"Lisbon, the town with the endless discoveries" Lisbon by ptitetoile

Lisbon Travel Guide: 5,119 reviews and 12,617 photos

LISBON IS FOR ME THE CITY OF THE DISCOVERIES!

Discoveries of the past

There, you can feel every where the influence of the glorious time of the Discovery of the new way to India thanks Vasco de Gama.

Vasco da Gama sailed from Lisbon, Portugal, on July 8, 1497, heading to the East. At the time, many people thought that da Gama's trip would be impossible because it was assumed that the Indian Ocean was not connected to any other seas. Da Gama's patron was King Manuel I of Portugal.

Da Gama rounded Africa's Cape of Good Hope on November 22, and continued on to India. After many stops in Africa, and problems with Muslim traders who did not want interference in their profitable trade routes, da Gama reached Calicut, India on May 20, 1498.

At first, Vasco da Gama and his trading were well-received, but this did not last for long. Da Gama left India on August 29, 1498, after he was told to pay a large tax and leave all of his trading goods. When he left, da Gama took his goods with him, together with some Indian hostages.

Da Gama returned to Lisbon, Portugal, in September, 1499. Along the way many crew members died from scurvy (a disease caused by a lack of Vitamin C). Upon his return, da Gama was treated as a hero and was rewarded by the king.

In honnor to this great sailor, there is a giant monument in front of the Belem monastery : the Discoveries Monument. Although this monument is quite modern, I could feel the exciting atmosphere of an adventure trip... very strange! Maybe is the attraction of the opening of the Tejo river to the ocean...

Discoveries of today

But discoveries are still possible now... Lisbon is a city that can be discovered again and again : every corner of a street makes you want to go further...and discover another typical street, another wonderful view on the Tejo river, another glimpse of portugese daily life in the street...

Lisbon is a City that makes you dream :

A French poet-friend who lived there a couple of years there told me what was Lisbon before my visit : "Une ville ou marcher et marcher encore, errer a l'envie, se perdre dans des rues inondees de lumiere. Et puis le fleuve tout proche, c'est comme la mer...Une ville qui transpire l'histoire passee baroque... " and now that I have seen it, I am totally agree with him : it is a town where you have to walk over and over again, get lost in the streets full of light. The river is like a sea...It is a town where you can feel the past baroc history throught the walls, the pavement...

Lisbon and the area has inspired a lot of poets :

-Baudelaire said about Lisbon : "Cette ville est au bord de l'eau; on dit qu'elle est batie en marbre [...], un paysage fait avec la lumiere et le mineral, et le liquide pour les reflechir!"

-A lot of poets came to live and/or build a palace in the area to the north of Lisbon called Sintra. The English poet Lord Byron called it "glorious Eden".

Last visit to Lisbon: May 2004
Intro Updated Feb 2, 2005
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Reviews (29)

Monument to the Discoveries Things to Do (23)

The Monument to the Discoveries was inaugurated in 1960 during celebrations of the 500 year anniversary of the death of... more travel advice

Belem Tower Things to Do (23)

Belém Tower was built in the Age of the Discoveries (when defending the city was of paramont importance) in tribute to... more travel advice

looking at the Ajuda patios Things to Do (23)

Ajuda, the labor neighborhood, is very charming with its small patios (courts surrounded by houses and appartments). In... more travel advice

Walking through Ajuda Things to Do (23)

Ajuda is one of the most authentic neighborhoods of Lisbon, full of colorfull houses and very nice inner courts (called... more travel advice

Transportation (1)
Yellow trams
Hotels (1)
For a quiet night under a palm tree
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Written Jun 23, 2004

6 photos

Every day life in Lisbon

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Comments (11)

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fabrice Sep 22, 2005 at 12:59 AM

tres complet et joli ! je connais vraiment rien du portugal
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Mahieu Feb 2, 2005 at 10:55 AM

Great page! I'll be in Lisbon in 3 weeks, I can hardly wait! I like the way you take time to discover a city! Greetings, see ya!
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illudiumqh36 Feb 2, 2005 at 1:04 AM

Great page and tips...I think I'm going this August and I'm sure your tips will be very useful. Thks The every day life pics in travelogue are wonderful!!!
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chiara76 Jan 25, 2005 at 12:57 PM

Wonderful page about Lisbon!! It is one of the most wonderful cities on the world which I love a lot. Good pictures and useful infos, good job Sarah!! Greetings from Poland.
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Pavlik_NL Oct 7, 2004 at 6:42 AM

Yep, it's definately time for me to go to Lisboa and Portugal. Wonderful page and great pictures. Thanks Sarah, you re-awoken my enthusiasm. Paul
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richard236 Sep 1, 2004 at 1:49 PM

Thank you for your comments. Your advice on taking the tram to see the sights will be very helpfull. I am visiting Lisbon whilst on a P & O Cruise - How far from where the Cruise docks to Lisbon and will it be better to go by taxi or public transport?
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Biljana Jul 29, 2004 at 10:40 PM

Beautiful page... the lifts (elevadores) look really neat. After looking at your page I really wish to visit this beautiful city.
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quartinb Jul 13, 2004 at 6:43 AM

improved and accurate tips of lisboa...!
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mcb Jun 15, 2004 at 11:09 AM

I always love to see pages about my city... thanks
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Faracy Jun 15, 2004 at 9:26 AM

You have some really good technical information about my favorite things in Lisboa.. the Ponte de Abril bridge for instance... Good job...