The capital of Portugal has experienced a renaissance in recent years and has reclaimed its rightful place as the 'golden city' of southern Europe. After slumbering for decades, the city's modern, vibrant and cosmopolitan identity is today much similar to that which it enjoyed in the 15th and 16th centuries during the age of the great discoverers, when Lisbon was the centre of trade with the East and the starting point for maritime exploration of the globe.
The city fathers of Lisbon elected to invest in some rejuvenation in the 1990s, and this ongoing focus on the future has made the most of the city's attributes and attractions, both old and new. Infrastructure has also been improved, with additions like the impressive Vasco da Gama Bridge across the River Tagus, which links the city's airport to a network of national motorways and has facilitated access to other parts of Portugal. There is also a new showcase railway hub, the Gare de Oriente, which is the pride of a new modern suburb on the east bank of the Tagus, creating an even better link between Lisbon and the rest of Europe.
While much is new, there is plenty of the old left to charm visitors, giving the metropolis a slightly provincial air. The delightful, picturesque medieval section of Alfama skirts the city's Sao Jorge castle, and historic wooden trams ply noisily up and down steep hills past art deco cafes and mosaic-decorated pavements. Many of the relics of the city's golden age were destroyed in an earthquake in 1755, but some survived and are popular tourist attractions, complemented now by modern sights, like the futuristic Oceanarium.
Within easy reach of the city are the sandy beaches of several coastal resorts, such as Costa da Caparica, Estoril and Cascais, as well as the forested areas of Sintra and attractions like the extraordinary Mafra monastery. The mood of Lisbon is light and bright, confident, fresh and avante garde, ready to welcome the world to the doorstep as one of the great capitals of Europe.
Lisbon
The Lisbon Marathon is attracting more and more runners each year as its reputation extends as one of the best marathons in the world, primarily because of the beautiful city in which it is run but also because of the high level of organisation. Crowds gather to cheer the runners on as they prepare to start the full marathon or the half marathon. The race starts in the Praça do Comércio and does three circular routes, east, west and north, each time returning to the start point. | |  |
Lisbon - Parque Nações
The Rio Carnival may be the most famous in the world but it all started here in Portugal's capital. Even though today the Brazilian infused mega-carnival on the other side receives most of the international attention, the Lisbon Carnival, a celebration of the end of winter, is still a major event on the city's calendar. The entrudois the highlight of the festival, closing on the last day, and processions of floats make their way down the colourful streets while jugglers and masked celebrators join in the cacophony of music and cheering. The focal point of the festival is in Parque Nações but parties are celebrated all along the coast. | |  |
| Great Orchestras of the World |
Lisbon - Coliseu dos Recreios
Featuring various internationally renowned conductors and soloists, the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation presents its Grandes Orquestras Mundiais(Great Orchestras of the World) series in Lisbon's Coliseu dos Recreios. The series includes performances by the BBC Symphony Orchestra ; Mariinsky Theatre Symphony Orchestra from St Petersburg ; Philadelphia Orchestra ; Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra ; and the Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra . | |  |
Lisbon - Estadio Nacional
With almost EUR530,000 in prize money, the ATP/WTA Estoril Open begins the clay court tennis season. The first two days are qualifying rounds, after which the main draw takes place. Tickets are available online or from the Pavilhão Atlântico, as well as from FNAC or El Corte Inglés stores and free transport to the stadium is available from Entrecampos, Amoreiras, Cais do Sodré and Belém.
| |  |
Lisbon - Various
Divided into three main categories, and held at various venues around the city, the Lisbon Village Festival showcases music, arts and film for the digital generation. The three main areas are the VIDCF film competition, which awards prizes in various categories and showcases films from Poland and Japan, among other special screenings, Village Art, which features contemporary digital art exhibits, and Village Lounge, which is where the DJs and VJs entertain directors, actors, press and visitors. | |  |
Lisbon - Edward VII Park
The open-air book fair in Edward VII Park ( Parque Eduardo VII) has been a popular event on Lisbon's calendar since the 1930s. It offers visitors wonderful browsing opportunities through the dusty covers of old books, to new reads and comic books. | |  |
| Monument to the Discoveries |
One of the most famous sights in Lisbon is the imposing Padrão dos Descobrimentos, situated on the riverbank in the Avenida de Brasilia in the district of Belem and designed to commemorate the Portuguese Age of Discovery. Belem, where the Tagus meets the sea, is the point from which the maritime explorers of yore set forth in their sailing ships to discover the world. The monument was unveiled in 1960 on the 500th anniversary of the death of Prince Henry the Navigator in 1460, the monarch who was largely responsible for Portugal's role in world exploration during the 15th and 16th centuries. The massive monument takes the form of a caravel with Prince Henry at the prow, backed by images of renowned mariners, royal patrons and others who participated in the golden age of discovery.
| |  |
In 1917 the Virgin Mary allegedly appeared above an oak tree and spoke to three peasant children in the valley of Cova da Iria, 88 miles (142km) north of Lisbon. The children claimed to have seen the apparition on five different occasions, and the spot has now become one of the great pilgrimage shrines of the world, known as Fatima. Between May and October the 13th day of every month is pilgrimage day, when hundreds of the faithful gather in a square twice the size of St Peter's in Rome before the Chapel of the Apparitions. The original oak tree is gone, but has been replaced by a simple white column inside a basilica, which is flanked by statues of the saints.
| |  |
The oldest part of Lisbon, the Alfama quarter sprawls down the hillside from below the Castelo de Sao Jorge, retaining much of the traditional colour and atmosphere from the days when it was the ancient seat of the Saracens. Along the narrow cobblestone alleyways are taverns and street markets, interspersed with close-packed houses still occupied by stevedores, fishmongers and sailors. At the edge of the Alfama, Lisbon's renowned flea market, the Feira da Ladra, is held in the Campo de Santa Clara every Tuesday and Saturday. The Alfama is also full of historic buildings and churches, which are well worth exploring. Some of the buildings display fading coats of arms, which bear testimony to the fact that the Alfama was once home to aristocrats. At night the Alfama takes on a more mysterious aspect with street lanterns throwing shadows on the medieval walls, and it is advisable to avoid the area after dark in favour of the Bairro Alto café and nightclub district.
| |  |
The walls of Saint George's Castle, sitting atop a hill guarding the Tagus, date from the Moorish occupation in the 10th century, but the site has been a fortress for centuries, possibly from 500 AD. The castle is regarded as the cradle of Lisbon, and today it provides a panoramic view of the River Tagus and the Alfama medieval district, which is spread out below it. Visitors can walk the esplanades and climb the ramparts. A multimedia show is available during the day which brings alive the history of Lisbon. The castle grounds are planted with olive, pine and cork trees and provide a pleasant spot to relax.
| |  |
The famous Tower of Belem is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is one of Lisbon's most photographed landmarks because of the decoration on its exterior. The outer walls are adorned with a stone-carved rope and beautiful openwork balconies, along with Moorish watchtowers and battlements shaped like shields. The tower was built in the 16th century to serve as a fortress in the middle of the River Tagus.
| |  |
A popular touring destination 25 miles (40km) south of Lisbon is Setúbal, one of Portugal's oldest cities, renowned for producing the most delicious muscadel wine in the world. The city is also the centre of Portugal's sardine industry and has been a fish-salting centre since the 1st century. White mounds of sea salt drying in the sun are a familiar part of the local landscape. There are some outstanding beaches near the city and some pretty countryside dotted with orange groves, orchards and vineyards.
| |  |
Lisbon's exhibition park was upgraded and renamed for the Expo '98 world exposition, which revitalised the city and brought international tourists and interest flooding in. The site is now worthy of a full day's sightseeing, featuring several attractions, not least of which is the Lisbon Oceanarium with its 15,000 living examples of marine life. The main tank holds enough water to fill four Olympic-sized swimming pools, and is viewed from two floors through curved glass panels that provide a 180-degree view. Another popular diversion is the Virtual Reality Pavilion, which showcases the Portuguese age of discovery. Other attractions include a science centre, cable car, the Vasco da Gama Tower and numerous bars and restaurants offering Portuguese cuisine.
| |  |
| Calouste Gulbenkian Museum |
| Gulbenkian was an Armenian oil magnate who died in 1955 having put together one of the world's finest private art collections. The collection is now housed in a modern centre where the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation sponsors a host of cultural and performing arts projects, and has a rotating exhibition of works by Portuguese and foreign artists. The Gulbenkian collection itself covers Egyptian, Greek and Roman antiquities, Islamic ceramics and textiles, Syrian treasures, Chinese ceramics, Japanese prints and lacquerware and European medieval illuminated manuscripts. The collection is so vast and varied as to be breathtaking. Among the paintings are two Rembrandts, a Rubens and a Renoir. | |  |
The Bairro Alto district (literally the Upper City) is, like the Alfama, an historic enclave dating from 1513, which is reached in a novel way via the Santa Justa Elevator (a structure reminiscent of the Eiffel tower in Paris) from the lower city. The colourful district resounds to the calls of vendors and fishmongers, and the windows and balconies are festooned with laundry and bird cages. At night the area comes alive with some of the finest fado cafes in the city, along streets lit by Victorian lanterns. Fado is the famous brand of music and dance brought to Portugal by African slaves in the 19th century, characterised by songs of sadness and despair, and there is no better place in Portugal to experience this musical genre than in the Bairro Alto of Lisbon.
| |  |
Although this cathedral in Largo da Se in the Alfama district is not outwardly appealing, it was the first church in Lisbon, built on the site of a Saracen mosque after the city was captured by the Crusaders in the 12th century. Inside, this ancient church features some treasures, like the font where St Anthony of Padua was baptised in 1195, and numerous notable relics, images and icons.
| |  |
| Oceanario de Lisboa (Lisbon Oceanarium) |
| Marketed as the second best aquarium in the world, the world-class Lisbon Oceanarium is the most impressive achievement of EXPO '98, which used to be an abandoned waterfront. The centrepiece of the stone and glass building is the 1.3-million gallon (5-million litre) holding tank and the Oceanarium consists of four distinct ecosystems that replicate the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, and Antarctic oceans, each featuring the aboveground birds, amphibians, and reptiles associated with those waters. Otters splash and dive in the warmer Pacific waters, while penguins shuffle around in their tuxedos in the Antarctic section. This attraction is one that the Portuguese nation is proud of and is an absolute must-see for the whole family. | |  |
| Museu de Marinha (Maritime Museum) |
| With such maritime icons as Vasco de Gama and Bartolomeu Dias, its no wonder that Portugal's Maritime Museum is one of the best in Europe, evoking a sense of what it was like when the victorious Portuguese dominated the high seas. Visitors can marvel at the hundreds of models of 15th- to 19th-century sailing ships, merchant marine vessels, fishing boats and pleasure boats as well as a full range of Portuguese naval uniforms, including one worn at a Mozambique military outpost in 1896. | |  |
| Kids will love the indoor amusement park at the Colombo Shopping Centre, happily entertained by taking rides on the roller coaster, playing video games, going bowling and racing go-carts. The centre also boasts a vast selection of cinemas, restaurants and shops for families to enjoy together. | |  |
The Vasco da Gama Aquarium is a great attraction for children in Lisbon. This aquarium is home to cute little seals with ears (otariids), which all kids will love to see. As well as its wonderful collection of live fish and sea life, there are also preserved water birds, fish and mammals from King Carlos' oceanographic expeditions on display.
| |  |
| Calouste Gulbenkian Planetarium |
| Older kids are enthralled by a visit to the Calouste Gulbenkian Planetarium. Here they are invited to explore the universe and its bounty of astronomical wonders. The planetarium hosts astronomical shows daily, offering an entertaining and educational experience for young minds. | |  |
Like the iconic Christ the Redeemer in Rio, the Cristo Rei spreads his massive arms as if to embrace all of Lisbon. Situated on the bank of the Tejo River opposite the city, the statue is over 328 feet (100m) tall, and provides amazing panoramic views of the city from the top, which you can reach by elevator.
| |  |
No comments:
Post a Comment