Alfama, Castelo & Graça

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Overview

This is the Lisbon you have no doubt dreamed about: a Moorish castle slung on a hillside, cobbled alleys twisting to sky-high viewpoints and laundry-strung houses in a fresco-painter’s palette of colours. In this corner of the city, life is played out on the streets. Fado still rocks as it did way back when, one-pan family bistros fire up their grills at lunchtime, and the neighbourly vibe keeps things alluringly low-key, but not without a struggle. Lisbon's tourism boom is altering Alfama's character, so authenticity is endangered here.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

Lisbon, Portugal, The Castelo de Sao Jorge
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Castelo de São Jorge

Alfama, Castelo & Graça

Towering dramatically above Lisbon, these mid-11th-century hilltop fortifications sneak into almost every snapshot. Roam its snaking ramparts and pine…

August 22, 2017: People stepping to the sidewalk in order to let the street car pass in the streets of Lisbon.
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Alfama

Alfama, Castelo & Graça

Wander downhill (to save your legs) through Alfama's steep, narrow, cobblestoned streets and catch a glimpse of the more traditional side of Lisbon before…

Tram on line 28 in Lisbon, Portugal
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Tram 28E

Alfama, Castelo & Graça

Don't leave the city without riding popular tram 28E from Largo Martim Moniz. This rickety, screechy, gloriously old-fashioned ride from Praça Martim…

Low Angle View Of Lisbon Cathedral At Night

Sé de Lisboa

Alfama, Castelo & Graça

The fortress-like Sé de Lisboa is one of Lisbon’s icons, built in 1150 on the site of a mosque soon after Christians recaptured the city from the Moors…

Diamond-shaped bossage, Casa dos Bicos, Lisbon, Portugal

Fundação José Saramago – Casa dos Bicos

Alfama, Castelo & Graça

The pincushion facade of Casa dos Bicos, the eccentric 16th-century abode of Afonso de Albuquerque, former viceroy to India, grabs your attention with…

Miradouro da Graca viewpoint in Lisbon, Portugal.
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Miradouro da Graça

Alfama, Castelo & Graça

A much-loved summertime hang-out of lisboêtas, this miradouro (lookout) sidles up to the baroque Igreja da Graça. It has an incredible view of the castle…

Miradouro da Senhora do Monte

Alfama, Castelo & Graça

Lisbon spreads out before you at Graça’s highest of the high, Miradouro da Senhora do Monte. Come for the relaxed vibe and the best views of the castle on…

Mosteiro de São Vicente de Fora

Alfama, Castelo & Graça

Graça’s Mosteiro de São Vicente de Fora was founded in 1147 and revamped by Italian architect Felipe Terzi in the late 16th century. Since the adjacent…

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