A weekend in the beautiful city of Lisbon

As I’m spending my 2021 summer in Europe, I took the opportunity to travel and visited my best friend who just moved to Lisbon in Portugal. In this article, I will give you some advice on how to spend a weekend in the beautiful city of Lisbon.

Depending on where you’re traveling from, you might arrive at Lisbon airport. It’s small enough and located right next to the city center. As most of the Taxi drivers don’t speak English, I would advise taking Uber unless you speak Portuguese. Also, because as a tourist they would otherwise try to charge you more. And most of them only take cash so if you do have to take one don’t forget to take some. The course should be between 8 to 15 euros to get to the city center.

As I stayed at my friend’s flat, I didn’t experience accommodation there. But from what I hear, Airbnb or Booking would be the perfect place to find your holiday home. I stayed right on Avenida da Liberdade which is central and easy to access. It’s one of the main boulevards famous for its luxury shops and restaurants. As Lisbon is not too big you can stay anywhere in the city center and still be able to see most of it. For food near Avenida da Liberdade, I advise going for dinner at Jncquoi Asia https://www.jncquoi.com/asia/ but you need to book in advance as it’s a popular place. And for brunch at Zenith http://www.zenithcaffe.pt/pt_pt/

The city is walkable but as it’s a city built on 7 hills, make sure to wear the right shoes. The floor is made of pavement which can be slippery especially on a rainy day. Otherwise, in terms of transport, the subway is actually really enjoyable. It’s clean and safe and will take you pretty much everywhere. And taxi or uber is also an option, prices are not too bad and the traffic is never crazy.

During the day, you can explore the city there’s plenty to do! The main place is Rossio where you can see Praça Dom Pedro IV, and not far, Carmo Convent. Walk until the Arco da Rua Augusta right in front of the Praça do Comércio and the Cais das Colunas right in the Tagus River. From there, you can take a walk along the river until Time our Market Lisbon. You have to stop there and try their famous pastéis de Nata at Manteigaria, one of the best ones I had! https://www.timeoutmarket.com/lisboa/en/eat-and-drink/manteigaria-fabrica-de-pasteis-de-nata/ It’s also a great place for lunch. For dinner nearby, there’s a stunning place called Java, it has a rooftop and the food is great! https://java.superbexperience.com/ And near this place for a lively night out I recommend pink street.

The famous pastéis de Nata at Manteigari

You can then keep walking along the river until the Lx Market not far from the bridge. You’ll find a lot of cute shops there and places to eat or drink, it’s also a cool place to go out in the evening, it’s very lively and trendy.

Alfama is also a great area to explore, you can climb to the National Pantheon and admire the view before going to a local market and find a nice place for lunch. You can also visit the Castelo de S. Jorge if you still have the energy to climb there. For a nice break or for a meal with a view I recommend Torel Palace Lisbon. https://www.torelboutiques.com/torel-palace-lisbon/ The view is amazing and the place itself is also beautiful!

In a completely different direction, you can explore Eduardo VII park, further north. It’s a big park perfect for a nice walk with some stunning architectural pieces. There’s the Amoreiras Shopping Center not far from the park where you can find all the local and international brands.

One evening, you must watch the sunset from one of the Miraduro of the city. I experienced it from Miradouro da Senhora do Monte and it was truly wonderful!