Destination: LISBON, PORTUGAL

Lisbon is the capital of Portugal. Known for thrilling nightlife, in the last few years it has become recognized as Europe's gambling centre, due to its two huge casinos.

Like Rome, Istanbul, and Seattle, Lisbon is built on seven hills.

Lisbon is the westernmost capital in mainland Europe. It is located in the west of the country, on the Atlantic Ocean coast at the point where the river Tagus flows into the Atlantic Ocean.

UNDERSTAND LISBON

The city boundaries, unlike those of most major cities, are narrowly defined around the historical city perimeter. This gave rise to the existence of several administratively defined cities around Lisbon, such as Amadora, Queluz, Cacem, Odivelas, Almada, Barreiro, Loures, and Oeiras, which are in fact part of the metropolitan perimeter of Lisbon.

The western side of the city is mainly occupied by the Monsanto Forest Park, one of the largest urban parks in Europe with an area close to 10 square kilometres (almost 4 square miles).

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THINGS TO SEE IN LISBON

The Gulbenkian Museum, Avenida de Berna, 45A. Created from the personal collection of Calouste Gulbenkian, an Armenian who longed to see all his treasures displayed in a museum. A nice assortment of Egyptian artifacts, along with paintings by masters such as Rembrandt, Manet, Monet, Renoir, and Cassat. The museum's gardens are worth a visit in and of themselves, as a little oasis in the middle of downtown Lisbon. Entry to the museum is free for students with ID.
St. Jorge's Castle. Located up the hill, with a great view over the city and the river. If you have the energy, get there by walking from downtown, going through the fantastic old neighborhood of Alfama.
Santa Justa's Elevator. Located downtown, this elevator was designed by a follower of French engineer Gustav Eiffel and connects the downtown to the Trindade, located several meters uphill.
Praca do Comercio. This magnificent plaza, facing the river, is the beginning of Lisboa's downtown. It is also known as 'Terreiro do Paco', meaning 'Garden of the Palace', relating to its function before the Great Earthquake of 1755.
Centro Cultural de Belem. This monument-packed neighbourhood features the likes of Belem Tower (Torre de Belem), the Jerónimos Monastery, Padrao dos Descobrimentos and the modern Belem Cultural Center. A stroll around its many gardens enjoying the river's bright blue is also a must. In front of the former Royal Palace of Belem, now the Presidential Palace, there is a massive statue looking out to sea, representing Afonso de Albuquerque, first Viceroy of Portuguese India at the early 16th century. Housed in the former ridding school of the palace, don't miss the world's largest collection of coaches and royal vehicles at the Coach Museum (Museu dos Coches). Take tram 15 to the west, which follows the coast line.
Chiado. Take a stroll along the historical streets of this elegant shopping district, stopping for a cup of coffee with the statue of Fernando Pessoa, Portugal's great Modernist poet. Head uphill to Bairro Alto, for stunning views of the city and some wild partying in Lisbon's most popular nightclub district.
Downtown (Baixa). This part of the city was completely rebuilt after the 1755 earthquake by the Marquis de Pombal. The planned layout, greatly different from what you will see in the more ancient neighborhoods, is a testimony to the ideas of the Enlightenment.
Ponte 25 de Abril. This sister bridge of the Golden Gate in San Francisco was designed by the same architect in 1966 to connect Lisbon with the Setubal peninsula across the Tagus (Tejo) River. Formerly known as the Salazar Bridge, it was renamed after the Carnation Revolution, which on April 25, 1974 ended the dictatorship.
Cristo Rei. Similar to the Christ statue in Rio de Janeiro, this statue stands over 100 meters tall on the opposite bank of the Tejo River from downtown Lisbon. Views from the top of the statue are breathtaking, although the elevator up will cost you 3 euros.
Jardim Zoológico. A zoo that is fairly pricey, but with a variety of animals.
Parque das Nacoes. Built for the 1998 World Expo, the eastern side of town (take the Metro to Oriente) is a change from downtown and has one of the world's largest aquariums (9 euro admission fee), among other sights.
Lisbon metro. Most of the metro system is a free art gallery. You'll find art by contemporary artists inspired by the stations' surrounding area. Check the subway webpage for more details on this curiosity. The red line is the newest one and has the best pieces of art.
Fundacao Arpad Szenes / Vieira da Silva
Alfama. This neighbourhood is a sign of the Muslim presence in the city, with the buildings very close to each other, and very irregular streets. It's very atmospheric.

SHOPPING IN LISBON

Shops open a little later than other places in Europe, and the lunch breaks can be quite long, usually from 1pm to 3pm. They are usually closed on Sundays, but you'll find that some which are open for a couple of hours. Most malls, however, are open on Sundays, such as Colombo (beside the Colegio Militar/Luz metro station), the Armazens do Chiado, the Vasco da Gama (beside the Oriente metro station), and Amoreiras (not far from the Marquês de Pombal metro station). Grocery stores are closed on Sundays, after 1PM, except those smaller than 2000m2.

You can buy a Lisbon Shopping Card, which gives you discounts at major stores around the city for a period of 24 hours.

From Praca do Comercio (aka Terreiro do Paco) to the Restauradores, the Baixa is the best shopping district in the city. Stroll along the pedestrian Rua Augusta, with everything from tourist stores to European chain clothing stores like Zara, H&M, Campers and many others.

NIGHTLIFE IN LISBON

Lisbon is known for its lively night. For going out, stroll around the old neighborhood of Bairro Alto ('high neighborhood') for an after-dinner caipirinha or ginjinha and people-watching. It's located on the top of one of the hills and you can get there by subway (Baixa/Chiado station) or by taking the marvelous funicular from the Restauradores plaza. Its small streets, full of people, are packed with high variety of bars. Friday and Saturday nights are the busiest, but the Bairro is rocking every night until dawn.

Alcantara, Santos, Parque das Nacoes, and the castle area are all neighbourhoods with a thriving nightlife. The whole area near the river/Atlantic, known as the docas, is a huge hub for nightlife, as Lisbon has never lost its ties to the sea.

If you are interested in the less touristy but more alternative and local scene, this ERASMUS student guide has up-to-date information on events and listings of bars, clubs and restaurants in Lisbon.

TRIPS OUT OF LISBON

Sintra is a beautiful UNESCO World Heritage site village 30 minutes by car/train from Lisbon.
Praia das Macas is a small and surprisingly calm seaside resort about 30km to the west.
Azeitao some 30km South of Lisbon, this small region consists of a series of lovely villages, of which Vila Nogueira de Azeitao and Vila Fresca de Azeitao are the most well known. Azeitao stands between the Arrabida Nature Park and the coast. In the park you'll meet the last remains of the original Mediterranean flora. Also, there is the famous Convent of Arrabida to visit and the stunning views from its hills and at its peak.
Vila Nogueira de Azeitao - visit the beautiful Winery and palace "Quinta da Bacalhoa". Visit also the grand estate and winery of "Jose Maria da Fonseca". Igreja de Sao Lorenco with hand painted tile pannels, gilded wood chappels and a Lucca Della Robbia medallion. Convent of S. Domingos
Vila Fresca de Azeitao

For more information on Lisbon, visit the source at Wikitravel

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Lisbon, Portugal