Bairro Alto
Bairro Alto is one of the
most paradigmatic and attractive areas to feel the pulse of the city.
Characteristic and folksy, Bairro Alto has nevertheless streaks of
modernity with fashion and design boutiques and bars, very many bars!
The fusion of all sorts of people in an eclectic and multicultural
environment is one of the main reasons to wander around the area.
Treading its cobbles, discovering the streets, the lanes, the blind
alleys, is a must. You’ll find fine restaurants next door to intimist
bookstores, where something is always going on, teahouses pairing with
design stores and clothes from some of our most admired designers. It’s a
quarter that grows on you, full of attractions, combining daring and
sophistication with tradition and antiquity. Walking around Bairro Alto
is something unique and that you will not find in any other part of
town.
Chiado
From Bairro Alto, walk
down to Chiado, where the atmosphere is a lot more sophisticated. A
rendezvous for young people, artists and the intelligentsia, Chiado
stands for emblematic cafés such as “A Brasileira”, the art schools,
theatres and living history. Quite apart from the natural beauty of this
area, it’s the people who create its atmosphere, with their drive and
positive attitude. Nearby Carmo, close neighbour of Chiado, has some of
the most fascinating places in the history of the city, such as the
Convent and Church of Carmo, with their impressive elegance. You will be
able to visit the ruins, but also the Archaeological Museum of Carmo,
with a rich collection of pre-historic, roman, medieval, manueline,
renaissance and baroque artifacts. Largo do Carmo is also a significant
landmark of recent national history, since it was the main stage for the
carnation revolution of Aprik 25th 1974. The link between Carmo and the
lower part of town, the Baixa, is another quintessential monument of
the city, the irresistible Lift of Santa Justa. From the top you enjoy
an impressive view of the Baixa of the era of the great statesman
Pombal. Don’t miss the opportunity to ride this lift built at the end of
the 19th century, the only vertical elevator in public service,
designed by a disciple of Gustave Eiffel and boasting a very particular
architectural style.
Baixa de Lisboa
Baixa,
(the Downtown) is traditionally the shopping heart of the city, where
you will find a great concentration of shops and a unique promenade.
Friendly, attentive service is an added attraction to shopping. Rua
Augusta is the main street of the Baixa Pombalina, linking the riverside
square of Terreiro do Paço, a symbol of administrative power, to the
beautiful Rossio Square (that is officially called Praça D. Pedro IV).
Avenida da Liberdade
Leading
up from Rossio, discover Avenida da Liberdade. Take a walk along the
thoroughfare that was classed, in the 19th century as the “Public
Promenade”, where the dilettante elites sported. Today you will find
here the great brand names of the world, making this the most
cosmopolitan and international shopping zone in the city.
Castelo de São Jorge
Although
it was here at the Castle that it started, history is patent all over
the city. With more than a thousand years of history in its past, Lisbon
is full of relevant monuments that illustrate some of the most
fundamental passages of national history. Capital of an Empire, Lisbon
had its richest peak at the time of the Discoveries, acquiring a
heritage of rare beauty. Very close to the Castle, at Graça, you will
see the Church and Monastery of S.Vicente de Fora, (because it was built
outside the original walls) one of the most impressive and notable
religious monuments of the city. Built very soon after the conquest, it
fulfilled a vow by first king Afonso Henriques to St. Vincent, during
the 1143 siege of the city. Close by, on a Tuesday or Saturday, you can
visit one of the most popular street markets in the city, Feira da
Ladra, where you can buy just about anything, old or new, and very often
irresistible, as well as some really precious antiques. It’s a real
cultural expedition.