Hear my travel Lisbon recommendations to AmateurTraveler.com, where I speak about the capital of my native country and how to enjoy the best of the city.
Hear about travel to Lisbon, Portugal as the Amateur Traveler talks to Nelson Carvalheiro about the capital of his native country.
Nelson recommends we start in the old quarter where the people sing the music called Fado and where the people still live like they did 50-60 years ago. The kids still play football in the street in front of a church.
“Lisbon kept all the layers of empire that were in this land: the Romans, Visigoths, Moors and all the Christian kings. All this maze of streets up and down, Lisbon is a very hilly city, of history with 18th century buildings. There is a whole lot of grandeur. Lisbon is a petite city. There are some streets close to the castle where two people can’t walk side by side.”
Lisbon has 300 days of sunshine per year so the city has trendy rooftop bars to take advantage of the weather and the sites. The city is dominated by a castle with its belvederes although Nelson prefers the view from the Miradoura de Graca. Lisbon also has almost 10 Km of riverfront with a riverwalk. After visiting the old town you can walk down to Belém where the Portuguese voyages of discovery sailed from.
Nelson says that Lisbon is a more affordable city than some other European capitals. “One of our main snacks is a pint of beer and a few prawns on a dish and it will cost you 3 euros”. He gives us a number of his favorite restaurants to try and dishes to eat.
The city has two UNESCO World Heritage sites: Jerónimos Monastery and the Belém Tower. The Belém Tower was built in the middle of the river to prevent pirate attacks.
Every city in Portugal has a patron saint and Lisbon’s is St Anthony. Nelson recommends coming for the Santo Antonio Festival in the middle of June when the whole city turns into one big street party.
For more Lisbon recommendations check out my other posts:
What and where to Eat and Drink in Lisbon;
Where and What to shop in Lisbon;