Portugal: Lisbon

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Angst-filled artistes will hate Lisbon. It's very difficult to be depressed in such a vibrant, charming place. Walking through the sinewy streets, navigating the labyrinth of alleyways, you run into kids heading off to school, businessmen rushing to work, and old ladies hanging out their laundry to dry in the warm Mediterranean sun. Warm red terracotta roof tops, white and black mosaic-tiled sidewalks and brilliant blue waters make Lisbon a beautiful place to visit.

Lisbon is also a friendly city. The people are helpful and there are wonderful neighborhoods to explore. The Bairro Alto, Baixa, Alfama districts have distinct personalities. At night the Bairro Alto is the place to be for club kids, jazz, aficionados and fado fans. During the day the Bairro has shops, cafes, and ancient churches to explore. In the center of Lisbon you'll find Baixa. It's the shopping and commercial district and stretches from the river, to Praca do Comercio, to the top of the Rossio. Street performers and musicians play fado songs to patrons at open-air restaurants. It's a lively place to wander through en route to other neighborhoods. The Alfama is known for narrow streets and steep hills. It's worth the hike to see the panoramic view of Lisbon from the Castelo Sao Jorge.

Lisbon is one of the cheapest and most fascinating destinations in Europe. It has an intriguing seafaring past, fun beach resorts, and quaint historic towns nearby. It also boasts a postcard perfect landscape of olive groves, vineyards and rolling fields. It's hard to find a reason not to visit.

When to go:
Portugal's climate is Mediterranean. The country is sunny and pleasant from April to October. The northern regions like Porto and Coimbra are cooler and rainier a bit longer, while the Algarve in the south can get very hot by midsummer.

What to Do:
History/Ruins:
Lisbon's seafaring past provides a salty dose of history. There's the historic seafront to wander around, and you should see the Torre de Belem and the Padrao dos Descobrimentos.

Museums:
Lisbon has plenty of museums. They run the gamut from the hands-on Museo da Ciencia, to the interactive history exhibits at the Olissiponia. Near Belem are the Museu da Marinha, Museu Nacional de Arqueolgia, Museu Nacional de Arte Popular and the Museu Nacional dos Coches. There you'll also find other sights including the Torre de Belem and Mosteiro de Jeronimos. The Museu Calouste Gulbenkian (perhaps the most famous in Portugal), Planetario Calouste Gulbenkian and Museu de Arte Moderna are all in the Saldanha area. Many of Lisbon's museums, like the Museu Nacional do Azulejo (Tile Museum) or the Museu-Escola de Artes Decorativas (Museum of Applied Arts), are housed in former palaces or other distinguished buildings.

Shopping:
The Lisbon Tourist Office offers a Shopping Discount Card. The card offers a savings from 5% to 20% at over 200 member shops in Baixa, Chiado and Avenida da Liberdade. Amoreiras Shopping Center is the place to go if you are homesick for a mall. From high-end boutiques and antiques, to cheesy souvenir stalls and t-shirt shops, Lisbon provides a complete shopping experience.

Food/Culinary Info:
Lisbon's proximity to the sea makes it a good place to sample local seafood. Pastries are also a specialty, as are Portuguese wine and port.

Beach:
The beach is a big part of Lisbon life. Along the train line between Cascais and Lisbon, locals and foreigners hang out along the sand. The sheltered little beaches around Estoril and Cascais are popular. Day-tripping families, wannabe models, students and surfers cruise the beach, work on their tan and swim in the warm waves. Further down the coast, and across the Tejo River, the beaches are even more beautiful (and cleaner). The resort town of Caparica and areas around Setubal are great places to catch some sun.

Adventure:
Soccer matches and bullfights are some local thrills.

Natural Wonders:
Lisbon's parks are perfect for picnics and relaxation. The Estufa Fria is a marvelous greenhouse located in Parque Eduardo VII. Stop by, relax a bit, and check out all the flora and fauna they've assembled there.

Cultural Comments:
Melancholy sailors originated fado, a sad, poetic and uniquely Portuguese folk song that tell tales of yearning and lost love. Fadistas, singers dressed in black dresses and shawls, sometimes sing in the street, but more often you can hear them at fado clubs. Azulejos (decorative painted tiles) and the Manuelino style of architecture are Portugal's contribution to modern art. You can buy azulejos as souvenirs, and check out the tiles and Manuelino style buildings in the older sections of Lisbon. Futebol (soccer) is another aspect of Portuguese culture that shouldn't be missed. Benfica and Sporting are the two home teams. You can cheer them on at the Stadium of Light and Alvalade Stadium (both accessible by metro).

Arts:
The Teatro Nacional de Dona Maria II stages performances of Portuguese and foreign plays. Opera is shown at the Teatro Nacional de Sao Carlos.

Festivals/Events:
Romarias (religious pilgrimages), festas (festivals) and feiras (fairs) are a big part of Portuguese life. The northern towns are more traditional and less touristy than celebrations in the south. Carnival, celebrated about six weeks before Easter, is one of the biggest events.

Nightlife/Bars:
The Bairro Alto is hopping all hours of the day and night, as are the Docas and Alcantara neighborhoods. But if clubbing isn't your thing, there are plenty of cinemas, jazz and fado clubs. You'll also find live Brazilian music venues, quiet bars to get a port, and even homey Irish pubs with bartenders direct from Belfast.

Cafe Quotient:
Coffee fiends will have no problem finding a fix in Lisbon. Rua Augusta, Lisbon's pedestrian mall has plenty of places to relax over an espresso. The Rossio area is also a good place to people watch and grab a coffee. Pastelarias (pastry shops), cafes, and classier confeitarias, can all provide a good cup of joe.

Gay & Lesbian:
There is an active gay nightlife around the Bairro Alto district. Trumps is Lisbon's biggest gay club, but also stop by Memorial, Finalmente, and Fragil. Kremlin and Lux are also popular mixed discos. For a little bit of camp, go to Harry's, a gay fado bar, late in the evening when it fills up with drag queens, prostitutes and incredibly tanned middle-aged men. Also check out the Festival de Cinema Gay e Lesbico de Lisboa. It's the largest gay film festival in Europe. Over a hundred films are screened in a variety of venues during the last two weeks of September.

Cost:
The unit of currency is the Euro.

Portugal is getting more expensive, but it is still one of the cheapest places to travel in Europe. Outside major tourist areas, prices are much lower. Check out residencias or pensaos; some of them are very reasonable and are pleasant alternatives to hostels.

The Lisboa Card sold by the Tourist Office gives free access to 16 museums, nine palaces, miscellaneous monuments, plus unlimited use of the Metro and trams. It also provides reduced entry to a number of other museums and sights.

Getting Around:
On Foot
Lisbon's hills give walkers a good workout. Walking is the best way to see the city.

Car/Cab
Driving a rental car around Lisbon's labyrinth of side streets is not recommended. The city is difficult to navigate and it's nearly impossible to find a legal parking space. Public transport is easy to use and is the best way to get around. However, if you need one, there are cabstands all around the city. It is much easier to get a cab at a stand than to try to flag one down.

Fly
Aeroporto de Lisboa, Portugal's international airport, lies on the north edge of the city, within sight of the Ponte Vasco da Gama. An airport shuttle bus departs every 20 minutes, local buses leave less frequently.

Metro/Train/Tram
The metro is inexpensive and easy to use. It covers Avenida Liberdade and the business districts. The old-fashioned trams serve the neighborhoods like Alfama and Mouraria. Lisbon has five main train stations. Rossio station services western destinations. Trains from Spain, France or the north and east of Portugal arrive at Santa Apolania station. Cais de Sodre serves Belem, Oerias, Estoril and Cascais. Barreiro, which is accessible by ferry, offers connections to the Costa Azul, the Algarve, Setubal and Lagos.

Boat/Ferry
A two-hour tourist cruise of the Tejo leaves from the Fluvial Terreiro Paco at 3pm daily. A cheaper way to see Lisbon from the water is to hop on the ferry to Barreiro station. The thirty-minute ride gives you a wonderful view of the skyline.

Bus
Arco do Cego, the main bus terminal, is the place get a ride to just about anywhere.

Safety:
Lisbon's winding streets are often dark and hard to navigate. Women should be especially cautious when out alone at night. Everyone should take a cab home after clubbing, especially around the waterfront area and Bairro Alto. Watch out for muggers after dark.

Language:
Portuguese is the native language in Portugal. Most tourist-oriented spots have someone on hand who speaks English, but it's good to pick up some basic phrases in Portuguese.

Party/Social Scene:
Lisbon has everything. You could spend a year investigating a new bar, club or cafe each night and still not see everything.

Other Info:
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