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Alfama, Castelo & Graça

Portugal Travel Guide

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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…

  • City and Ponte 25 de Abril bridge from Miradouro da Senhora do Monte.

    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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