New Rossio and other Lisbon, Portugal Things to Do Tips

Lisboa is getting prettier and prettier. The most important plaza in the Portuguese capital is sporting, since November, a new cleaned-up look, after a complex series of reconstruction efforts "closed" it off to the world for a number of years. Now, with the old statue of the monarch D. Pedro IV completely restored, with new fountains, with Portuguese cobblestones that give it a new spirit and the with the renovated façade of the Teatro Nacional D. Maria I, the Rossio lives a new, confirming its cosmopolitan voctation as one of the world's grand plazas.
In addition to cleaning the statue of D. Pedro IV and the two fountains, the whole area around the monuments was covered with new cobblestones in the "Mar Largo" pattern, with six new stone benches installed as well as five new kiosks, two for newspapers and three for florists.

Starting now, with the praça open to all, it is possible to once again "live" Lisboa to the fullest, taking advantage of the magical esplanadas the Rossio offers, cafés full of history and stories to tell.
Since the start of November, thousands of passersby have sung the praises of the Rossio's new face. In addition to the lisboetas, who saw a plaza they'd been missing for years return, the tourists are the ones who take the most photos and whose comments of admiration is often heard.

"Very pretty", "marvelous" and "fantastic" are just some of the Portuguese and foreign comments about the new plaza, and there are even those who conclude that the "Rossio is a true European plaza, like the ones we are used to seeing in the great capitals of the world".
The Praça da Figueira, which is adjacent to the Rossio, is also sporting a new face since the start of November. In addition to the repositioning of the statue of D. João I and the work on the cobblestones, the major change was the construction of a parking lot with space for 530 vehicles, open to the public since September.

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Address: In the heart of the city

Castle, situated near centre, with a scenic view of the centre and the river.
S. Jorge castle was the name given to this ancient fortress by D. João . It used to be a Roman castrum and was later replaced by an Arab castle. Some years later it was rebuilt after the second conquest.
This military structure, which dominates Lisbon, is connected to the legend of Martim Moniz, who purposefully tied himself in the castle doorway to allow D. Afonso Henriques' army to get in, in order to take Lisbon.
S Jorge castle may be divided into three areas: fortress, located at the highest part of the hill; the citadel, where the main buildings of the city existed inside the walls; and the ancient wall that accompanied the demographic growth and extended all over the hill.
In 1938, the General Direction of Buildings and National Monuments started a new campaign to restore the old castle. Most of the wall, towers and doors visitors can see are part of the "resurrection miracle".

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Address: Costa do Castelo Lisboa

Impressive monument from the XVI century, designed by Francisco de Arruda. It is situated in Belém, near Mosteiro dos Jerónimos, with a scenic view of the river and the city

Accessibility:
Easily accessible by car and public transport.
Open:
Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00-17:00.
Closed:
Monday. .

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Phone: 21 362 00 34
Address: Avenida de Brasília - Belém 1400 Lisboa

One of the great cultural centres in Europe, and a building of outstanding architecture: exhibitions, performing arts, restaurants, gardens and shops.
Conference Centre.

Every day 9 a.m. - 9.30 p.m. Exhibitions 11 a.m. - 8 p.m.. Sat., Sun. and public holidays 10 a.m-7p.m

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Phone: +351 21 361 24 44
Address: Praça do Império

Lisboa's cathedral, the Sé, was built by the first king of Portugal, Dom Afonso Henriques (1109-1185). Its interior takes the form of a latin cross with three naves. The 12th century baptismal font where Saint Anthony was christened and the Gothic chapel with a Nativity scene by sculptor Machado de Castro are also interesting to see.

9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Sun., Mon. and public holidays
9 a.m. - 7 p.m. Tues. to Sat

Bus: 37
Electric: 12,28

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Phone: + 351 21 886 67 52
Address: Largo da Sé

Imagine a site that offers some of the most daring examples of contemporary architecture, Europe's largest Oceanarium, delightful thematic gardens, exhibition centres, theatres and event halls.
All located along a breathtaking 5 km stretch of the Tagus riverfront, in the heart of Lisbon, with easy access and parking, and benefiting from a wide array of shops, restaurants and bars.
Only five minutes from Lisbon International Airport, Parque das Nações builds on the heritage of EXPO'98 - the last world exposition of the twentieth century. An invented city turned into reality.

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Address: Parque das Nações

On the south bank of the river Tagus, the Cristo Rei, built in 1959, is a 110 metre high statue of Christ from which there is a remarkable view over Lisboa and the estuary of the Tagus. There is also a church and a shop with religious items in the area.

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Phone: 21 275 10 00
Address: Almada
Other Contact: Cacilhas Ferry Port

This monument was built in 1960 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the death of Henry the Navigator (1394-1460), one of the great personalities of the Portuguese Discoveries. Inside the building there is a conference room (auditorium), exhibition rooms and a magnificent view to the mouth of the river Tagus.

01/09 - 30/06: 9h00-17h00.
01/07 - 31/08: 9h00-18h30.
Closed: Mon. and public holidays

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Phone: 21 303 19 50
Address: Avenida de Brasília

The old Mercado da Ribeira, which for decades furnished the city of Lisboa with fish, meat, vegetables and flowers, has changed vocation since the end of last year. Since the upper area was emptied out by the transfer of retail market activity to the new Mercado Abastecedor, the space was transformed into a center for handicrafts, culture and popular art, through the initiative of Turismo de Lisboa and the Câmara Municipal.
The new setup is aimed at promoting the genuine expression of popular voices from Lisboa and the Vale do Tejo, as a way to increase regional tourism, though it is also for the local population, in accordance with the idea that "what is good for the tourist must be, first and foremost, good for the residents."
The Centro de Artesanato e Cultura Popular occupies an area of four thousand square meters, with areas dedicated to the exposition and sale of handicrafts, the demonstration of artisan work, and restaurants that focus on the regional gastronomy.
An area was also created for temporary exhibitions, as well as a multifunction space for shows like popular music and dance, conferences or events.

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Address: Near Cais do Sodré
Directions: Downtown...near Tagus River

With the vertical elevator as backdrop, or during the trip itself, every single angle possible has been photographed. Photographed millions of times, the photogenic edifice is an irresistible attraction.
And there’s a very good reason: the elevador de Santa Justa offers every visitor one of the most gorgeous views of the city of Lisboa, which is not surprising given that the elevator is 45 meters high.
The Elevador de Santa Justa is a public transport vehicle from the era of iron architecture, which rises from the Rua de Santa Justa, in the Baixa, to the Largo do Carmo. It is now the only vertical elevator in the city, with the other one, at the Biblioteca, having disappeared in 1915.
The elevador’s construction was licensed July 6, 1899, with the pioneering project’s responsibilities given to the French engineer R. Mesnier du Ponsard, while the construction itself was handled by the Elevadores do Carmo company.
The attractive elevador de Santa Justa has a structure made of iron, with a 25 meter long viaduct supported on a pillar of reinforced concrete and, at one of the extremities, a metallic tower 45 meters high.
It’s easy, therefore, to understand the emotion one feels during the moments of the slow journey up, headed toward the sky. But when you get out, when the doors open and the cool wind caresses your face, there is a sea of beauty in front of you.
If you prefer, instead of walking directly forward toward the Largo do Carmo (the Convento is under construction, and can’t be visited, but the Largo, by itself, is magnificent: there’s a church, tascas, esplanadas, a fountain and the Carmo barracks, a key element in the Revolução dos Cravos in 1974, as well as providing access to the Chiado), you can climb to the top of the elevador, where you can see Lisboa from a unique perspective, relax at the beautiful esplanada, catch a few rays of sunshine and feel the city vibrating below. It’s well worth the trip, the walk and the moments up there on top, near the sky.

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Address: Downtown