Interesting Places to Visit in Lisbon

Built over the ruins of November 1775 earthquake, tsunami and firestorm, Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, is one of the most fascinating tourist destinations in the world. The main city, spread over the seven steep hills, is located on the confluence of the river Tagus and the Atlantic Ocean.

The city is densely dotted with several historic museums, parks, gardens, beaches, monuments and market places located along broad avenues. Some of the interesting places to visit are:

Gardens

Ajuda Botanical Garden-Jardim Botanico da Ajuda

Built by Prime Minister Pombal Marquis in 1768, Ajuda Botanical Garden is the first botanical garden of Portugal and houses different species brought during the Portuguese discoveries from across the world.

Estufa Fria Garden -Jardin Estufa Fria

Built in 1910, Estufa Fria Garden is one of the most popular gardens in the city. It contains statues, fountains and innumerable species from the world. People visit the romantic garden to escape the sweltering heat of the city.

Monuments

St. George’s Castle (Castelo de Sao Jorge)

Built by the Visigoths in the 5th Century and further developed by the Moors in 9th century, St. George’s Castle offers a fantastic view of the city of Lisbon and the river Tagus. It also reveals the early history of the city of Lisbon through a multi-media exhibition. The most fascinating feature of the castle is the 17th century Ogival House which has a door that connects the jails that existed in the castle in those days.

Estrela Basilica (Basilica da Estrela)

The first ever Baroque style church built in the 18th century and dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Estrela Basilica, is one of the most fascinating churches in Lisbon.

Museums

Puppet Museum-Museum da Marioneta

The Puppet museum, housed in a renovated 17th century convent, Covento Das Bernardas, boasts a collection of a wide array of puppets, masks and shadows from across the world with special emphasis on Portuguese Puppet Theater. Puppets include Japanese dolls, oriental masks, stage machinery and reconstructions.

National Art Museum-Museu National de Arte Antiga

The museum’s repository includes seven finest pieces of painting, sculpture, drawings, engravings, jewelry, ceramic, textile and furniture dating from 12th to 19th century. Some of the masterpieces belong to European, African and Oriental art forms.

Beaches

Portuguese are very fond of beaches and they never miss any chance to visit them especially on holidays or at weekends. Some even find a couple of hours to visit it after their work.

Lisbon has several fascinating beaches that cater to a variety of individual tastes. You can find a quiet cove, a beach to practice windsurfing, kite boarding or just relaxing under the warm sun. Most of these beaches are clean and hygienic and fly the European Union Blue Flag for excellence.

The beaches are situated along the railway line connecting Lisbon with Cascais. Two of the most popular beaches are Carcavelos Beach and São Pedro do Estoril.

Main Shopping Areas

There are several shopping malls, international shops and designer boutiques in Amoreiras and Colombo, departmental stores in El Corte Inglês besides the largest shopping centre in the Iberian Peninsula and Vasco da Gama. These shopping areas offer a wide array of merchandise from world famous brands.

You can also shop for best quality handmade domestic leather items including shoes, gloves and hand bags. You can visit Avenida de Roma, Alvalade and Campo de Ourique for traditional shopping.