, it’s time to get some background on the sights.For that, there is arguably nowhere better in town than the Lisboa Story Centre.The institution, which boasts free entry to all holders of a Lisbon city card, unravels the past of Portugal’s capital from its earliest years until the present.There are special sections dedicated to the Age of Exploration and the great seafarers who departed from the city.Not to be missed is also a particularly illuminating piece on the ravaging earthquake of 1755.Dating all the way back to 1681 and standing at the outer reaches of Lisbon, on its far north-western edge, the grand Palace of the Marquises of Fronteira is one of the more off-the-beaten-track remnants of the city’s former glory.Despite its remote location it is still easy to get to and offers a glimpse of the majestic architecture that came to the fore in the 1600s and 1700s in Portugal.The home was once that of the Marquis of Fronteira, who received his land and wealth after staying loyal to the Portuguese royal name during the Restoration War of the mid-17th century.You’ll have to hop, skip and jump over both the Tagus River Estuary and the Sado River Estuary to reach the sparkling beaches of the Tróia Peninsula.But the approximately two-hour journey is definitely worth it.Running for mile upon mile down the Atlantic Coast, the region has some of the top beachfronts in the entire Lower Alentejo.The sands glow a soft yellow under the sun and the seas are surprisingly calm for this western section of the country.The beautiful Parque Natural da Arrábida can be seen on the headlands opposite, while regular tours depart from Tróia to spot bottlenose dolphins out at sea.Talking of beaches, it’s just a short drive across the Ponte de Abril on the Tagus River to reach the acclaimed and popular summer resort of Costa da Caparica.This sits on the northern fringes of the Sétubal district, and offers unrivaled access to some of the best sandy spots close to the capital.Here you are bound to discover empty stretches of acacia-backed dunes and swaying sea grasses, all washed over by some challenging surf.Closest to the town are the more visited beaches, while a narrow-gauge railway takes travelers to the secluded coves and sunbathing spots further along the coast.If you are in need of a dose of idyllic scenery after the hustle and bustle of downtown Lisbon, then there is arguably nowhere better to go than picture-perfect Cascais.This old fishing hamlet on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean sits to the west of the city, and has been transformed over the years by an influx of upscale Lisboans looking for sun, sea and sand.There are no fewer than three cliff-backed golden bays along with a peppering of some of the best seafood restaurants in the region.For wave riding, consider making a beeline for swell-packed Guincho along the headland.Polish your haggling skills for a trip to Feira da Ladra, because this sprawling midweek and weekend market is the place to go for quirky, curious and often downright weird trinkets and antiques.Believe it or not, the history of the buzzing bazaar goes all the way back to the 12th century, when you can almost imagine a similar array of gypsy traders and motley talisman dealers assembling on the sidewalks of Campo de Santa Clara.You will need to arrive early if you want to be in with a chance of grabbing anything worthwhile, and you can even travel to the market on historic Tram 28.Another of the great visual landmarks of Lisbon is the Aqueduto das Águas Livres.This eye-popping stretch of stone arches and Italianesque architecture was first created in the middle of the 18th century.It was conceived to relieve Lisbon’s perpetual summertime water shortages, and was built to fit in seamlessly with the Gothic revivalism of the city proper.Be sure to check out the section of aqueduct which rolls directly over the rooftops of the Amoreiras district, and then make a beeline for the Water Museum, which chronicles the development of this masterpiece.You will almost certainly have glimpsed the gorgeous domes and spires of the Basílica da Estrela as you alighted from the rattling carriages of Tram 28.