Category Archives: Lisbon

A bit of what you see when you’re walking the streets in Lisbon. Even windows, doors, balconies and (tiled) walls deserve a moment’s attention.

The Jeronimos Monastery struck me as one of the most impressive religious structures I’d seen in 50 years of European travel. The city tourist office calls Jeronimos Monastery the most prestigious place of worship in Lisbon. The Monastery’s lush, ornate decoration makes stone seem as light as air. The church of the monastic complex, dedicated […]

Lisbon is situated on the northern banks of the River Tagus, the longest river (626 miles) on the Iberian Peninsula. The river has impacts on the city from end to end. For about a mile along the Tagus, you can take a 100-foot-high cable car line, which ends at the city’s Nations Park. Riders are […]

Not a park — a city street. The Avenida da Liberdade (Avenue of Liberty) has long been considered the heart of Lisbon and its most prestigious address.

The ornate Belem Tower made UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites in 1983. The tower was built in the 16th Century to reinforce defenses on the shores of the Tagus River. The architect inserted Moorish elements in the structure and decoration of the tower. The watchtowers, roofed balconies, windows, loggias and intricate decorative motifs make […]

Lisbon’s Maritime Museum was created to honor Portugal’s naval achievements, starting from the 15th Century, the age of the great geographical discoveries. The collection features old maps, models of ships, 18th Century royal ceremonial barges, sailing instruments (including the world’s largest collection of astrolabes), charts, paintings and archeological findings related to seafaring. We thought the […]

The Monument to the Discoveries memorializes the age of the great geographical discoveries, when Portugal dominated sea trade among the continents. From the perspective of many non-Europeans, the Age of Discovery marked the arrival of invaders from previously unknown continents.

Lisbon is built on seven hills. St. George Castle is an 11th Century Moorish castle and palace ruins that sits on the Alfama hilltop, overlooking Lisbon center.