Lisbon – The City of Seven Hills!

Lisbon is a city on the hills, with multicolored tiles, majestic palaces, delicious cuisine and amazing cultural life. Previously, Lisbon was known for low prices in Western Europe, but after the flow of tourists, which has doubled in the last 10 years, everything has changed. We will tell you where you can relax, get a maximum of impressions and do not spend a lot of money.

Transport

Photo by Z Klein

Buses

From the airport you can get to Lisbon there by bus number 91, which takes you to the Cais do Sodre train station, and buses number 5, 8, 22, 44, 45 and 83 go to the city center. There is also an AEROBUS, which connect the airport with Cais do Sodre and the central part of the city.

Taxi

If you wish, you can take a taxi, but for a trip to the city center you have to pay on average € 15 (most of the taxis at the airport are equipped with meters). Keep in mind that the price of a trip depends of several facts: Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) – 3.25 €; Taxi 1km (Normal Tariff) – 0.47 €; Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) – 14.80 €.

Accommodation

Photo by Hugo Sousa

The best hostels in Lisbon

• Goodmorning Hostel – Santa Maria Maior, Lisbon (300 m from centre) – Metro access;
• Golden Tram 242 Lisbonne Hostel –  Santa Maria Maior, Lisbon (250 m from centre) – Metro access;
• Lisbon Landscape Hostel – Avenidas Novas, Lisbon (1.8 km from centre) – Metro access.

Cheap hotels in Lisbon

• Pensao Praca da Figueira – Santa Maria Maior, Lisbon (200 m from centre) – Metro access;
• Flor da Baixa – Santa Maria Maior, Lisbon (300 m from centre) – Metro access;
• Residencial Mar dos Acores – Arroios, Lisbon (1.6 km from centre).

Where to eat?

Frangasqueira Nacional

This is not a luxury restaurant or cafe, but they cook simple and rather tasty food on a huge charcoal grill. And most importantly – quite inexpensive. You can order a hot chicken, ribs or sausages. Garnish with crispy potato chips and crisp basmati rice. The small menu also has several types of tomato salad and olives. 

Adega Machado

A three-storey restaurant with a wine cellar and a terrace, designed for 95 visitors, is located near the Santa Justa elevator on a high hill. This establishment has an interesting own website with comprehensive information about the history of the restaurant, descriptions of the interior, a detailed menu, fado programs and daily news.

Belcanto

One of the expensive restaurant in the Portuguese capital is located in a beautifully restored building in the historic Chiado district. His boss and owner Jose Avillez is a creative and famous restaurateur, a master with great imagination. By the way, this is Lisbon’s first restaurant which received 2 ** Michelin.

Sommelier

Beautiful and elegant interior, comfortable chairs, polite staff, light and unobtrusive music. Excellent and huge wine list with a rich selection of various wines. Restaurant Sommelier in Lisbon is suitable for a romantic and family dinner, and for a business lunch.

What to do?

Learn the history of the city with a guide

In Lisbon, you can choose interesting and exciting walking tours that require a certain endurance, because during the two-hour tour you will have to go down and climb the steep hills of Lisbon.

Lisbon Chill-Out Tours assure that their guides will take you to interesting places, tell the story of the city and tell where they go to eat, drink and to entertain. For groups of less than 5 people, registration is not needed, the tour starts at Praça Luís de Camões at 10.00 and 15.00 from October 1 to March 31, and at 10:00 and 16.30 from April 1 to September 31. More information here.

Photo by Luis Dille

Go for a bike ride on the ocean coast

Cascais is a town in the suburbs of Lisbon, where people from the capital go for wide beaches and fun nightlife. In just one day, you can explore the Palacio de Conde de Castro Guimaraes Museum and Library, the Grutus do Poço Velho underground grottoes, the ancient citadel and the Boca do Inferno cave on the coast.

To see the city and surroundings from observation platforms on hilltops

Viewing platforms in Portugal are called miradouro. In Lisbon, which lies on seven high hills, there are more than thirty of them.

The most popular of Miradorus are: Miradouro São Pedro de Alcântara (overlooking the River Tejo, the city center and the castle of St. George), Miradouro Santa Luzia (one of the highest platforms overlooking the river, the Church of St. Stephen and the dome of the National Pantheon), Miradouro do Torel (the most convenient platform with benches, where you can watch the sunset) and Miradouro Portas do Sol (you can see the old Alfama district going down to the Tagus river).

Photo by Stijn te Strake

Relax in the shade and quiet of gardens and parks

Tapada das Necessidades – a quiet beautiful garden with romantic arbors. There are garden with rare flowers, greenhouse with tropical plants and a small lake.

Jardim da Estrela – a large park in the city center with excellent infrastructure, rare flowers and beautiful sculptures. Locals love to spend their weekends here: organize picnics, walk with children and admire exhibitions in the morning and have fun at concerts that are organized in the evenings on the stage in the center of the park.

Jardim Botânico da Ajuda is a botanical garden of the 18th century. This is symmetrical and well-groomed, with fountains, gazebos, around 1000 exotic plants and smooth paths on which peacocks walk on.

To see street art

Lisbon is one of the capitals of European street art. The streets are covered with graffiti. There are organized open-air galleries in the ruined houses. Also, the world-famous artists paint the facades of the houses.

Photo by pixpoetry

Museums

With free entrance:

• Museu Colecção Berardo – Modern Art Museum.
• Núcleo Arqueológico – Archaeological Museum
• MUDE – Museu do Design e da Moda

With free admission on certain days:

• Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology (MAAT) – the first Sunday of the month;
• The Maritime Museum with a collection of old maps and ships – the first Sunday of the month;
• The museum of Galouste Gulbenkian with a collection of European, Oriental and ancient art – on Sundays after 14:00;
• Museu da Marioneta- on Sundays until 13:00;
• Casa-Museu da Fundação Medeiros e Almeida with a collection of antique clocks, furniture and ceramics – on Saturdays from until 13:00.