If you’re about to travel to Lisbon or you’re already in the capital of Portugal, there are some wonders you simply cannot miss. Like every capital of our beautiful Europe, Lisbon too holds monuments and traditions with over 2,000 years of history. And here you’ll breathe a splendid atmosphere, somewhere between romantic and melancholic, that will move you at every corner of the city.
Yes, because Lisbon has a lot in common with cities like Naples, Barcelona, Bari and the other pearls of the Mediterranean. And like them, it thrives on popular traditions that often spill into folklore.
Have you ever heard of Fado?
It’s a music that comes from far away, born in Lisbon’s working-class quarters in the early 19th century and today UNESCO Intangible Heritage (since 2011). It’s only by listening to its melancholy notes, the famous Portuguese saudade, that you’ll discover the true soul of this city.
And that’s not all.
Lisbon’s identity also hides in its most characteristic quarters, such as Alfama, Bairro Alto, Belém and Chiado. This is where you’ll meet the locals going about their daily lives.
Fancy knowing a little more about Lisbon?
In this post I’ll tell you 8 things to do and see in Lisbon, what to taste, and a few practical tips that will come in very handy.
Let’s go!
1 – São Jorge Castle
The castle of Lisbon is one of the most evocative places in the city. It was dedicated to Saint George by King João I, who had married an English princess, Philippa of Lancaster, very devoted to the saint (also a way of sealing the old alliance between Portugal and England).
This medieval castle was reworked many times over the centuries and was the heart of Lisbon’s military life, the city’s last stronghold during sieges. It was abandoned after the great earthquake of 1755, which badly damaged it. If you don’t know about that event, don’t worry: at the end of this article you’ll find a short summary of the history of Lisbon to help you understand the city.
In the 1940s the citizens decided to restore it and bring to light the ancient foundations of the royal palace (the Alcáçova).
Today you can climb the towers and walk the ramparts again, enjoying one of the finest panoramic views over Lisbon. I also recommend the small castle museum and the câmara escura, a camera obscura that projects a live 360° view of the city. Set aside at least two hours: it’s a stop not to be missed.
2 – The Cathedral and the most important churches
Visiting Lisbon also means entering its deep Catholic tradition. Over the centuries the inhabitants built many splendid churches that still bear witness to their faith today.
Among the churches to visit in Lisbon are Santa Luzia, with magnificent azulejos telling the story of the city, the church of Santa Engrácia (today the National Pantheon) and, of course, the cathedral.
The Sé Cathedral of Lisbon was built from 1147 by Afonso Henriques, who had just reconquered the city from the Arabs and had it raised symbolically in place of the main mosque. The site had a centuries-old tradition: before the mosque there was a Visigothic church, itself on a Roman monument. If you’re wondering why it’s called Sé, it’s short for sedes episcopalis, the bishop’s seat.
Being so ancient, the cathedral of Lisbon blends very different styles: the two-towered battlemented façade is Romanesque, the cloister is Gothic, some chapels are Baroque. After the 1755 earthquake it was partly rebuilt and reworked.
A curiosity the locals love: right next to the Sé, in 1195, Saint Anthony was born, yes, the one we know as “of Padua”, but who here is the city’s patron saint, celebrated every 13 June. The church of Santo António stands a few steps away, where his birthplace once stood.
3 – The Monastery of the Jerónimos
This is one of the most beautiful monuments in Lisbon and one of the absolute masterpieces of the Manueline style. If you want to see the city at its best, you cannot miss it.
The Mosteiro dos Jerónimos was built to celebrate the return of Vasco da Gama from his historic route to the Indies, and funded largely by a tax on spices and trade from the new routes (the so-called “pepper tax”). The style takes its name from king Manuel I, its patron, and blends Gothic, Renaissance and maritime motifs (ropes, knots, armillary spheres, exotic elements).
Work began around 1501 and continued for almost a century. It was raised at Belém, away from the centre, because here, tradition says, Vasco da Gama had spent the night in prayer before setting sail. The first architects were Diogo de Boitaca and, from 1517, João de Castilho (later Diogo de Torralva and Jerónimo de Ruão took part too).
Inside rest the funerary monuments of Manuel I and his consort and, above all, the tombs of Vasco da Gama, the national poet Luís de Camões and Fernando Pessoa (whose remains were moved here in 1985). The vault of the church will amaze you: it seems peopled with trees, so much do the pillars and ribs branch upwards.
But my favourite part is the two-storey cloister, superbly decorated, and the refectory lined with azulejos. Remember: entry to the church is free, while the cloister is ticketed. In 1983 the monastery was inscribed, together with the Belém Tower, on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
4 – The museums of Lisbon
I’ve told you about the museums to see in Lisbon in a dedicated post, because there really are so many and they’re beautiful, from the National Museum of Ancient Art to the wonderful Azulejo Museum, from the Gulbenkian Foundation to the MAAT. Go and read it to build your perfect itinerary!
5 – Visiting Lisbon on foot
Lisbon has only one flaw: it’s all uphill!
Walking it is tiring, but it’s also the best way to get to know it. Among the most beautiful quarters to stroll is the old Alfama, a maze of alleys and stairways like nothing I’d ever seen: steep climbs and slippery descents that wear you out but reward you with wonderful views. If you don’t feel like walking that much, you can take the historic tram 28, the yellow one that rattles through the lanes (watch your pockets, it’s a target for pickpockets); but my advice is still to do it on foot.
Another area to experience on foot is the Rossio, with the long walk along rua Augusta, full of restaurants and shops, that ends beneath its triumphal arch and on the Praça do Comércio, open onto the river.
Lisbon’s shape is very unusual, because the city faces the point where the river Tagus (Tejo in Portuguese) meets the Atlantic. But the finest walk is the one along the Belém waterfront, from the Jerónimos monastery to the Belém Tower (a splendid 16th-century Manueline fortress). Along the way you also pass the Padrão dos Descobrimentos, the monument to the discoveries: at its prow stands not Christopher Columbus, a common mistake!, but Infante Dom Henrique, Henry the Navigator, the prince who financed and organised Portugal’s first expeditions (though he hardly ever sailed himself).
During my visit I walked over 20 km a day and was exhausted by evening: but if you really want to live Lisbon, I think that’s the best way.
6 – The modern side
Not everyone knows the most modern Lisbon, in the Parque das Nações district. This area east of the city was built for the 1998 World Expo, and the whole zone was regenerated for the occasion, a little like what happened with the World Expo in Brussels.
Arriving at the Oriente station, you’ll immediately notice the futuristic architecture of Santiago Calatrava; strolling around, you’ll admire the two towers São Gabriel and São Rafael (now luxury residences) and you can ride the teleférico, the cable car that runs along the river. Here too is the Oceanário, one of the largest aquariums in Europe and a perfect stop if you’re travelling with children.
A stop not to be missed!
7 – The best viewpoints
There are several spots from which it’s worth admiring Lisbon. One is the beautiful Elevador de Santa Justa, a neo-Gothic iron lift designed by Raoul Mesnier du Ponsard (long thought to be a pupil of Eiffel) and inaugurated in 1902: from its terrace it looks out over the Gothic ruins of the Convento do Carmo, the roofless church left uncovered by the 1755 earthquake and now an archaeological museum.
From the rua Augusta arch, too, you can climb up for a splendid panorama.
But the viewpoints are many more: Lisbon has over 30 miradouros scattered across the city. I loved the miradouro of Santa Luzia over the Alfama and that of São Pedro de Alcântara; I’ll leave you the pleasure of discovering the others.
8 – What to eat in Lisbon
Portuguese cuisine is truly good, and you can’t visit Lisbon without tasting some typical delights. Here’s what you can’t miss:
- Pastel de nata: little puff-pastry custard tarts, caramelised on top. The most famous are the Pastéis de Belém, still made with the secret recipe of the Jerónimos monks.
- Bacalhau: salt cod, served in a thousand ways (they say there are 365 recipes, one for every day of the year).
- Pastéis de bacalhau: a kind of salt-cod croquette, exceptional.
- Chouriço: the typical smoked sausages.
- Sardinhas assadas: grilled sardines, stars of the Saint Anthony festivals in June.
- Vinho verde: a young, slightly sparkling white wine, my favourite. Careful, it’s alcoholic all the same!
The history of Lisbon: what to know to understand the city
If you want to visit Lisbon, a few historical notes will help you understand it fully.
The city has very ancient origins: it was born as Olisipo, already a trading hub thanks to its privileged position on the Tagus. Under the Romans it became the municipium of Felicitas Julia (under Julius Caesar). In 711 it was conquered by the Arabs, who held it for over four hundred years, leaving deep traces, especially in the tangle of alleys of the Alfama. Only in 1147, with the siege led by Afonso Henriques and the help of the crusaders, did the city become Christian again.
With the age of the great geographical discoveries, Portugal became one of the powers of Europe and Lisbon a bustling port, where wealth flowed in from Africa, the East and the new continent.
But when did the decline begin?
The turning point was the earthquake of 1 November 1755: a devastating shock, followed by a tsunami and a huge fire, razed much of the city and monuments like the Carmo church. The reconstruction, led by the Marquis of Pombal, gave birth to the rational Baixa Pombalina we see today. Soon after, the Napoleonic invasion forced the court into exile in Brazil (1807). In 1908 the regicide of King Carlos I opened an age of instability, culminating in the Estado Novo dictatorship of Salazar, which fell only with the peaceful Carnation Revolution of 25 April 1974.
And today? Lisbon has become a lively European capital in cultural and artistic terms, between new museums and the avant-garde quarters of the Parque das Nações.
Practical information for Lisbon
The three most important ticketed attractions are São Jorge Castle (~€15), the Jerónimos Monastery (€18, though the church is free) and the Belém Tower (€15, not the €8 you’ll read around: that was the price a few years ago); all open from 9:30 to 17:30, closed on Mondays. Prices checked in August 2026 on the Museus e Monumentos de Portugal site. Since Lisbon is all hills, historic trams and trains to Belém, the handiest option is the Lisboa Card (24/48/72 hours): it includes unlimited public transport and free or discounted entry to dozens of monuments, Jerónimos and the Belém Tower included.
And since you’re here, don’t stop in the city: half an hour by train awaits the fairy-tale Sintra with its palaces, and further north the Convent of Christ at Tomar, a Templar jewel. For art in the city, start with the museums of Lisbon.
And you, which corner of Lisbon has already stolen your heart?
