Príncipe Real, Santos & Estrela
Immerse yourself in the life and work of Portuguese modernist founder and author Fernando Pessoa as you wander through his old apartment, browse through…
Must-see attractions in Lisbon
Museu de Lisboa Palácio Pimenta
Lisbon
Set in an 18th-century palace, this museum shows the city's history and diverse cultural influences from prehistoric times to the early 20th century…
Bairro Alto, Chiado & Cais do Sodré
Set in the same street where Júlio Pomar lives and works, this museum, with two spaces housing temporary exhibitions, feels like an art gallery showcasing…
Convento de São Pedro de Alcântara
Bairro Alto, Chiado & Cais do Sodré
This convent is small in size but grand in baroque decor. The inconspicuous box-like facade hides a chapel (1690s), and a church (1681) that survived the…
Lisbon
Most visitors come to this cemetery, the largest in Lisbon, for the view of the Rio Tejo right next to the artists' plot. But the elaborate baroque family…
Belém
The salmon-slabbed 16th-century Belém Palace is Portugal's official presidential residence and office (though the country's previous president, Cavaco…
Palácio da Assembleia da República
Príncipe Real, Santos & Estrela
The columned, temple-like Palácio da Assembleia da República (Palácio de São Bento) is where Portugal’s parliament, the Assembleia da República, makes its…
Lisbon
The 109 arches of the Aqueduto das Águas Livres lope across the hills into Lisbon from Caneças, more than 18km away; they are most spectacular at…
Bairro Alto, Chiado & Cais do Sodré
If the lanky, wrought-iron Elevador de Santa Justa seems uncannily familiar, it’s probably because the neo-Gothic marvel is the handiwork of Raul Mésnier,…
Alfama, Castelo & Graça
The ultramodern Museu do Teatro Romano, reopened in 2015 after a two-year renovation and further excavation, catapults you back to Emperor Augustus’ rule…
Belém
The monolithic Padrão dos Descobrimentos, looking like a caravel ship frozen in midswell, was inaugurated in 1960 on the 500th anniversary of Henry the…
Museu Nacional de Arte Contemporânea do Chiado
Bairro Alto, Chiado & Cais do Sodré
Art fans flock to Museu do Chiado, housed in the strikingly converted Convento de São Francisco. While the gallery’s permanent collection of 19th- and…
Belém
Far from the madding crowd, these botanical gardens bristle with hundreds of species, from date palms to monkey-puzzle trees. Spread across 7 hectares, it…
Belém
The Museu de Marinha is a nautical flashback to the Age of Discoveries, with its armadas of model ships, cannonballs and shipwreck booty. Dig for buried…
Casa Museu de Amália Rodrigues
Príncipe Real, Santos & Estrela
A pilgrimage site for fado fans, this is where the Rainha do Fado (Queen of Fado) Amália Rodrigues (1920-99) lived; note the calçada portuguesa …
Príncipe Real, Santos & Estrela
Seeking green respite? Opposite the Basílica da Estrela, this 1852 green space is perfect for a stroll, with paths weaving past pine, monkey-puzzle and…
Belém
Housed in the western wing of Mosteiro dos Jerónimos, the intriguing stash here contains mesolithic flint stones, Egyptian mummies inside elaborately…
Príncipe Real, Santos & Estrela
Shaded by a giant cedar tree, this is a relaxing shady plaza with an al fresco cafe for watching the world go slowly by. The surrounding district is…
Bairro Alto, Chiado & Cais do Sodré
Igreja de Santa Catarina is a gilded baroque masterpiece, originally part of a convent built in 1647. Pay particular attention to the stucco rococo…
Bairro Alto, Chiado & Cais do Sodré
Students bashing out rhythms, pot-smoking hippies, stroller-pushing parents and loved-up couples all meet at this precipitous viewpoint in boho Santa…
Alfama, Castelo & Graça
Completed in 1534 on orders from King Manuel I, Igreja da Conceição Velha is the second-oldest Manueline religious building in Lisbon. Its facade remains…
Príncipe Real, Santos & Estrela
Swooping palms and banyan trees shade tranquil Praça da Alegria, which is actually more round than square. Look out for the bronze bust of 19th-century…
Casa do Ferreira das Tabuletas
Bairro Alto, Chiado & Cais do Sodré
The eye-catching Casa do Ferreira das Tabuletas dates to 1864. Its trompe l’œil azulejos (hand-painted tiles) depict allegorical figures and the elements.
Museu Nacional de Arte Contemporânea do Chiado
Bairro Alto, Chiado & Cais do Sodré
The contemporary-art extension of Museu Nacional de Arte Contemporânea do Chiado is housed inside the former monk's sleeping quarters of the Convento de…
Príncipe Real, Santos & Estrela
One of Lisbon's loveliest squares, Praça das Flores is a leafy gem surrounded by some of Príncipe Real's trendiest hot spots.
Lisbon
This cultural centre is in a restored 19th-century palace in the Benfica quarter, a semi-suburban, residential area of Lisbon, full of boutique-sized…
Belém
This museum is set in one of the remaining buildings from the 1940s Exhibition of the Portuguese World, part of the city's architectural heritage…
Lisbon
This red-brick, neo-Moorish building built in 1892 hosts big concerts and other events, including bullfighting, and houses a museum. Below the stadium is…
Príncipe Real, Santos & Estrela
Most folks walk right past one of Lisbon's only surviving public laundromats – there's no sign other than 'CML' inscripted across the doorframe – and this…
Lisbon
Most people experience visual déjà vu the first time they clap eyes on the bombastic suspension bridge Ponte 25 de Abril. It’s hardly surprising given…
Alfama, Castelo & Graça
History buffs shouldn’t miss the less-visited Gothic cloister inside Sé de Lisboa, which opens onto a deep pit full of archaeological excavations going…
Príncipe Real, Santos & Estrela
Nurtured by green-fingered students, the Jardim Botânico is a quiet, 1500-species pocket of lushness fresh off a €500,000 renovation that mostly improved…
Príncipe Real, Santos & Estrela
Overgrown with cypress trees, the Cemitério dos Ingleses was founded in 1717. Expats at rest here include Henry Fielding (author of Tom Jones), who died…
