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Capital and largest city of Portugal
Photo: Lacobrigo, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Lisbon (Portuguese: Lisboa) is the capital of Portugal situated on seven hills at the wide mouth of the river Tagus (Tejo) where it meets the Atlantic Ocean. With 545,000 residents in the city and 3.0 million in the Lisbon Region (2024) and a thriving mix of Portugal's rich history and vivid contemporary culture, Lisbon enchants travellers with its white bleached limestone buildings, intimate alleyways, and an easy going charm that makes it a popular year round destination.
This neighbourhood still bears signs of the Moorish presence in the city, with the buildings very close to each other, and very irregular streets. It's very atmospheric and a great spot in which to wander around. Thanks to the firmer rock it was built upon, it was relatively spared during the Great Earthquake and therefore retains the charm of the winding alleys and azulejo-covered crumbling walls.
Head uphill to Bairro Alto and give your legs a good workout, or take one of the elevadores (funiculars) for stunning views of the city and some wild partying in Lisbon's most popular nightclub district. This district includes the main shopping and leisure boulevard of Avenida da Liberdade, Chiado, an elegant shopping district, and Principe Real, the trendy district with all the fancy shops.
This part of the city was completely rebuilt after the 1755 earthquake by the Marquês de Pombal. The planned layout, greatly different from what you will see in the more ancient neighbourhoods, is a testimony to the ideas of the Enlightenment.
Belém, along with Ajuda and Alcântara, forms the city's Zona Occidental (western zone). Here you will find many grand monuments to the country's maritime history and various cultural sights, including a .
Norte covers a huge portion of Lisbon but is of little interest to tourists, except for the airport and a handful of sights concentrated in the district's southern end, such as the large parks, prominent museums, and modern office towers scattered across Avenidas Novas and the hills of Campolide.
The ultra-modern Parque de Nações district was built at the eastern end of Lisbon for Expo '98 (1998 Lisbon World Exposition), making the most of its riverfront location. Many of the sites still exist, most notably the huge Oceanarium. The Parque is in the city's Zona Oriental (eastern zone), mostly residential neighbourhoods and industrial docklands.
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Lisbon Fashion Week.
Featuring Portuguese and international acts doing their sets in English. A great way to get a deep cultural insight into life in Lisbon through laughter. Usually free entry and donation based.
A food festival, with focus on fish dishes.
A music festival held in Belém in western Lisbon.
An independent film festival. In addition to screenings there is also a large number of lectures and seminars.
A major rock music festival, branched from the famous Rock in Rio de Janeiro.
A number of large fiestas celebrating different catholic Saints, with parades during the day and fire work shows by night. The first and largest fiesta celebrates Saint Anthony on 13 June. It is followed by the celebration of Saint John the Baptist on 23 June and Saint Peter on 28 June.
A annual jazz festival organized by the Gulbenkian Foundation.
By train
There are two main stations, Santa Apolónia in the city centre and the Gare do Oriente, a bit further out and used by the high-speed trains.
By car
Lisbon can be accessed from six main highways. Coming from the south (A2) or east (A6 - the main route from Madrid), there are the two bridges:
By bus
All nearby cities and most major cities in Portugal have direct buses to Lisbon. The main bus terminal is at Sete Rios (Metro: Jardim Zoológico).
By boat
Lisbon is a major port on the Atlantic coast both for cargo and cruise traffic.
By bicycle
Cycling outside Lisbon can be a challenge, as Lisbon offers far easier cycling than what you may find outside of the city. The further you get from Lisbon however, the easier the cycling gets.
By bicycle
Cycling within the city is now much easier because of the work the municipality has been putting in with bike lanes, slowing car traffic, changing car traffic patterns and adding speed bumps.
By car
Think twice before using a car in the city unless you are prepared to spend hours in traffic jams and looking for parking space.
By foot
If your accommodation is in the center of the city, walking is a great alternative.
Other
Tuk tuks are becoming a popular alternative to visit Lisbon. The hills and the narrow streets make them a good option to explore the city.
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Lisbon · International · LIS
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