12 Hours in Lisbon

A beautiful, quaint city by the River Tagus, Lisbon clings on to the past with all its might, showing you its wonders all in the span of a day, making your Portugal holiday a memorable one—however short!

By Raul Dias

With its winding cobblestoned streets and breath-taking architecture, Lisbon is much more than just the capital of Portugal. Imbued with as much history as culture, a trip to this great European city is rewarding beyond compare. And there is much to be seen and done, even if you have just a few hours in this stunning city of seven hills that sits pretty by the River Tagus! 

8.30am Start your day about town just like the sugar-loving Lisbonites do — with a cup of ferociously potent black coffee and a plate of scrumptious egg custard tarts. Doused with powdered sugar and lashings of cinnamon dust, these beauties are best had at the Pastéis de Belém pastry shop in the Belém neighbourhood that has been making them since 1837, following an ancient recipe from the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos. Speaking if which walk off all the excesses of the morning with a saunter down to the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos — a stunning Gothic edifice and the attached Church of Santa Maria that houses the tomb of the great Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama who first European to reach India by sea, and thus helping Portugal colonise Goa.

9.45am While you’re still in Belém cross over the busy intersection via the footbridge and spend some time at the Belém Tower that was built in the early 16th century and is a prominent example of the Portuguese Manueline architectural style. A short walk down will have you staring at the Padrão dos Descobrimentos monument built in the Modern Classicism style of sculpture. Located along the Tagus river where ships departed to explore and trade with India and Orient, the monument celebrates the Portuguese Age of Discovery during the 15th and 16th centuries.   

12pm Hop on a local bus or better still a tourist rickshaw — just like the one’s here in India — and head into the heart of Lisbon at the beautiful Praça do Rossio square. It is from here that central Lisbon was rebuilt and laid out in a grid-like pattern after the 1755 earthquake destroyed part of the city. Today, the square — once the setting of popular revolts and celebrations, bullfights and executions — is now a preferred meeting place of Lisbonites who can be seen basking in the sunlight sitting on its wave-patterned tiled ground. A little further away, the hip and trendy Chiado area is the best place for some shopping and people watching as you catch the world go by near the statue of 16th century epic poet Luis de Camões at Camões Square.

2pm For lunch, why not go colonial? Confused? With nearly half a dozen erstwhile colonies including Goa here in India, Mozambique and Brazil, Portugal’s cuisine today bears a lot of influences from them. Serving some of the most authentic Goan food this side of the Mandovi river is the The Cantinho da Paz Goan restaurant in Bairro Alto with fiery vindaloo and chicken cafreal up for grabs. For a more exotic meal try the Brazilian pork and beans dish called feijoada at one of the many street-side cafes that dot the Restauradores neighbourhood while you nurse that glass of ruby red Port wine!  

3.30pm Trek up one of the city’s seven hills to visit a city icon — Saint George’s Castle that can be seen from almost everywhere in the city. Its oldest parts date from the 6th century, when it was fortified by the Romans, Visigoths, and eventually the Moors. It is now an oasis of peace, but just past the main gate is a statue of King Afonso Henriques and a series of cannons, reminders of the castle’s original purpose. What remains of the Alcaçovas Palace where medieval kings lived, is a stone building now housing a restaurant, and round the back, a small archaeological museum.

5pm With one of the most unusual of all structures in Lisbon, the Islamic architecture style-influenced Campo Pequeno Bullring should be your next stop to catch some bull fighting action. Inspired by the neo-Mudéjar, a Romantic style inspired by the old Arab architecture from Iberia, this bull fighting arena was built in 1892. Interestingly, unlike Spanish bullfighting, in Portugal the bull is not killed at the end of the fight. This was decreed by King Miguel of Portugal during his reign of 1828–1834 as he considered it inhumane to the animal.  

7pm Embark on a tranquil Tagus river cruise as you sail past other Lisbon icons like the Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro-inspired Christ the King statue dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ that overlooks the city arms stretched wide on the Almada on the left bank of the river! You will also sail under the 25 de Abril Bridge which is a suspension bridge connecting the main city of Lisbon to Almada. A doppelganger of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, this Portuguese iteration has a total length of 2,277m, and is the 27th largest suspension bridge in the world for those of you who like trivia!

8.30pm You simply cannot leave Lisbon without taking in the heart-breaking beauty of a Fado performance at one of the city’s many Fado venues like the famed Clube de Fado in Alfama. This melancholic form of music is characterized by mournful tunes and lyrics, often about the sea or the life of the poor, and infused with a sentiment of resignation and fatefulness....

Pics: Raul Dias and Turismo de Portugal

FACT FILE

Getting there
While there are no direct flights from India to Lisbon, the best way to get there is via a major Western European city such as Paris, Amsterdam, Munich or Zurich. From there, there are several daily flights to Lisbon on airlines such as TAP, Swiss Airlines, Air France, Lufthansa, KLM and Easy Jet. The super-efficient metro, buses, trams and reasonable taxis make travelling within Lisbon a piece of cake… or better still, have a go at it on foot! Indian passport holders need a Schengen visa to visit Portugal, which can be obtained at the Portuguese Embassy Delhi or at the consulate in Mumbai.

When to visit
Spring and summer are the best times to visit this sun-soaked city by the River Tagus, with the months from May to September being jam-packed with street performers, carnivals and other fun activities!

Accommodation
Lisbon has an excellent selection of hotels to choose from to suit all budgets and tastes. Two of the best value-for-money options include Palacio Belmonte (www.palaciobelmonte.com) and Pousada de Lisboa (www.pousadas.pt).

(A shorter, differently edited version of this piece was first published in the July 2017 issue of The Week's Smart Life magazine)