Location: Lisbon
Top Things to do in Lisbon
Things to do in Lisbon, Central Portugal: The Best Historic Sites
The museums of Lisbon celebrate the rich history and culture of this Portuguese capital city. The Maritime Museum is perfect for kids (and grown-ups!) who adore all things nautical, while the Casa-Museu Dr. Anastácio Gonçalves is a hidden gem of colorful artwork. To fully appreciate the city’s dramatic stone architecture you can take a guided walking tour, or customize your own tour, making sure to visit the Padrao dos Descobrimentos, the Mosteiro dos Jeronimos, and the UNESCO World Heritage site the Torre de Belem.
Restaurants in Lisbon
1. Chafariz de Santo Antonio da Convalescenca ou das Aguas Boas
2. Casa Do Ferreira Das Tabuletas
3. Mosteiro dos Jeronimos
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 30,695 reviews
No expense was spared when they built this masterpiece of Manueline and Gothic architecture in 1502, which was inspired by Vasco da Gama who is buried here with other great navigators of the past.
Reviewed By dewdee - Bangkok, Thailand
This 500 year old monastery is absolutely beautiful on the inside out. If you're a history buff, I recommend buying the combo 12 euro ticket which gives you access to the archaeological museum adjoining the monastery as well. Every step is worth a photo and the architecture is really stunning inside. There is also a special exhibit right now on the upper level explaining the historical timeline of the place compared alongside important milestones in Portugal's history. Very informative and educational. This is a worthwhile visit because the surrounding Belem areas are all tourist attractions and is accessible by direct bus or tram from the city center.
4. Panteao Nacional
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,147 reviews
The construction of the church of Saint Engracia – currently the National Pantheon of Portugal - began towards the end of the 16th century and was only completed in the 20th century. This 400-year delay originated the proverb “Obras de Santa Engracia” meaning any work that never ends. A unique testimony to Portuguese Baroque art the National Pantheon stands on a hill overlooking the river Tagus being an icon of Lisbon’s cityscape. From its terrace you can have a majestic view of the city and its river. On the inside the Pantheon houses the remains of some of the most distinguished personalities of the country.
Reviewed By eddg2019
Another of the Alfama’s hidden in plain sight gems, the National Pantheon is located in what was formerly the Church of Santa Engrácia, which had a long and turbulent history. The church was converted into the National pantheon in 1916 and contains the tombs of important Portugeuse rulers and historical figures as well as a number of cenotaphs. It is worth it to climb the six flights of stairs to the interior of the dome, which has a walkway that affords magnificent views of the intricate floor patterns below. This is not for anyone with vertigo or a fear of heights. The dome level has an exit leading out onto a broad terrace that provides panoramic views over the Alfama neighborhood and beyond.
5. Igreja da Sao Vicente de Fora
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 582 reviews
Reviewed By eddg2019
If you want to see excellent examples of Portuguese tiles, in addition to the Tile Museum. This is the place to come. The monastery houses a museum containing the largest collection of Baroque Portuguese tiles. Don't miss the nearby church of Sant Vincent. The church’s façade is in the austere Mannerist style of the late Renaissance. It also has two towers while the interior has a barrel ceiling and huge dome. Be sue to climb to the rooftop for spectacular views. Saint Vincent is the patron saint of Lisbon, but his popularity pales in comparison to that of St. Anthony.
6. Fundacao Amalia Rodrigues Casa Museu
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 143 reviews
Reviewed By Daphnenero
Capture the voice of Portugal in this former home now made into a loving museum. While Amalia Rodrigues sings in the background you get to experience a personal side of this great singer who recreated Fado with her elegant jewelry and dresses. Our guide Isabelle was enthusiastic and a wealth of information. We thoroughly enjoyed walking through the house with her guidance and commentary. We learned so much and found out there is the lovely addition of Fado on Tues and Fri. Earlier in the evening by reservation. We met the famous Chico, her 29 yr old parrot out in the garden. There is a cute cafe with drinks and goodies available as well as beautiful artifacts for sale. We had a wonderful morning and look forward to a return to hear the live Fado.
7. Livraria Ferin
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 35 reviews
ferin is one of the oldest bookshops in Lisbon, Portugal. In the old centre of the city, chiado, Ferin is very well known by it's titles on history and philosophy and a wide variety of portuguese, french and english books. this bookshop was founded back in 1840 by a belgian family that still owns the business. the bookshop is beautiful and it has two floors, the 1st floor - were you can look at some wonderful and not so easy to find books, some of them hand-binded; the ground floor is a beautiful exhibition place that has a intense program of open conferences, book presentations and even film and music presentations. come and visit us!
Reviewed By 8-drank-was-merry - Naples, United States
Livraria Ferin, which has the look and feel of an older bookstore than Bertrand, is the second oldest bookstore in Lisbon, established in 1840. They sell new books, but also used books, have an old book repair and binding service and have a small old working type set printing press from the 1600s. In the basement in the back right is where you can find the book press, many old books and the repair area. John Koenig wrote of the word he created (vellichor) and that it meant: the strange wistfulness of used bookstores, which are somehow infused with the passage of time — filled with thousands of old books you’ll never have time to read, each of which is itself locked in its own era, bound and dated and papered over like an old room the author abandoned years ago, a hidden annex littered with thoughts left just as they were on the day they were captured.
8. Largo do Carmo
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 322 reviews
Reviewed By RGSOUNDF - Mercerville, United States
Largo do Carmo is a very interesting place, mostly by its various nearby attractions, such as one of the must-to stops on your Lisbon itinerary, the Convento do Carmo, an imposing building that partially survived the 1775 earthquake, also housing Carmo Archaeological Museum, or the Elevador de Santa Justa, right around the corner, via the small passageway of Travessa Dom Pedro de Menezes, the best way to beat the crowds (of its downtown entrance), or the headquarters of the National Guard (GNR General Command), an iconic landmark in Portugal's Carnation Revolution, where on April 25, 1974 the last Portugal's dictator Caetano officially ceded power to the rebels. A National Guard Museum (Museu da Guarda Nacional Republicana) is located in the same building. The square itself, formed by a convergence of about 4 or 5 streets, with its calming greenery, an XVIIIth century fountain (Chafariz do Carmo), and a Quiosque Lisboa, a round-shaped kiosk offering hot beverages, wine, snacks and light meals, with sitting-down area complete with chairs, tables, and umbrellas against the elements, makes the location one of the coziest in the city.
