Lisbon Sights

This is a guide to Lisbon sights – places to visit, things to do if you visit the city. There are far many sights and tourist attractions than can be listed on this one page but my intention is to offer you the most popular, the most worthy of visiting if your visit to Lisbon is a weekend city break.

Activities Lisbon

Besides the Lisbon sights, there are activities in Lisbon. You can hire bikes, electric vehicles, participate in water sports or hire go-karts and spend some time karting around Parque das Nações. You can buy tickets for the Pavillion and take in a show - this year has seen the likes of Elton John, Mama Mia - The Musical, Mika and the Rock in Rio festival arrive in Lisbon.

There are guided city tours, walks and even guided nights out to be had. You can get to know about and listen to the hauntingly beautiful Fado - eat in a Fado house then sit back and let the saudades take you back to times long past, where nostalgia rules and we long for simpler lives.

Sights And Attractions In Lisbon

As said at the beginning of the page, there are many sights and attractions in Lisbon. Here are the top four, listed because they're the most popular and offer the widest variety of things to do, places to visit and sights to take in whilst staying in Lisbon.

1. Parque das Nações

The site was built for Expo ’98. Post exhibition, the site was closed then reopened with architectural tweaks and attractions. It’s the complete opposite of downtown Lisbon, the historical districts such as Alfama and Graça. It’s a contemporary delight of modern architecture and tourist attractions – you can easily spend a whole day enjoying the sights and sounds.

Found here:

• Oceanarium
• Science Museum
• Cable Cars
• Shopping Mall
• Restaurants
• Outdoor Gardens and Walkways
• Bike and Kart Hire

How to get there: metro, Red Line, Orient Station


2. Rossio

Rossio is in downtown Lisbon (Baixa) and boasts perhaps the most beautiful public square in the city. On two sides, it’s flanked with street cafés and restaurants and at it’s head it the Dona Maria II National Theatre – a neoclassical structure that was built around 170 years ago. The square itself boasts two fountains, with a 27m high statue erected in the middle. The south of the square leads directly into Pombaline downtown and here you can find:

• Santa Justa Elavador
• Praça do Cómercio
• Narrow streets, all leading down to the waterfront – well worth browsing around.

How to get there: Metro, Green line, Rossio Station

3. Belém

Belém is situated west of downtown Lisbon. It’s host to the glory of Portugal – the days when the country was known as one of the most important seafaring nations in the world. It’s worth a walk along the waterfront, in order for you to view the Torre de Belém and the Discoveries Monument. On the other side of the main road, there are many other tourist attractions and places of interest:

• Belém Palace
• Maritime Museum
• Antiga Confeitaria de Belém – home to the famous Pasteis de Belém
• Jerónimos Monastery
• Belém Cultural Centre
• And much more

How to get there: Tram #15 – from either Cómercio or Figueira Square

4. Alfama

The Alfama district is probably the most historical in Lisbon, not least because the area survived the devastating Earthquake in 1755, that otherwise destroyed the entire city. It sits beneath the Castelo de São Jorge and is a favorite with tourists, photographers and walkers. The whole district has a distinct medieval ambience and is host to a number of beautiful museums and churches.

To see and do:

• The Tile Museum
• The Cathedral – the oldest surviving building in Lisbon
• São Vicente de Fora Church
• São Jorge Castle
• Military Museum

How to get there: walk up, from either Rossio or downtown Lisbon. It’s a steep climb but stopping off at any one of the numerous cafés or places of interest will make the walk easier.