Lisbon Praça do Comércio: Sunday flea, coins, (eco) handicraft market & erotic art

Do you enjoy flea market shopping? Every Sunday morning there’s a small market at Lisbon’s famous square Praça do Comércio (‘Commerce Square’) , where you can find antiques, books, collectioner’s items, vinyl music albums, stamps, coins and (eco) handicraft. In summertime this market also take place on Saturdays.

Flea market Praca do Comercio Sundays2

Sunday market at Praça do Comércio  Lisbon

This outdoor market is held every Sunday from 9am to 3pm (summer hours are 8am to 2pm) at Lisbon’s most famous square, near the Tagus river, with imposing arcades, close to the majestic Triumphal Arch (Arco do Triunfo), the gateway onto the interior of ‘downtown’ Lisbon.

Sunday flea vintage market Lisbon 3 erotic handicraft

Sunday market at Praça do Comércio  Lisbon

Carlos Lages – erotic fantasy art ‘Father of the Humanity’ : 8 euro

Sunday flea vintage handicraft market Lisbon2 eco bags

Sunday market at Praça do Comércio  Lisbon

Manuela Nunes creates hand made jewellery (website Bijutaria Artesanal) and very beautiful recycled shopping bags (10 euro)

Lisbon Sunday flea handicraft vintage market Lisbon5

Sunday market at Praça do Comércio  Lisbon

Fernando del Pretti – video on his blog with a wonderful vintage magnetic collection (from 2 euro) and 20th Century Portuguese magazines.

Sunday flea vintage handicraft market Lisbon6 Praca do Comercio Lisbon

Sunday market at Praça do Comércio  Lisbon

You can also see Fernando del Pretti’s work on Saturdays at the legendary flea market ‘Feira da Ladra’

Sunday flea handicraft vintage market Lisbon1

Sunday market at Praça do Comércio  Lisbon

This outdoor market is held every Sunday from 9am to 3pm (summer hours are 8am to 2pm)

Flea market Praca do Comercio Lisbon Sundays5

Lisbon & lotteries: popular lottery shop Rossio Square & jackpot queen Leonor

After buying postcards in Lisbons’ touristical shops or kiosks at Rossio Square, you need stamps (selos) to send them to your friends or family. ‘Very sorry, no stamps’ (‘Desculpa, não selos’).

UPDATE 2016: most shops sell stamps. Update 2021: this shop is closed

Lisbon Rossio square kiosk

Rossio (square Dom Pedro V

This square is a traditional meeting point both for Lisboetas (locals) and visitors.

Lisbon Rossio Portugese man drinking a Ginja

Besides, Rossio near Restauradores:

Portuguese like to drink a ‘Ginjinha’, a liqueur made of berries.

Lisbon Rossio lottery

For stamps friendly Portuguese shopowners will explain you how to walk to a nearby postoffice.

Or they tell you to go to ‘Casa da Sorte’ (a lottery shop), where’s a little postoffice inside, Praça Dom Pedro IV, # 120.

Lisbon Rossio lottery Casa da Sorte

As soon as you’re inside, you forget about the stamps….

Portuguese people love lotteries!

Lisbon shopping stamps Casa da Sorte Rainha Dona Leonora

Queen (rainha) Dona Leonor

In the corner of the lottery shop queen (rainha) Dona Leonor, wife of the 15th century king Dom Manuel I.

She created the ‘Foundação da Misericórdia’ (Foundation for Charity) that is still very active in Portugal today. The original purpose of the Foundation was to build and manage hospitals and homes for the old and needy. Today, the Foundation has spread its wings in obtaining funds and they run all forms of Lotteries in Portugal.

Lisbon lottery

Dom Pedro IV Square, or Rossio (big square), in the evening, one of the most beautiful Squares in Lisbon.

Lisbon Rossio

Historical information Rossio:    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rossio

Lisbons’ unique hat makers shop Azevedo Rua & Portuguese poet Pessoa

Chapelaria Azevedo Rua is a traditional hat shop (opened in 1886) on Rossio, one of Lisbons’ famous squares, creating tailor-made hats (chapéus) on request.

Rossio Lisbon people are fond of hats

Portuguese people are fond of hats!

Rossio square Lisbon  (officially named Praça Dom Pedro IV)

Rossio hat shop Chapelaria Azevedo Rua window dressing

Chapelaria Azevedo Rua Lisbon

Typical Portuguese hats, bridal hats, Panama- and Cylinder hats. In this well-known hatter’s you can find handmade hats for all occasions and top-hats, bowler hats, high-hats and all kinds of regional- and traditional hats.

Hat shop Azevedo Rua, Chapeus1 street shop2

Chapelaria Azevedo Rua

All levels of society buy their hats from here, from labourers to the president, also in the past, like the famous Portuguese poet and writer Fernando Pessoa.

Azevedo Rua, Azeveda Rua Chapeus1 Maria Fonseca Fernando Pessoa hat

Maria Fonseca shows ‘Fernando Pessoa’s (1888 – 1935) favourite hat.

“This type of hat is still very popular nowadays”. Price: 60 euro, tailor-made.

Chapelaria Azevedo Rua Lisbon, beautiful hat boxes

Chapelaria Azevedo Rua

History

Maria Fonseca: ” In December 1886, the grand grand father of my husband, Manuel Azevedo Rua opened this shop in Lisbon. Before that his profession was a wine producer. He lived in Nogueira, district of Vila Real Trás-os-Montes, in the north of Portugal”.

Azevedo Rua, Chapeus Precos Fixos

Hat shop Chapelaria Azevedo Rua Lisbon

No discount (‘precos fixos’) & president Mário Soares

“Due to vintage problems Manuel decided to move to Lisbon. His uncle, a rich priest, supplied him the money to finance the shop, only on this condition: no discount (‘precos fixos’), but with the exception of hats for priests”.

‘Sorry sir, no discount’

“One day, the Portuguese former President Mário Soares (son of an ex-priest) 😉 , came here to buy a hat. But no discount for him: “Desculpa senhor, precos fixos’ (Sorry sir, no discount)”. And: “D. Duarte de Bragança, the Duke of Braganza ordered his hats here”.

Azevedo Rua, Chapeus hat shop Pedro Fonseca

Hat shop Chapelaria Azevedo Rua Lisbon

Pedro Fonseca, owner

Azevedo Rua, Chapeus December 2008 Chrismas shopping Lisbon

Hat shop Chapelaria Azevedo Rua Lisbon

December, Christmas shopping

Chapelaria Azevedo Rua Rossio

Chapelaria Azevedo Rua. Address: 72-73, Praça Dom Pedro IV, Lisbon, 1100-202. Open Mon. – Fri.: 09:00 – 19:00hr. Sat. 09:00 – 13:00hr. Owners: Teresa and Jose Manuel, Maria and Pedro Fonseca.

The Napoleão wine shops in Lisbon, Ginja, the magic of vintage Port & free shipping

Vintage port is made only in exceptional years, must be bottled within 2 years of the harvest date and be 100 % wine from that harvest.

The magic of Vintage Port is different in every phase: as a young wine its captures the useful fruit characters, then after 20 years or more the effects of the slow bottle age integration are revealed and finally, after many decades the spirit dominates the wine. Vintage Port is amazing in all the three phases. A sua Saúde (to your health) !

Port Ramos Pinto Lisbon Napoleao

Napoleão, Rua dos Fanqueiros, 70, Lisbon, world wide delivery.

Famous poster: ‘the kiss’. As the couple leans together for a kiss, playful cupid offers them a glass of Ramos Pinto Port instead. ‘The kiss’ is one of the most recognized wine posters in the world. Founder of this Port House, Adriano Ramos Pinto, strongly believed in promotion both in Portugal and his primary market, Brazil. He backed his product with well-planned sales drive based on artistic advertisements.

Lisbon Napoleão shop Port Vintage & Ramos Pinto

Napoleão, Rua dos Fanqueiros, 70, Lisbon, world wide delivery.

The Napoleão wine shops, existing for more than 50 years in Lisbon, are specialised in the best Portuguese wines and Port wines. They can explain you all about the best Vintage years of the 20th Century.

Vintage Port tasting Napoleão shop Lisbon

Napoleão, Rua dos Fanqueiros, 70, Lisbon, world wide delivery.

You can taste the Port Wines for free and appreciate an exemplary service.

Lisbon Napoleão shop Vintage Port 2

Napoleão, Rua dos Fanqueiros, 70, Lisbon, world wide delivery.

”Of course, all the vintage years are very good, but some years are exceptional compared with the others”.

Lisbon Napoleão shop Port Wines Aguardentes street

Website Napoleão, Rua dos Fanqueiros, 70, Lisbon, world wide delivery.

A new store of the Napoleão family (in the same street). Besides: they also sell Portuguese wines like Vinho Verde, Aguardentes (similar to Cognac, Schnapps or Grappa) and the legendary wild Cherries Liqueur Ginja or Ginjinha. Famous small Ginjinha bar in Lisbon, Rossio

ginja_0020_de_0020_obidos

Napoleão, Rua dos Fanqueiros, 70, Lisbon, world wide delivery.

If you wish, you can order via their website.

Lisbon Napoleão shop Port wines cheap

Famous tea/lunchroom Versailles Lisbon & surrounding areas

If you like to walk around outside of tourist areas go to Saldanha , the fashionable Avenidas Novas (a part of Lisbon built in the 1950s), with department stores, cinemas, museums, supermarkets and libraries.

Lisbon Versailles tearoom restaurant outside Avenida Republica

Avenida da República near Saldaña square. A must-do is to have breakfast or lunch in the wonderful old tea- and lunchroom Pastelaria Versailles (opened in 1922) which has it’s own bakery.

Saldana Lisbon statue Square Praça do Duque de Saldana

Praça Duque de Saldaña. Monument of the great liberal Marshal who gives the square its name. Designed by Thomaz Costa and Ventura Terra, unveiled in 1909. The base of the monument contains a bronze figure of victory. At Saldaña Square there’s the highly frequented cinema Monumental where many young Portuguese meet in the bar of the cinema, ‘Movies’ .

Saldana Restaurant Galeto Lisbon december 08

Famous restaurant Galeto, a classic spot. Avenida Da República, 14. Open from 07.30 am – 03.30 (!). Delicious food and quite cheap (dinner and snacks). Galeto (movie) is well known in Lisbon for its friendly and courteous service.

Lisbon market in Arroios fish

Market mercado de Arroios , fresh fish, flowers and fruit. Arroios is a very atmospheric working class neighborhood with great markets and very good prices in restaurants and shops.

Lisbon little shops Estefania neighborhoos

Estefania: a nice and very quiet area, with lots of typical Portuguese small business ‘mom and pop’ and food shops.

Lisbon cheap tradtional restaurants Estefania

Rua Ilha da Terceira, Estefania. To eat out, try the pastelerias (cheap small restaurants, great Portugese food). Not one tourist in sight…..Chiado, Baixia and Alfama are easily reached by public transport, and even at night a taxi isn’t more than 5 euros.

Lisbon Estefania Rua da Ilha Terceira restaurant owners

The bill? Grilled salmon 5,50 euro, soup 0,90. A glass of wine 0,75.

Lisbon Saldanha luxurous shopping center

Luxury shopping center Saldanha, quite near Avenida da Liberdade, (Liberty Avenue). This broad boulevard is the Portuguese equivalent of the Champs Elysees in Paris with lots of luxury boutiques selling international brands.

Lisbon Avenida da Liberdade Pombal statue

Marquis of Pombals’ statue , a despotic marquis….more…..The Rotunda, or, officially, Praça do Marqués de Pombal

Lisbon Mercado da Ribeira: Sunday morning coin & stamp collectors

On every Sunday morning from 09:00 – 13:00, the second floor of the old market Mercado da Ribeira (map)  (Market near the river since 1882), is reserved for coin and stamp collectors.

Lisbon Mercado da Ribeira Coin Collectors Market1

Mercado da Ribeira Lisbon – coin and stamp collectors

A good Dutch friend of mine is a coin collector, he asked me to browse the markets in Lisbon.  I’m not really interested in coins, but this is worth a visit!

Lisbon Mercado da Ribeira Coin Collectors Market2

Mercado da Ribeira Lisbon – coin and stamp collectors

It seems that mostly men are interested in coin collection………and they are trading furiously!

On the background you see covered market stalls: on the other days of the week market Mercado da Ribeira, Lisbons biggest open food market , is selling fom fresh fish to fruit, from ‘hot’ piri-piri to funeral flowers waiting for a dead body….

Lisbon Mercado da Ribeira Coin Collectors Market4

Mercado da Ribeira Lisbon – coin and stamp collectors

It’s really nice to walk around here, even if you are not looking for coins or old stamps. They sell more, like calendars, very old postcards and paper money. The 2nd floor of the market has also been converted into a touristy cultural center, selling locally produced items such as port, honey, and handicrafts.

Coins collectors Feira da Ladra

Feira da Ladra Lisbon

Also at Lisbon’s famous flea market Feira da Ladra, you can find all kind of coins….

Lisbon Flea market Praca do Comercio saturday3 coins Joao

Flea market Praça do Comércio. Lisbon

….and on every Sunday there’s a small flea market at  Praça do Comércio. This is João, don’t be afraid to negotiate the price!

Lisbon Flea market Praca do Comercio saturday3 coins Joao and Jack

Praça do Comércio. – Sunday morning & coin collectors

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 Remediostalho (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……..

 

Famous Cafe ‘A Brasileira’: wonderful Art Deco style & poet Pessoa’s table

Elegant shopping street Rua Garrett,  lIsbon, that leads from the Baixa to Chiado, is named after the author and poet Joao Almeida Garrett (1799-1854). The area is also an important cultural area, with several museums and theatres.

winkelen Rua Garrett2
Rua Garett, June 2008.

On the background cafe ‘A Brasileira’ s terrace. You will see young locals here just socialising or window shopping.

Lisbon shopping Rua Garrett building

Rua Garrett, Lisbon

The most famous street of Lisbon, that mixes traditional chic and modern commercial shops, is also beloved by tourists.

Pessoa statue Cafe A Brasileira tourists

Cafe ‘A Brasileira’ (Rua Garrett 120) is famous for having had the enigmatic poet Fernando Pessoa  (1888-1935) among his customers.

Pessoa still has his table in bronze on the terrace (the work of sculptor Lagoa Henriques).

Portugal’s famous writer has no idea he’s mobbed by lots of tourists, all day long!

The downstairs seating area is a favourite with locals for a set lunch of traditional Portuguese specialties. The cafe once was the setting for tertulías literárias (lively discussion groups) in which debate would often culminate in chair throwing, cup smashing and brawls.

Lisbon shopping: Rua Garett cafe a Brasileira outside

‘A Brasileira’ (‘The Brazilian woman’), opened in 1905 as a shop selling genuine Brazilian coffee.

It was the first shop to sell the ‘bica’, a small cup of strong coffee, similar to espresso.

Lisbon shopping Rua Garrett cafe A Brasileira inside

The interior of ‘A Brasileira’ is grandiose: decorated in Art Deco style, with a green-and-gold entrance, mirrored walls, brass fittings, and a long oak bar.

However: bad service and inattentive staff  for tourists. It’s a very popular tourist destination, and prices are high.

Market Mercado de Arroios Lisbon: fresh fish, flowers, fruit & friendly people

If you like browsing through local markets, go to Mercado de Arroios in Lisbon!

Lisbon Shopping: Mercado do Arroios fresh food & fish market

Mercado de Arroios in Lisbon

The always very nice Portuguese people are proud to show you the fresh fish…

Lisbon Shopping: Mercado de Arroios fish

Mercado de Arroios in Lisbon

…..and take their time to make a friendly neighbourly talk.

Lisbon Shopping: Mercado de Arroios vegetables

Mercado de Arroios in Lisbon

This lively fresh produce & fishmarket is open from Monday-Saturday 07-00 till 14:00.

Lisbon shopping: Mercado de Arroios building

Mercado de Arroios, Rua Ângela Pinto, near the Arroios metro station, close to Estefania.
Selling locally sourced fish, meat, fresh fruit, vegetables and flowers.

Mercado da Ribeiro, famous market near the Tagus river

Rua dom Pedro V, boutiques, traditional antique shops & beautiful jacaranda trees

Walking around in Lisbon is even better after spring has sprung. The streets, squares, parks and avenues are even more beautiful now that the jacarandas are beginning to blossom. Originally from South America, these 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.

Lisbon Rua dom Pedro V Principe Real jacarandas

Rua dom Pedro V, in May.

Take the time to observe these beautiful trees, like in Rua Dom Pedro V in Principe Real (which means Real Prince) area, near Bairro Alto. a wonderful area for shopping. There’s lots of boutiques, traditional antique shops and art galleries.

Antiques Fabrico Infinito Principe Real mirror

Fabrico Infinito is a very fancy art gallery in Principe RealRua dom Pedro V, 74. Beautiful chandeliers!

Website Fabrico Infinito

Antiques Fabrico Infinito Fabrico Infinito Principe Real

Fabrico Infinito Principe RealRua dom Pedro V, 74 Lisbon

Owners: Marcela Brunken, born in Brasilia. Marcela lived and worked in Germany for a few years; and Tanja Baur, from Germany. The gallery is open from 11:00 – 19:00 daily, except Sundays and Mondays.

Principe Real Fabrico Infinito Exotico & Classico tearoom

Fabrico Infinito Principe Real Lisbon

In tea room “Exotico & Classico’ in the garden you feel like a princess in a fairy tale! They serve simply amazing cakes and tea and much more…  🙂

Lisbon Principe Real tearoom Fabrico Infinito Exotico & Classico

The bill?  A tea (cha) and a muffin de Cenour (home made) 4,70 euro.