Category: Lisbon city center

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Lisbon: Campo dos Mártires da Pátria, hospital São José & funeral cars

Campo dos Mártires da Pátria is really worth a visit! You can walk up the rather steepy hill at the end of Rua de São José or take the funicular of Lavra, the first transportation to overcome a hill in Lisbon, 120 years ago.

Campo dos Mártires da Pátria 1 Park view Castelo

Campo dos Mártires da Pátria, view on castle of São Jorge .

Students are taking a break in the park. Here you find the memorial statue of  Dr. Sousa Martins, erected in 1904, outside the main Faculty of Medicine, historic City Campus of the University of Lisbon, home to several faculties including Law and Medicine.

In the nearby lovely park (Jardim da Cordoaria)  is a small cafe “O Coreto’. This place is located on one of the 7 hills of Lisbon, the view from here is really wonderful.

Monument dr Martin Sousa13 Jardim da Cordoaria cafe “O Coreto’

The nearby lovely large tree-lined park (Jardim da Cordoaria) and small cafe “O Coreto’ (the Kiosk).

You can walk down the hill, not too steepy, to the center’s Rossio Square with many restaurants and shopping zones. A few pictures from my walk starting at Rua Manuel Bento de Sousa:

Walking around hospital São José car coffins

Hospital São José, near the Faculty of Medicine.

Waiting for a dead body

It is said that funeral cars are waiting here in line, like a taxi queue, to be the first one to pick up a dead body… anyway, when I was passing by I saw a truck delivering new coffins…..

Lisbon Hospital entrance São José Rua do Sao Lazaro

Hospital São José , ortopedia entrance at Rua de Sao Lazaro.

Lisbon Hospital São José1

Walk until Travessa do Hospital and go right.

Hospital São José is an immense building, strechting out toward Praça Martim Moniz.

walking from Hospital São José2 view Castelo Sao Jorge

View on Castle São Jorge

Walking around Hospital São José4 rainbow

View from the hospital’s parking lot

Hospital São José19 beautiful

Beautiful entrance at Rua José a Serrano. The name of the hospital São José is paying hommage to King Joseph I.

Lisbon Rua da Arco da Graca1

Rua do Arco da Graça. On the left side of this street, a lot of new apartments are being built.

Lisbon Rossio Square

Rossio Square beautiful and very popular tourist attraction.

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Museum Casa dos Bicos Lisbon, restaurants & famous fish cannery shop

Quite close to the historic Alfama neighborhood, a very nice street to walk around at Lisbon’ city center is Rua dos Bacalhoeiros (street of the cod fish sellers). The buildings that face the Tejo River look lovely, but if you take a closer look, they mostly are in a worse condition.

Lisbon Rua dos Bacalhoeiros near Casa dos Bicos

Rua dos Bacalhoeiros Lisbon

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.

Lisbon Rua dos Bacalhoeiros terraces near Casa dos Bicos

Rua dos Bacalhoeiros Lisbon 2009

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.

Lisbon Rua dos Bacalhoeiros Adega do Atum near Casa dos Bicos

Rua dos Bacalhoeiros Lisbon

Just near ‘Casa dos Bicos’ is restaurant ‘Adega do Atum‘, The waiters are friendly and not too agressive. They serve traditional fish and meat meals and have the Portuguese Sagres beer on tap (imperial). Try ‘Salade de Atum’ (tuna fish € 7 ) for lunch 🙂

Lisbon Rua dos Bacalhoeiros Casa dos Bicos

Rua dos Bacalhoeiros Lisbon & Casa dos Bicos (House of the pointed stones)

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.

From 1981 to 1982, Casa dos Bicos was the site of excavations, many archaelogical findings were unearthed (ceramic and glass pieces a.o.). Worth a visit!

Lisbon Rua dos Bacalhoeiros3 shop nr 117 Silva & Feijó

Rua dos Bacalhoeiros Lisbon

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

Lisbon Rua dos Bacalhoeiros lots of restaurants

Rua dos Bacalhoeiros Lisbon

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.

Lisbon Rua dos Bacalhoeiros restaurant espetada

Rua dos Bacalhoeiros Lisbon

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.

Lisbon Rua dos Bacalhoeiros shop canned fish

Luís Vieira.

Conserveira de Lisboa (The Lisbon Cannery), nr 34.  Famous! 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.

Lisbon Roa do Comerico shit

Rua do do Comércio ,

“The shit of today will fertilize tomorrow...” 😉 a building drawing, just around the corner of Rua dos Bacalhoeiros and Rua da Madalena

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Largo Duque de Cadaval Lisbon near Rossio Station & sunny open-air cafes

Right on the leftside of the Rossio Station in Lisbon, there’s Largo Duque de Cadaval. It ‘s a bit hidden behind the Rossio train station, full of sunny open-air cafes.

Lisbon Largo Duque Cadaval Rossio Station3

Largo (square) ‘Duque de Cadaval’ Lisbon near Rossio Station

This place is a good idea while you’re waiting for the train. A coffee (bica) 0.95 euro). Even in wintertime when the sun is shining you can sit outside, the terraces are protected from the wind.

Lisbon Largo Duque Cadaval Rossio Station8

Largo Duque de Cadaval Lisbon near Rossio Station

Restaurants and cafés has been created here, apart from all the noice and traffic.

Lisbon Largo Duque Cadaval Rossio Station4

Largo Duque de Cadaval Lisbon near Rossio Station

On the background you see Calcada do Duque, the beginning of the more than 300 stairs leading to Bairro Alto

Lisbon Largo Duque Cadaval Rossio Station7

Square ‘Largo Duque de Cadaval’  Lisbon near Rossio Station

The ice cream shop Gelateria Finzi Contini. From outside it does not look like an ice cream shop, but it is, and a good one.

Lisbon Largo Duque Cadaval Rossio Station6

Square ‘Largo Duque de Cadaval’  Lisbon near Rossio Station

Natural ingredients and recipes are an Italian/Argentinian fusion. 4.00 euro and delicious! Besides they serve home made pastry, sandwiches and crepes.

Lisbon Largo Duque Cadaval Rossio Station9

Square ‘Largo Duque de Cadaval’  Lisbon next to Rossio Station

After all the renovations this place is this really beautiful.

Lisbon Largo Duque Cadaval Rossio Station11

Square ‘Largo Duque de Cadaval’  Lisbon near Rossio Station

Finzi Contini ice cream shop, Gislaine Nazario. Largo do Duque, de Cadaval Lisbon

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Café ‘Leitaria A Camponeza’ Lisbon, once a milkshop & Portuguese ‘Art Nouveau’ style

If you look for a nice and quiet café after walking around in the Rossio area in Lisbon, this 100 years old cafe is really worth it to sit down and admire the place !

Lisbon cafe Leitaria Camponeza2

Cafe ” Leitaria A Camponeza”, Lisbon

This is an old-fashioned Leitaria (milkshop), specializing in milk products and pastries, whose blue-tiled walls display bucolic scenes.

Mostly Purtuguese people are drinking a bica (strong coffee) or a tea (chá) while reading a newspaper.

Lisbon Leitaria Camponeza4

Cafe ” Leitaria A Camponeza”, Lisbon

This house is for over 100 years in the same family: Ana Claudia Diogo (r) and her niece Filipa Indias.

Lisbon cafe Leitaria Camponeza7

Cafe ” Leitaria A Camponeza”, Lisbon

Ana Diogo’s grand grand father, José Domingos Diogo, built this place (pictures of the family are hanging on the wall), from origin a milkshop, in Portuguese ‘Art Nouveau’ style and beautiful tiles (azulejos). The café was recently renovated, but with care….

Lisbon cafe Leitaria Camponeza10

Cafe ” Leitaria A Camponeza”, Lisbon

Chá (tea) in a pot (in style) 1,20 euro. The coffee, cakes, and sandwiches are all good.

Lisbon cafe Leitaria Camponeza8

Cafe ” Leitaria A Camponeza”

Open from 07:45 – 19:00, closed on Sundays

Lisbon cafe Leitaria Camponeza15

Cafe Leitaria ‘A Camponeza’ , Rua dos Sapateiros, 155/157, Lisbon

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Traditional Christmas window dressing in Lisbon & a pierced Santa Claus

Already in October Lisbon is busy decorating the streets and the trees with lots of Christmas lights. The windows of the shops are dressed up with Christmas decorations, and some are quite remarkable!  Portuguese creativity in Lisbon’s commercial heart 🙂

Lisbon Christmas window dressing Largo do Chiado

Christmas window dressing at Largo do Chiado

Elegant shopping district, close to luxury hotel Bairro Alto and Lisbon’s famous nightlife:  possibly one of the best spots in Europe for a night out!

Lisbon window dressing Christmas time Rua da Prata

Traditional Christmas window dressing  Rua da Prata

Lisbon remarkable Christmas window dressing penis piercings Santa Claus

In the same street, Rua da Prata 88, a pierced Santa Claus

TRIPARTE TATTOO – Body Piercing – Tattoo shop Rua da Prata, 88-90 Baixa, Lisboa

Christmas shopping Lisbon window Hermes

Hermés in December, they love ‘animal window dressing’, Largo do Chiado 9, Lisbon

Lisbon Christmas window dressing Biaxa

Baixa area
Lisbon remarkable Christmas window dressing stars wearing glasses

Rua do Carmo (2010)

Did you ever see stars in the sky wearing glasses ? This street is close to the famous tourist attraction ‘Santa Justa elevator’ (Elevador de Santa Justa) and my favorite square in Lisbon : Praça do Carmo

Lisbon remarkable window dressing Christams reindeer recommend sexual desire product

Rua da Madalena, a reindeer in the window is placed in front of a poster ‘ how to increase your sexual desire’ : ‘Libidosil‘ (2010)

..more about this remarkable street….

Remarkable window dressing Lisbon Alfama butcher shop

 Alfama, Rua dos Remedios,  talho (butcher) do Chafariz

Even de butchers decorate their shops for Christmas… 😉

Remarkable window dressing Lisbon hearing aid

…Hearing Aid shop & new batteries (pilhas 5 euro)

Christmas time in Lisbon tram decorations

Besides: Jingle bells! Even trams (Eletrico Natal) are decorated with lights and steered by Santa Claus himself!

Christmas time in Lisbon Tram and Santa Claus conductur

‘Boas Festas e Feliz Natal’ (Merry Christmas and happy New Year!), Praça da Figueira, more about this area……..

 

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Sightseeing Lisbon: Pasteis de Nata in Belém in a toy-like GoCar & hilly streets

A new, different and unique way to explore Lisbon: these tourist cars look like toys and if you’re driving one they make you laugh, sometimes out loud! People who see you driving start smiling or say ”Whow!”

GoCar Lisbon Rob and Julie

My friend Rob Plews (r) and I (I’m Julie Kruijs), December 2008. V

ery surprising is this car can talk, but not with a monotone voice. The unique GPS-system with a lovely lady (blond?) voice is really smart: she gives directions, cracks jokes and tells stories in English, Portuguese and French. Soon it will be available in Spanish and German. But you can turn it off if you like and listen to music. Car top-speed is 50km/h

GoCar office Lisbon Leonel Santos Soares and Joao Paiva Mendes

GoCar office Lisbon

Leonel Santos Soares and João Paiva Mendes in their office, Rua dos Douradores 16.

” When we started with GoCar Tours in September, 2 tourists told us after their tour that the police stopped their car. “Oh my God, did we do something wrong?” they wondered. “Are they going to fine us?” But no, the policemen simply wanted to know where they could rent one for themselves. Another GoCar customer, middle-aged, trundled back after his experience and said – “You have just knocked twenty years off my age!”

GoCar Lisbon Rob Plews near Park Principe Real

Rob Plews enjoys the little car 🙂

You can stop wherever you want for photos, grab a coffee or break for lunch. Or you can blaze your own trail and explore the city streets, neighborhoods and parks on your own.

GoCar Lisbon December 2008 hilly streets

Hilly streets of Lisbon

We decided to try out some hilly streets in Lisbon with this small car (it made it!), then we drove to Belém, where we enjoyed a few of Lisbon’s most celebrated custard tarts: Pasteis de Belém. No parking problems! We locked our cute little helmets up in the boot.

Lisbon Belem Pasteis

Pastel de Nata (portuguese egg tart pastry), delicious and famous!

Pasteis de Belém, Antiga Confeitaria, Rua de Belém 84-92. The recipe of Lisbon’s most celebrated custard tarts is still a well-kept secret….

As part of the GPS Tours Network, several exciting tours in Lisbon are available: one for the Central Baixa, for Belém, the Sao Jorge Castle or to the Expo. Rental rates: see Website GoCar Tours

GoCar Office Rua dos Douradores 16 Lisbon

GoCars, Rua dos Douradores 16. Open from 9AM to 6PM. Tel: (00351) 21 0967926 or (00351) 914275341. Email: reservation-pt@gocartours.com

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Walking around Lisbon: from viewpoint Santa Catarina to the waterfront of the Tagus river

Don’t miss the wonderful views from Miradouro de Santa Catarina or ‘Adamastor‘, a popular gathering place in Lisbon. From this vista point you have the most breathtaking views of the Tagus (Tejo) river, the 25th of April Bridge and the Cristo Rei monument.

Santa Catarina Adamastor September 2009

‘Adamastor‘ or Miradouro de Santa Catarina ( More information on this website) is one of the favourite places of many Lisbon locals and visitors, and also the nearby cafe/restaurant Noobai.

Lisbon Rua de Santa Catarina

Close to Miradouro de Santa Catarina you can go for a walk to the waterfront of the Tejo river. Rua de Santa Catarina in the afternoon, a typical Lisbon street.

Lisbon Rua de Santa Catarina smart parking

A very smart way to park your car in the narrow streets of Lisbon!

Lisbon Rua Fernandes Tomas

View on the Tagus River from Rua Fernandes Tomas

Lisbon Rua Boa Vista

At the end of Rua Fernandes Tomas towards the river you cross Rua Boa Vista (street named after an island of Cape Verde, former colony of Portugal), a lively street with lots of shops, typical Portuguese restaurants and bars.

Mercado da Ribeira Avenida 24 de Julho

Avenida 24 de Julho, just in front of the river Tejo. The beautiful building of the Mercado do Ribeira (market near the river, since 1882) is topped with a Moorish-style dome. This market is worth a visit! ‘from hot ‘piri-piri to funeral flowers’

Cais do Sodre Womean

On the waterfront, near Cais do Sodré. Women are selling fresh fruit.

Lisbon Cais do Sodre ferry

The river Tejo, Cais do Sodré , Lisbon’s major bus, metro, trainstation and ferry terminal to Cacilhas, Seixal, Montijo and ferries to Trafaria and Porto Brandão (near the white and unspoilt beaches of Caparica).

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Lisbon people: young beautiful students, a new semester & Ginja

Lisbon students in September, a brand new school year. The new semester brings new textbooks, professors, and classes, many public events and traditions.

Lisbon students September 2008 Ginja

It also brings a lot of fun! The universitary students follow a special dress code.

Lisbon September 2008 students Ginja

Drinking Ginjinja near the tiny Ginja bar on Largo de São Domingos, Ginjinha is a liqueur made of a cherry-like berry called (not surprisingly) ‘Ginja’. The berries are fermented into a brandy that’s slightly bitter, slightly sweet and very sticky. You can order a ‘Ginja’ for little money and with or without a cherry in it. The taste of a Ginjinha is one you won’t forget!

Lisbon Students Mouraria 1

A beautiful dress code!  Mouraria, Largo do Terreirinho

Students Mouraria september 2008 1

Starting a new academic year with rituals, traditions and ceremonies.

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Sightseeing Lisbon: eco friendly RedTour segways, 2 and 4 seat buggies or electric bicycles

Eco transport is new and available to tourists who visit Lisbon. The vehicles are equipped with a talking GPS guide, which provides directions and acts as your tour guide.

Buggies and segways Praca do Commercio

Praça do Comércio Lisbon, RedTour instructors meeting point. RedTour offers tours in Lisboa’s historical neighborhoods on electric vehicles: segways, 2 and 4 seat buggies and electric bicycles.

LisbonTourists with segway steps near Casa dos Bicos

Tourists are making pictures of tourists on Segway steps near Casa dos Bicos, 9 R. Afonso de Albuquerque Lisbon.

Lisbon police on segway steps

Be prepared to become a tourist attraction by yourself, like Portuguese policemen, Lisbon 2008.

Lisbon Buggies Praca do Comercio 2

Praça do Comércio Lisbon. RedTour operates everyday, from 09:00 to 19:00 (April-October) 09:00 to 17:00 (November-March), except Holidays. Meeting point Praça do Comércio /Terreiro do Paço or Largo dos Stephens (near Rua das Flores nº12). For reservations and further information call 00351 21 346 6259 or mail: info@redtourgps.com. Prices start from 6€ per hour, depending on the chosen vehicle. http://www.redtourgps.com/

Lisbon Red Tour car Mouraria

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Portuguese pavement, lovely wave design, high heals & Theatre Dona Maria II Lisbon

Portuguese pavement workers are real artists! In Lisbon there’s always a lot of work to do, like in Rua da Rosa in Bairro Alto, one of the oldest districts.

Lisbon pavement workers Bairro Alto

Lisbon, area Bairro Alto

Upon a well compacted trench of argillaceous materials, craftsmen lay a bedding of gravel, which will accommodate the stones, acting as a cement.

Pavement Lisbon wave design Rossio

Lovely wave design “the wide sea”, Lisbon’s Rossio Square, the popular name of the Pedro IV Square (Praça de Dom Pedro IV), the ‘heart’ of Lisbon

Teatro Nacional Dona Maria II.

You can discover the theater (or take the time to enjoy a good show). From Monday to Friday there are guided tours, in several languages.

The pavement mostly is laid out in a repetitive pattern, or recreates symbols that are evocative of Portugal’s nautical past.

Besides: the neoclassical Dona Maria II Theatre was built in 1842 on the site of the former Inquisition Palace where processions, auto-da-fés (execution by burning) and public executions took place from 1531 to 1777.

Lisbon pavement Rua Aurea

Beautiful pavement in Rua Áurea, a shopping street in Baixa

Slippery cobbles & high heels

Besides: despite of the artistic appeal, this pavement is not really safe. The uneven surface makes it difficult to navigate. When the cobbles are wet, they are rather slippery. A reason for ladies not wearing high heels…..don’t forget your sandals!

Lisbon pavement Praca do Comercio

Pavement Praço do Comércio, 2008

a spectacular example of Portuguese calçada, made by hand.

Lisbon Pavement Camara Municipal

Pavement Praça do Municipao with Lisbon’s beautiful City Hall (Câmara Municipal). Visitors can admire the interior on Sunday mornings for free.

Future for pavement workers the future is unsure. Once an activity performed by hundreds of craftsmen in Portuguese cities and villages, traditional paving is increasingly becoming restricted to conservation works or important architectural projects. Less abundant materials, dwindling numbers of craftsmen and criticism to its widespread use are forcing municipalities to consider other alternatives.