• 

My colleague and I had traveled to London for a training seminar and when planning our Friday return flight, we found that stopping overnight in Lisbon saved the company over $600, of which the overnight would likely only cost $200-300.  Given the savings and it was the weekend, we opted to spend about 24 hours in Lisbon a city neither of had previously been. 

Lisbon sits near the mouth of the Tagus river.   As the capital of Portugal and on the Atlantic side of the Iberian Peninsula, Lisbon was the perfect place from which to launch an empire.   Lisbon is the second oldest European capital after Athens and has been home of iron age peoples beginning 6 century BC, through Celts, Romans, Germans, Muslims, and Spanish before the establishment of the Portuguese Republic in 868 ad.  

Portugal is probably best known for it’s explorers that used Lisbon as a springboard during the Age of Discovery, including Vasco da Gama, to whom a current bridge in Lisbon is named after.  Da Gama was the first explorer to sail from Europe to India.   While a much longer trip to India it was much safer for explorers compared to traveling through the Mediterranean and crossing through Saudi Arabia.  This shipping prowess allowed Portugal to become the first global empire wielding economic, military and political powers.

Today, Lisbon is a cultural landmark of days gone by.  While still a vibrant city, you do get the feeling that its glory days are in the rear-view mirror.  However, through the architecture and monuments tourists can get a sense of the what those heady days must have been like.

Square Cobble Stones everywhere

We walked from our hotel down to roundabout where stands the Marquês de Pombal.  Along the way almost every sidewalk was made of 3 x 3 white square stones set closely together.  The stonemasons must have been busy in Lisbon for years.    From there we ambled down the Avenue de Liberdade and enjoyed the beautiful tree lined street.   Along the way you will find little plazas like the Praca dos Restauradores and Praca Dom Pedro IV here the cobblestones have been set in a huge geometric pattern.   Nearby and having arches that look like two horseshoes is the Rossio train station.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Main Area of Downtown

Transitioning from Liberdade avenue we jogged left and then turned right along the Rua Augusta, which is the main thoroughfare running down the heart of Lisbon.   The Rua Augusta terminates when you pass through the Arco da Rua Augusta and find yourself in the commercial plaza or Praca do Comercio.   This is the largest Square and lined by many shops.   This square used to be the location of the Royal Palace building but in 1755 a major earthquake destroyed it and most of Lisbon.   Today in the middle of the square is a statue of King Jose I. 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

This square is beautiful and a good place to catch a trolley to various spots around Lisbon.   Be sure to also look for a Ginja vendor to buy the local aperitif of sour cherries and brandy.   I was told to pour a little into chocolate cups and drink as a dessert.  One important photo is of the Pont 25 de Avril.   If it looks a bit like the Golden Gate Bridge you just scored yourself bonus points.   Both have a similar color and were built by the American Bridge Company.  Take the rest of your requisite pictures of the seaport area, square, surrounding colonnade buildings and even look back at the famous arch.   Now it its time to head to St. Georges castle!

Castelo de São Jorge

Sitting on one of the highest points of the city, the castle foundations were started around 48 BC.    It served as a home for the Governors, conquering peoples, and Portuguese kings.  The major walls were added in two years starting in 1373 to circle and protect the castle.  Unfortunately, two earthquakes and years of decay caused much of the castle to be lost.   However, you can still walk the grounds and stand atop many of the towers to look over Lisbon and also the seaport area.    I highly recommend taking the time to wind your way up to St. George’s castle.   It is much easier if you take one of the trolleys from downtown riding your way up near the base of the castle.  This saves your feet allowing you and easy hike for the remaining way up.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

After the castle tour we were famished and grabbed lunch and a beer at one of the local restaurants near the castle.   The day was sunny and the weather was warm, perfect for traveling!

Funicular and Elevator

Two other attractions in Lisbon are the three Funiculars and the Santa Justa elevator.   Lisbon is a hilly town with distinct sections the Baixa, Chaido, Bairro Alto, Alfama and Belém.  Each section is just a bit different and unique.   We didn’t have time to visit each and decided to take the Lavra funicular up to Alfama area as a representative.   After our walk back down from the Alfama region we decided to just enjoy the downtown area, grab dinner and head back to the hotel for a good night’s rest before our flight the next day. 

• 

• 

• 

Strolling Lisbon

Walking around we saw the Santa Justa Elevator, although we didn’t wait in line for a ride up and down.  We figured we had seen the heights from St. Georges castle so no need to ride up 147 feet up, just to come back down.   But it is one of the most popular tourist attractions of Lisbon given travelers a good view of the Baixa area.  

We also saw lots of shops with the famous Lisbon pastries, Pastel de Nata.  They were literally everywhere.   Of course, all the usual purveyors of merchandise were available to take the tourist dollars be we enjoyed the views, electing not to pay more than necessary for things we could buy at home.  We thought about heading to the Belem tower, but our light was fading quickly.     By 7pm our feet were letting us know that we had put in a full day of sightseeing. Time to rest a bit and grab dinner.  While there are restaurants all over, we elected for a Portuguese/Italianesque place.   A nice meal and a few glasses of wine and it was time to head back to the hotel.

• 

• 

• 

• 

The next day we headed to the airport for the flight home, but first a stop at the duty-free shops and to pick up a 15-year-old local tawny Port wine as a final memento of our 24 hours in Lisbon.   I still have the bottle although it is getting decidedly low.   I may need a trip back to Lisbon to refresh my stock.   I think I need to add in some other Portuguese towns.  

I hope you liked my 24 hours in Lisbon and suggest you also put it on your list of cities to see if traveling to Europe.  I think you will like its charm, its people and its food.   If you have any thoughts or comments about this post, please feel free.  I appreciate your feedback and any corrections.