City of Seven Hills

OFTEN PASSED over for neighbouring Spain’s more popular destinations such as Barcelona and Madrid, those that discover Lisbon feel they have tapped into something special. The city’s hilly layout makes the perfect platform for a wandering sightseer.

Roaming the older traditional neighbourhoods you find yourself following windy paths and climbing stairs to unknown destinations. Stunning miradouras (elevated viewing points) pop out of cobbled dead-end streets revealing breathtaking city vistas. Trams belonging to another century rattle past. Little old women hobble about with bags of groceries on a Saturday morning. Men play chess in leafy plazas. The locals have dubbed the city ‘a cidade de luz’ (light city) due to the buildings’ sun-bleached pastel shades, which brighten up the cityscape even on overcast days.
       
Something striking about Lisbon is the general lack of homogeneity, compared to our own chain store-laden high streets. We can’t get a decent coffee without stepping into some Café Nero or Starbucks while coffee, and I mean good coffee is around every corner in Lisbon. Small cafes can be found behind wooden saloon doors serving espressos for 40p, with any surplus pathway immediately crowded with chairs, coveted by lisboetas (people from Lisbon) who love to sit over a coffee and pastry, people watch, meet with friends, and pass the time.
       
An unmissable sight is the bridge that former dictator Salazar had built in 1966, which resembles the Golden Gate bridge of San Francisco to a T, as they were built by the same architect. Close by is a replica of Rio’s Christ the Redeemer statue, although unable to command the same awe as its towering Brazilian twin. Alfama, traditionally a Moorish neighbourhood, is home to zigzag streets and whitewashed houses. The Saturday flea market there is a bizarre but bemusing spectacle – expect to find anything from armless Barbies and batteries to piles of used ashtrays.

Though one could spend hours upon hours wandering along the riverfront or exploring one of the city’s many distinct bairros (neighbourhoods), there is also a wealth of cultural activities to embark on. Unfortunately, Lisbon’s museums are not free but that certainly doesn’t mean they aren’t worth a visit. The Oceanario is Lisbon’s fairly new aquarium, the second largest in the world after Japan. Constructed especially for the World Fair in 2002, the sea-lover’s paradise and its once dilapidated surroundings have become a day trip in themselves, housing a massive science museum, a beautiful ocean promenade and the city’s most cutting-edge architecture.

Nightlife

Bairro Alto and surrounding neighbourhoods is the place to be for lisboetas and tourists alike. The cobbled streets play host to street revellers every weekend as the seemingly demure doors that you didn’t look twice at during the day open their doors at night as small quirky bars and stylish DJ venues. People congregate and drink outside, hopping from one bar to the next. It’s not uncommon to find funky interiors and local art plastering the walls. One bar I happened upon had ping-pong balls lining the ceiling, another’s walls were carpeted with rows of figurines and toy soldiers complete with velvet settee. Yet another could have been mistaken for a library.

One of Bairro Alto’s most beloved post-booze hot spots is a bakery which only opens at 1am, serving fresh hot croissants to a queue of those in the know, and making inebriated mouths happy. Lisboetas love to smoke, although it is only permissible inside places that have a special plaque. To combat this, there is a monthly guide publishing where you are allowed to smoke freely.
       
Dotted throughout the city centre are hidden cultural centres which double as alternative venues for Lisbon’s underground scene. The reclaimed spaces, usually situated in abandoned 19th century buildings in or around the city centre, put on documentaries and organise nights celebrating the city’s African presence with performers and punters from Portuguese-speaking Cabo Verde, Angola, and Mozambique.

Trip Out of Town
      
Sandy beaches and a castle atop a mountain are just a day trip away from Lisbon. Though there are numerous beaches along the coast from Lisbon, the small beach town of Cascais is most frequented by tourists, just a half an hour along a scenic seafront route by train. Elevated Sintra, a quaint town complete with nineteenth century Romantic architecture, is another option. The town serves as a base for visits to the Palacio da Pena, a beautiful nineteenth century castle, built on the ruins of a fifteenth century monastery. From the castle beautiful sea views are afforded and trails through the pristine parks situated below are a must.