Lisbon : DK Travel

These days, fewer visitors approach Lisbon from the sea than once used to, but the wide turn many airliners make over the beach at Caparica – before crossing the river above the red suspension bridge and sweeping over the city’s roofs to the airport – is a pretty good introduction too. Lisbon is a city of immediate charms, and of a deeper beauty that must be sought out. The light loves it, painting it in warm pink hues and bright blues. It is an old place, steeped in history, but not closed in on itself as it once was. Lisbon’s youthful, modern side includes a nightlife which is among Europe’s liveliest, latest and most diverse.

1. Castelo de São Jorge

Crowning the hill where Lisbon’s original settlers lived, the city’s medieval castle is a successful and evocative reconstruction. Best of all are the views from the esplanade (see Castelo de São Jorge ).
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2. Mosteiro dos Jerónimos

The Manueline is Portugal’s own architectural style. Its beginnings, and some of its greatest expressions, can be seen in the glorious national monument that is the Jerónimos Monastery (see Mosteiro dos Jerónimos ).
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3. Sé Catedral

Lisbon’s cathedral was built for the city’s first bishop in the middle of the 12th century, just after the Christian reconquest. It is a fortress-like structure whose stone glows amber as the sun sets (see Sé Catedral ).
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4. Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga

Housed in a grand 17th-century palace, Portugal’s national gallery displays art that places Portugal in a historical context – as well as other treasures (see Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga ).
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5. Parque das Nações

Flanked by the Vasco da Gama Bridge, the site of Lisbon’s sea-themed Expo 98 has been transformed into a dynamic leisure, business and residential area (see Parque das Nações ).
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6. Torre de Belém

The boot-shaped defensive tower at Belém is one of Lisbon’s emblems, but it is also one of the most perfect examples of the Manueline style, with proportions that please, rather than inspire awe (see Torre de Belém ).
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7. Museu Nacional do Azulejo

This beautiful museum displays and explains the essential Portuguese decorative element – the tile. It also has some of the city’s most stunning convent and church interiors (see Museu Nacional do Azulejo ).
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8. Palácio de Queluz

A Rococo feast, ripe with culture and aspiration, this summer palace just outside Lisbon was for a brief period the royal family’s permanent residence. It still exudes an air of fussily ordered pleasure (see Palácio de Queluz ).
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9. Museu Calouste Gulbenkian

A museum of the highest international calibre, the Gulbenkian is a small, coolly pleasant universe of art history, where visitors can drift around oblivious of any other (see Museu Calouste Gulbenkian ).
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10. Sintra

Sintra is a powerful magnet for most visitors to Lisbon, but it is wise to do as Lord Byron did, and absorb the city first before moving on to Sintra – the better to appreciate the contrast.
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