10 Things to Do in the Lisbon City Center

Portugal's capital is a destination to fall in love with. The neighbourhoods of the old town capture travellers with their bohemian air, the tiled facades and the steep slopes leading to the viewpoints. You won't want to go back home.

If you are short on time, the option of taking a guided tour of Lisbon is ideal. In two hours or a little more you will discover the essentials of Lisbon. The guides know every inch of the city and liven up the tour with unique and amusing anecdotes.

City tours usually start in Praça do Rossio or in other central areas such as Praça do Comércio or Largo do Chafariz de Dentro, where the Fado Museum is located.

The downtown tour explores tourist highlights such as the neo-Manueline Rossio station, the Igreja de São Domingos, the Santa Justa elevator, the viewpoints and the Carmo Convent.

On 25 October 1147, Christian troops led by Afonso Henriques (the first king of Portugal) entered Lisbon after defeating the Muslim army. After four centuries, the Moors no longer controlled al-ʾIšbūnah, an important commercial centre on the Tagus estuary. To celebrate this event, the monarch had a cathedral built on the ruins of the old mosque.

Gilbert de Hastings, an English monk who took part in the siege and was appointed bishop at the end of the conflict, was entrusted with the task.

Like other buildings in the Portuguese capital, the cathedral also suffered severe damage from earthquakes. The 1755 earthquake, for example, completely destroyed the Gothic chapel and the royal pantheon. Crossing its threshold you will see simple interiors where the gloom reigns. At the top you can visit the treasury: four rooms with costumes, relics and jewellery that belonged to illustrious personages.

This monument has stood guard over Lisbon since time immemorial. According to historians. The castle was built by the Visigoths and enlarged during the Muslim period. When it was conquered by the troops of Afonso Henriques (the future first king of Portugal), the Islamic elements made way for the Christians.

Over the centuries, the fortress has witnessed many historical events and has served both as a Royal Palace and for military purposes. Today, many tourists climb to the top of the hill to walk along its walls and enjoy the unbeatable view over the city and the Tagus. If you also want to enjoy the experience, I recommend you to book a guided tour of St. George's.

One of Lisbon's attractions is its rich gastronomy. The Portuguese capital has many establishments that offer traditional dishes without having to spend an arm and a leg. In the list below you will find some of the most famous destinations:

• O Pitéu: an outstanding place to eat the most representative dishes of the country. I recommend you try the Mozambique prawns or the bife da vazia de novilho (Largo da Graça 95-96).
• Floresta das Escadinhas: an authentic restaurant in the heart of the tourist area. Its speciality is grilled fish and you can't leave without trying the sardines or the grilled octopus. The restaurant also stands out for its service (Rua de Santa Justa 3).
• Frangasqueira Nacional: the temple of chicken. Near Jardim do Príncipe Real is a traditional establishment that is a real institution among locals and tourists alike. According to connoisseurs, it is one of the top 5 chicken restaurants in the centre of Lisbon (Tv. Monte do Carmo 19).
• Chapitô à Mesa: a unique place worth a visit. The restaurant is an annex of a circus school and is located a stone's throw from the castle. In addition to quality Portuguese dishes, many customers choose it to dine overlooking a splendid panorama of the city (Costa do Castelo 7).

Next to Chiado is Bairro Alto, a district known for its lively nightlife. At the end of the day, young and old alike flock to this area of Lisbon for a drink at Pavilhão Chinês (a bar decorated with thousands of objects from the 18th to the 20th century, Rua Dom Pedro V 89), at Frágil (the bar that marked a turning point in the 1980s, Rua da Atalaia 128) or at Noobai Café, a bar/restaurant on the Santa Catarina lookout point.

In addition to the entertainment venues, Lisbon's Bairro Alto hides other little treasures:

• Pharmacia: an old pharmacy converted into a restaurant. Here you can eat typical dishes surrounded by dentist's chairs, stretchers and counters (Rua de Santa Catarina 2/4).
• São Roque Church: the church that survived the 1755 earthquake. Its austere façade hides a richly decorated interior. (Largo Trindade Coelho)
• Praça Luís de Camões: houses the bronze statue of the poet and 8 smaller sculptures representing other authors of Portuguese literature.
• Jardim do Príncipe Real: a graceful romantic park frequented mainly by locals. The magnolia trees, palm trees and the huge cedar tree guarantee tranquillity and shade.
• Deposito da Patriarcal: an octagonal-shaped tank and a fundamental part of the aqueduct that supplies the city. If you want to visit it, I recommend you consult the website of the Water Museum.
• The most famous belvederes: São Pedro de Alcântara (Rua de São Pedro de Alcântara) and Santa Catarina (Esplanada Adamastor). The latter is very busy in the evenings.

What would Lisbon be without its trams? Part of its charm derives from this means of transport that runs along the avenues as well as the narrowest of slopes. This line departs from Plaça Martim Moniz a short distance from Praça do Rossio. Along the way, the 28 stops at some of the city's most famous landmarks:

• Basílica da Estrela
• Rua da Conceição
• The Cathedral, the viewpoints
• The Igreja de São Vicente de Fora

The ticket costs approximately €3 and the whole tour lasts between 45 and 50 minutes. However, the most attractive part is Alfama and if you want to stay in the centre, you can get off at Largo Santa Luzia, where you will find a viewpoint of the same name. This activity is usually very popular with the kids and if you are interested in this topic, I recommend the post 10 things to do in Lisbon with children.

Praça de Rossio is the heart of the Baixa and is characterised by the monument of Dom Pedro IV (the first emperor of Brazil) and its black and white undulating paving. On the northern side is the Teatro Nacional, an elegant building with a neoclassical façade, a colonnaded portico and a statue of Gil Vicente, the founder of Portuguese theatre. A few metres from the theatre you will find another landmark of the Portuguese capital: the Igreja de São Domingos.

Praça de Rossio is also a place of passage and home to two historic establishments of the Portuguese capital:

• A Ginjinha: a tiny bar where only an artisanal cherry liqueur, the ginja, is served.
• Café Nicola: a place with more than 200 years of history. In the past it was a bookshop and a meeting place for intellectuals. Inside you will see the statue of the poet Bocage who was a regular customer of the café.

The Portuguese capital has a selection of markets offering everything from clothing to fresh produce. Some of these are located in the centre of Lisbon and are ideal for both shopping and tasting delicacies. Read on to discover the best markets in the centre:

• Mercado da Ribeira: Lisbon's most coveted destination for foodies. Here, traditional dishes coexist with fusion cuisine, and in both cases, the quality is very high. If you are interested in good food, I recommend you to read the post about Lisbon's gastronomic tours(Avenida 24 de Julho 49).
• Feira da Ladra: a flea market with everything from antique trinkets to second-hand clothes. This flea market specialises in antiques and is the ideal place to find an original souvenir. It is held every Tuesday and Saturday in the Alfama district(Campo de Santa Clara).
• Santa Clara Market: a market that often goes unnoticed as it is located a short distance from the more famous Feira da Ladra. It was inaugurated on 7 October 1877 and its glass and steel structure bears the signature of the architect Emiliano Augusto de Betencourt. Nowadays, it hosts craft stalls and some bars/restaurants (Campo de Santa Clara),
• Feira dos Alfarrabistas: an open-air market held every Saturday. It is a must for buying second-hand and antique books (Rua Anchieta).

The Rossio Station is one of the most emblematic monuments of Baixa. The building was built at the end of the 19th century following a project by Luis Monteiro. The architect was inspired by the Manueline, a purely Portuguese architectural style. Its distinctive element is the mixture of marine elements (shells, ship's ropes, coral, etc.), heraldic coats of arms, religious symbols and Arab ornaments.

The exterior of Rossio Station is characterised by the two horseshoe-shaped entrance doors and the elegant clock tower. Another peculiarity is the platforms which are located at a higher altitude than the entrance. Lisbon is a city of hills and the architect had to adapt the tracks to the terrain.

Above the tracks, you can admire the iron roof designed by Gustave Eiffel. This railway line connects the Portuguese capital with the town of Sintra, a popular destination for excursions. In the post How to get from Lisbon to Sintra you will find all the information you need.

Chiado is a beautiful shopping area that was once the centre of Portuguese Romanticism. The neighbourhood is known for its quirky shops and bohemian bars, such as the famous Café A Brasileira where Fernando Pessoa used to spend his evenings. However, Chiado has much more to offer. In the list below you will find the main points of interest:

• Elevador de Santa Justa: a neo-Gothic style lift designed by the engineer Raoul Mesnier du Ponsard in the early 20th century. It connects Baixa with the Chiado district.
• Luvaria Ulisses: a glove shop founded in 1925 by Joaquim Rodrigues Simões. Two large columns protect a door that opens onto an atmosphere that preserves the style of the 1920s (Rua do Carmo 87).
• Pastelaria Bénard: one of the oldest in the Portuguese capital. I recommend you try their freshly baked croissants with raspberry jam (Rua Garrett 104).
• A Vida Portuguesa: a charming shop in the former David & David perfume factory. They sell bars of natural soap, decorative objects, toys and other goods with a vintage feel (Rua Anchieta 11).
• Convento do Carmo: the ruins of a Gothic church that belonged to the Carmelite Order. Completely devastated by the 1755 earthquake, it has remained as a witness to the devastation of the earthquake (Largo do Carmo).
• Bertrand Bookshop: the oldest bookshop in Lisbon. It has an extensive selection of works by Portuguese writers and translations into other languages, including Spanish (Rua Garrett 73).
• Igreja do Loreto: the church of the Italians. It was built at the request of the Venetian and Genoese merchant community (Largo do Chiado).