Name: Lisbon Vacation Travel Guide | Expedia
Uploaded: 2017-10-30T15:49:47.000Z
Duration: 14 min 40 s
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where the Tagus River meets the Atlantic Ocean.

the city predates Rome, Paris and London by centuries,

and possesses an epic narrative to match.

From its early days as a Phoenician outpost

to it’s expansion into a 16th century trading giant,

Lisbon has long been a city of shifting fortunes.

For much of the 20th century the city floundered,

but the winds of fate have again shifted in Lisbon’s favour.

21st century Lisbon is again a place of possibilities.

This is a city whose journey has forever been tied to the sea,

so it’s not surprising that many of her most important landmarks

Rising from the banks of the Tagus River,

the fortified elegance of the Torre de Belem stands as a reminder

of Portuguese prestige and power in days of old.

Just upriver, rises the Monument of The Discoveries,

which celebrates the nation’s most revered seafarers,

such as Prince Henry The Navigator, Vasco da Gama, and Ferdinand Magellan.

Climb to the rooftop and look down upon the Mapa Mundi below,

which charts the routes and discoveries of Portugal’s intrepid mariners.

Nearby, continue your voyage into Lisbon’s seafaring past

Vasco da Gama spent his last night in prayer on this site,

before departing on his epic voyage to the Orient in 1497.

was funded by the incredible wealth da Gamma’s spice routes brought to the city.

This vast monastery complex is also home to the city’s maritime museum,

which preserves relics from Portugal’s  Golden Age of Sail.

Portugal’s rulers forced the resident monks to vacate their beloved monastery.

Destitute, the monks sold a prized possession

the neighbouring Belem Patisserie serves over twenty thousand pastel de nata

…and the recipe remains a guarded secret to this day.

Once you’ve stocked up on the world’s finest pastel de nata,

set sail to the newest horizons in creativity

at The Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology.

the Portuguese love of the sea continues at the city’s acclaimed Oceanario,

where hundreds of species glide by in a celebration of the global ocean.

From here, climb aboard the cable car and glide upriver again,

for birds-eye views of the city and the eleven-mile long,

Ponte Vasco da Gama, the longest bridge in Europe.

The waterfront is also where you’ll find the city’s grand gateway,

This great square in the centre of the Baxia District was once the home of the Royal Palace,

until a fateful All-Saints Day in November 1755

when a natural disaster changed Lisbon and Europe, forever.

At the Lisbon Story Centre, feel the devastating tremors of that six-minute earthquake,

and the terror of the tsunami and five-day firestorm that followed.

The earthquake obliterated 85% of the city,

Within a year, the rebuilding of Lisbon was well underway.

Wide avenues replaced the medieval rabbit warrens of old,

and a new style of elegant, earthquake-resistant architecture was born, Pombaline.

The earthquake also shook the city free from the religious dogma of old,

and from its cracks came the fresh new shoots of The Enlightenment.

Pass beneath the triumphal arch crowned with the figures of Glory, Valor and Genius,

a tribute to the city’s swift reconstruction.

Then simply drift down Rua Augusta, and into another of Lisbon’s great squares, the Rossio.

If Praca do Comercio is the city’s gateway, the Rossio is its heart.

Since the middle ages, Lisbon’s citizens have gathered here for bullfights and celebrations.

Today, it’s the perfect place to relax by the cool of its fountains

and on the waves of its patterned pavement.

Lisbon belongs to that club of great cities which are defined by seven hills,

so wherever you roam, eventually you’ll find yourself going up to take in the views.

Luckily, Lisboetas have come up with some innovative solutions

From the Lower Town, ride the Elevador de Santa Justa, to the Barrio Alto District.

Here you’ll find the Convento do Carmo,

whose unrestored arches bare testament to the devastation

Climb aboard Tram 28, which passes some of the cities most iconic sights.

Then from Portas do Sol, make the climb to Castelo de São Jorge.

From high on the battlements of this 11th century Moorish citadel

the red tiled roofs of Lisbon spread out before you,

stepping down to the lower town and the blue Tagus beyond.

You’ll find trams rattling all over Lisbon,

which runs between the Lower Town to Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcãntara,

the perfect place to watch the city light up at dusk with someone special.

Although the Great Earthquake reduced much of Lisbon to rubble and cinders,

Lose yourself amid the ancient  cobblestones and steps,

where cafes, bars and artisan shops have taken residence

Yet the area still retains its village atmosphere,

especially during the midsummer festivals when over

50 street parties pop up all over the city.

The Alfama is home to the Romanesque Towers of Lisbon’s Cathedral,

whose walls date back to the second crusade

when the city was liberated from the Moors.