Famous Praça do Comércio  , one of the most majestic squares in Lisbon

Terreiro do Paço (or Praça do Comerçio, Palace Square) is a favorite tourist place and one of the largest historical squares in Europe. Now this monumental riverside square also offers a combination of cultural and culinary enjoyment, here you’ll find the Portuguese Tourist Office and besides it’s a wonderful location for events and exhibitions.

Lounge area restaurant Aura, square Praça do Comerçio Lisbon

Integrated in Pátio da Galé, restaurant & lounge cafe Aura with it’s open air terrace is a very attractive place surrounded by the ‘ Palace Square’ in Lisbon. It has a glamorous inside dining room, and a lounge area to enjoy a cocktail or a tasty gourmet snack (tapas Portuguesas).

Restaurant Aura Lisbon outside dining Praça do Comerçio, June 2011

The Portuguese cuisine is prepared by Chef Matias Duarte and gourmet stylist Fabrice Marescaux. The menu is inspired by favorite dishes of the Portuguese people.

A lot of Portuguese restaurants in Lisbon are closed on Sundays, but restaurant Aura is open 7 days a week from 7:30 AM to 02:00 AM. Website restaurant Aura

Our small table outside: Restaurant Aura Lisbon, June 2011

Our choice: salmão croustade de camarão (salmon crusted shrimp), pato (duck), salad, a small bottle of good Portuguese white wine, bread, 2 bicas (strong coffee) and 2 bottles of water. The bill came to around € 60.

Restaurant Aura Lisbon glamourous dining room

The inside dining room of restaurant Aura has an ‘aura of glamour’ . Most Portuguese people prefer to enjoy their lunch or dinner inside while the majority of tourists like to enjoy their dinner outside. In case it’s too cold outside, this place is really worth a visit: delicious food in an elegant surrounding.

Restaurant Aura June 2011 ‘ Apéritif à la française’, June 8, 2011

In June 2011, the ‘Apéritif à la française’ in Portugal (Lisbon and Porto), teamed up with Portuguese wines to toast just how well the two countries’ culinary traditions go together. Journalists, industry professionals and opinion leaders enjoyed samplings of French products paired with a range of Portuguese wines in a lounge-style atmosphere.

Entrance Restaurant Aura  - ‘Apéritif à la française’ June 2011

Apéritif à la française’  is a multi-country event, where lovers of French-style ‘art de vivre’ and those curious to learn more about it come together . Delicious French snacks were served.  Unfortunately, also ‘foie gras’…..

ViniPortugal, Maria João Menezes – Managing Director Lisbon: free Portuguese wine tasting & tourist information Praça do Comerçio, Lisbon

Are you a wine lover? Just three minutes walk from restaurant  Aura there’s ViniPortugal, where you can taste a few wines for free. A very pleasant and interesting way to learn more about history and culture of Portuguese wines! Some wines available for tasting can also be purchased and the very friendly and professional staff is always on hand to provide information of the wines currently available.

Share on Facebook

Praça da Figueira

Remarkable: from the 16th to the 19th centuries, Brazil was a colony of Portugal

Rúa Augusta, Lisbon’s famous boulevard and one of the best-known shopping streets

Beautiful Portuguese girls

Catarina Tomais da Silva and Rui, waiters in Pastelaria Casa Brasilia.Very popular and delicious food! Rua Augusta 267

Pastelaria and restaurant “D. João I”, Rua D. Duarte 1-B

Near Praça da Figueira . In the month of June all the streets in the historical center are decorated with garlands and lights (Festas Populares)

Inside the restaurant……

…and of course the elephant sound of the vuvuzelas!

After the match…..Portugal vs Brazil: 0-0: both countries happy

Holland vs Brazil, near the famous Rossio Station.

A big screen at Largo Duque de Cadaval, a beautiful place, full of open sunny open-air cafes and restaurants.

Holland vs Brazil: 3-1. Dutch and Brazilian football fans are watching the match

Share on Facebook

Largo do Carmo, March 2010

This picturesque square is a very popular tourist attraction, well known for the terraces, in addition to being the scene of several shootings, both (science fiction) films or documentaries and commercials. Music and traditional dance are performed here during the summer.

A unique fountain stands under trees right in the middle of the square. The Chafariz (fountain) do Carmo was built here in 1796.

Largo do Carmo and blossoming jacarandas.

Originally from South America, these beautiful trees of the Bignoniaceae family arrived in Lisbon in the mid-17th century and ever since, between May and June when they’re in flower, they have lovely bunches of lilac-toned petals.

The headquarters of Carmo (Quartel do Carmo) is a very important building for Portugal’s history. Marcelo Caetano (former dictator António de Oliveira Salazar’s replacer) found refuge in the main Lisbon military police station at the time of the revolution. On April 25, 1974, the day of  the Carnation Revolution, this building was surrounded by the MFA (Portuguese Armed Forces), which pressured Marcelo Caetano to cede power to general Spínola. It was here where the Estado Novo (New Regime) officially came to an end after almost 50 years. More..

The Carnation Revolution (Revolução dos Cravos) was a largely bloodless coup. Remarkable: there were two secret signals in the military coup: first the airing of the song “E depois do adeus” (“And after the farewell”) by Paulo de Carvalho, Portugal’s entry in the 6th of April 1974 Eurovision Song Contest, which alerted the rebel captains and soldiers to begin the coup. Next, on April 25, 1974 at 12:15 am, the national radio broadcast Grândola, Vila Morena, a song by Zeca Afonso, a progressive folk singer forbidden on Portuguese radio at the time. This was the signal that the MFA gave to take over strategic points of power in the country and “announced” that the revolution had started. More details, videos and songs on Joana Morais’ blogspot

Share on Facebook

The (normally yellow) and famous tourist attraction funicular in Bica. Artist Alexandre Farto  covered the outside of the funicular with mirror-acrylic, called it ’Espectro’  (Spectre) and pays tribute to the neighbourhood that is reflected in the lift during the journey, as if it were a film…. (From January – June 2010). Amazing!

This project  ‘Art in movement’  (“Arte em Movimento”) is part of a Cultural Program for the promotion of Public Art, which CARRIS  (bus & tram services including timetables) intends to carry out in some vehicles of its public service fleet. In 2010, the chosen vehicles were one lift (the Santa Justa) and the 3 funiculars, all of them are national monuments since 2002.

Typical Portuguese:  hanging laundry, drying in the wind.

It climbs the Rua da Bica de Duarte Belo for 245 metres from the Rua Sao Paulo.

Largo de Santo Antoninho, right next to Bica’s funicular downhill starting point.

Share on Facebook

From this beautiful garden a marvelous view across the Alcântara harbor area to the Tagus can be enjoyed. Open from Wednesday – Sunday 10:00 – 18:00.

It’s really worth the time to wander through the sculptured garden after visiting the beautiful Museum or take a break for a drink or a lunch.

The self service restaurant inside the building serves daily plates for students and the Museum’s staff, but also as a visitor you can put together a meal of your choice to enjoy in the garden. 

Here there are great views of the port of Lisbon, the Docas (nightlife area of town) the April 25th bridge and Christo Rei statue.

Plate of the day (prato do dia): lasagna €6.50, cod fish (bacalhau) €6.50, salad €1.50.

Beautiful sculptures! View on the the Alcântara harbor, port of Lisbon cruise ships docking and the Santos area.

April 25 bridge and Christo Rei statue.

The main entrance lies on the west side of the building on the Jardim 9 de Abril .The Museum, spread through 60 rooms, has been housed since 1884 in a palace built by Count Alvor in 1690 in which the Pombal family later lived for some time. Both the name of the street and the common nickname for the museum, ‘Casa das Janelas Verdes’ (house of green windows) originate from the building’s shutters which were formerly painted green.  More…..

Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga  Rua das Janelas Verdes. 

Opening hours Tuesdays: 14h00-18h00
Wednesday to Sunday: 10h00-13h00 and 14h00-18h00 (closed on Holidays)

Share on Facebook

To visit the castle, you can walk up the hill starting at Beco dos Fróis , from Largo Rodrigues de Freitas . This church, Igreja do Menino de Deus on the square of the same name was commissioned byJoao V,King of Portugal. It is one of the few churches which survived the big earthquake (1755) relatively undamaged. Construction began in 1711 but even today it has not been completely finished.

At the end of  Largo do Menino Deus (Square of God’s son) you’ll reach the (second) entrance to the castle of São Jorge. (The other entrance is at Largo de Santa Cruz do Castelo)

This is a wonderful hidden part of Lisbon. At the moment construction works have started here. Besides: don’t’ forget to wear flat shoes! The steets are cobbled in this area around the Castle.

Looking back, you can see the towers of Igreja da Sao Vincente de Fora (Church of St. Vincent outside the walls), a Renaissance church used primarily as a royal pantheon for the Portugese monarchy.

After passing through the gates, you enter Travessa do Funil, a very popular street with tourists, directly underneath Castelo São Jorge.

The urinal (urinol) at the corner of Travessa do Funil and Travessa Chão da Feira, Lisbon’s only open air uninal, 5 minutes walk from the Castle of Saint George

Share on Facebook

Bica funicular & partytime in June

Partying in the small street around the famous Bica funicular, near Bairro Alto , one of the best spots in Europe for a night out. In June, the month of the Festas dos Santos Populares (Feast Days of the Popular Saints), the Lisbon nights are filled with lively festivities that take over the city’s historical center. On the eve of Saint Anthony day, June 13th, Lisbon turns into one big party! A mix of religion and sex… More….

The most photographed street in Lisbon and Bica funicular Rua Loreto. 

Lisbon has three working street funiculars: Lavra, Gloria and Bica, which allow its citizens and visitors to move to and from its hilly districts more easily. All are operated by Carris, (including timetables and funicular’s history) the Lisbon city transport undertaking.

Five minutes walk from here is a beautiful viewpoint over the River Tagus: ‘Adamastor’, a popular gathering place in Lisbon, which is officially called the  ‘Miradouro de Santa Catarina’ .

Just below the small Adamastor square, you will find the fantastic terraces of cafe/ bar Cafe Noobai , certainly one of the favourite places of many Lisbon locals and visitors of the city!

Share on Facebook

It runs from the Rua de São José (near Largo da Anunciada) to Travessa do Forno do Torel. To reach the bottom of the funicular, turn right off the Avenida da Liberdade, or, from Rossio Square, it’s a 10 minute-walk through Rua das Portas de Santo Antão.

Waiting for the driver……Lisbon has three working street funiculars: Lavra, Gloria and Bica, which allow its citizens and visitors to move to and from its hilly districts more easily. All are operated by Carris, (including timetables and funicular’s history) the Lisbon city transport undertaking.

For me, it is still a miracle!

When you turn left off the funicular, after passing Rua do Instituto Bacteriológico, there’s a lovely park, Campo dos Mártires da Pátria, located on one of the 7 hills of Lisbon, the view from here is really wonderful!

Here you will be surprised by the spontaneous religious fervour of Portuguese people who have honoured the statue of doctor Sousa Martins in front of the Faculty of Medicine. Yet since the memorial was erected in 1904, it has become the focal point for a religious devotion. People who come here believe that by praying to him and asking for his intervention, they will be cured. More….

Lavra funicular hours of operation: 07:00-22:45, every day except Sunday, when the opening time is 09:00. One way ticket € 1.40.

Share on Facebook

Walking from Praça do Comércio in the direction to Alfama, you will get to Rua dos Bacalhoeiros. The famous 28 tram (eletrico) passes here on its way to the Santa Apolonia station.

This part of the street is really beautiful. The small restaurants with a terrace outside are popular; even in wintertime when the sun is shining you can enjoy a beer or have lunch outside.

My favorite terrace, just near ‘Casa dos Bicos’ is ‘Adega do Atum (tummy)’, a small restaurant with a few tables on the pavement at the front, close to the road near the Tagus river. The waiters are very friendly and not too agressive. They serve excellent traditional fish and meat meals and have the Portuguese Sagres beer on tap (imperial). Try ‘Salade de Atum’ (€ 7 ) for lunch!

Casa dos Bicos (House of the pointed stones). This Palace was built in the early 16th century, a notable part of Lisbon’s heritage and one of the few examples with traces of the 15th C. architecture. The residence was built by the Albuquerque family. From 1981 to 1982, Casa dos Bicos was the site of excavations, many archaelogical findings were unearthed (ceramic and glass pieces a.o.). The upper two floors were destroyed by the earthquake in 1755 and were only rebuilt in the 1980s. Worth a visit!

You will find various tourist shops in this street. Silva & Feijó, Rua dos Bacalhoeiros 117/118 on the other side of Casa dos Bicos, sells a.o. wines and typical Portuguese handicrafts.

Lunchtime in Lisbon. This part of the street is filled with lots of restaurants, from traditional Portuguese to Chinese. A Churrasqueira is a restaurant serving grilled meat or fish, many offering as much as you can eat: the waiters move around the restaurant with the skewers, slicing meat onto your plate. Frango de Churrasco with piri piri (a kind of salty roasted chicken spiced with hot red chili sauce) is very popular.

Restaurant Churrasqueira Santo António. Carlos Marcalo, Rua dos Bacalhoeiros 133, invites you to try their ‘espetada‘, a typical Portuguese dish made of large chunks of fish or beef rubbed in garlic and salt with vegetables such as onions and bell peppers.

Luís Vieira.

Conserveira de Lisboa (The Lisbon Cannery), nr 34. Wonderful very old preserved-fish store with hundreds of colourful tins of the Portuguese favorite fish. This shop opened 80 years ago, nothing has changed.

Rua do do Comércio , “The shit of today will fertilize the morning…” building drawing, just around the corner of Rua dos Bacalhoeiros and Rua da Madalena. More……

Share on Facebook

Today, what the Portuguese think of as the Lisbon Aqueduct is that gigantic set or arches spanning the Alcântara valley, ending at the reservoir of Amoreiras. Its source is known as Águas Livres (free waters) and is located in Caneças (some 18,5 km away). However, the aqueduct is in fact much more than this. It consists of a complex series of underground galleries, arches and skylights linked to the visible principal body, known as the General Aqueduct. These are scattered all over the city, giving rise to numerous fonts which, in times gone by, were important sources of water supply for the city. Altogether the old complex network constituting the aqueduct consisted of 58 km of water conduits, 109 arches, 137 skylights and 30 fountains. As such, it is considered unique, a remarkable example of 18th C. Portuguese engineering!

Aqueduct arches (65 m tall) over the Alcântara valley. (I took this picture in the train from Faro to Lisbon). The main course of the aqueduct covers 18 km. Concluded in 1834 (although it began to supply water to Lisbon in 1748), displays visible Gothic influences in a period dominated by the Baroque style.

Aqueduct and commemorative arch in the Amoreiras neighbourhood. Video Museu da Água  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vw7AuNb0oi0

Of the architects associated with the elaboration of this project, several stand out. The first is Manuel da Maia (1733), who was responsible for the general scheme and the definition of most of its ramifications and fonts. Also Custódio Vieira (1736), who supervised the construction of the arches over the Alcântara valley – the most spectacular and costly part of the project.

After the earthquake of 1755, Custódio Vieira was granted pardon for the profligacy for which he had been accused owing to the amount of iron he used to strengthen the arch’s structure, for, despite being located on a seismic faultline, it had resisted the quake.

Picture: Fajna Asia. This public walkway along the interior gallery, named Arches Walk, which once offered a wonderful panoramic view to pedestrians, has been closed since 1844 due to the large number of suicides and murders, including those committed by the famous bandit Diogo Alves. , the ‘Aqueduct serial killer’.

The ‘Free Waters Museum’, in charge of the aqueduct, organizes guided visits and tours on different dates and hours. Open from March 1st to Nov 30 between 10h and 18h, closed on Sundays and holydays.
Address: Calçada da Quintinha, 6, Lisboa. Metro: Rato Station (Museum): Campolide train station (Aqueduct).

Share on Facebook