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47 Best Things to Do in Bairro-Alto
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Elevador de Santa Justa) The Elevador de Santa Justa (Santa Justa lift) is a 47 metres (145ft) Lisbon's only remaining vertical elevator and connects Rua do Ouro in the Baixa to Largo do Carmo near Bairro Alto. It was built, along with several other cable powered urban lifts and funiculars, in a time before cars and the Metro. Whilst this may sound quite utilitarian and uninteresting nothing could be further from the truth.
Inaugurated in 1902, the elevator is a cast iron tower decorated with Neo-Gothic style filigrana details. Some say it is reminiscent of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, and this is not...
Lisbon Cathedral CanStockPhoto/MapicssReputed to be the oldest building in Lisbon, the cathedral (Sé de Lisboa) certainly has the appearance of being built to last. Compared to the frivolous Manueline architecture of the Jeronimos Monastery the Romanesque lines of the cathedral appear quite austere. Along with castellated walls and arrow slits in the towers Lisbon Cathedral, like other Portuguese cathedrals of the period, had the appearance of a fortress as much as a church.
Work began on the cathedral in 1147, the same...
Jeronimos Monastery Jose ManuelOne of the first and definitely grandest example of Manueline architecture to be found anywhere in Portugal; the Jerónimos Monastery in Belem is the embodiment of Portugal's exuberance during the Age of Discoveries. This is recognised in by the UNESCO World Heritage monument the monastery received in 1983.
Constructing such an opulent and grand building as the Jerónimos Monastery would have been extraordinarily expensive. However, it is no coincidence that the monastery was built to give thanks for the success of Vasco da Gama's...
Convento do Carmo The ruined Convento do Carmo is situated in the Chiado district of Lisbon looking out over the city centre below. Visible from much of the downtown Baixa district of Lisbon the skeletal remains of this once great Gothic church are a lasting reminder of the events of that fateful day in 1755. Once the finest example of a Gothic church to be found in Lisbon the ruins of Carmo now serve as a poignant memorial with the pointed arches between the pillars rising up into the sky above.
It was All Saints Day and the church attached to the convent was...
Set in a commanding position overlooking Portugal's capital, the Castelo de São Jorge dates back to Moorish times. The existing citadel is mainly medieval and contains the ruins of the royal palace and gardens
Lisbon number 12 tram dziambel | BY-SAIt only takes around 20 minutes to complete the full circuit of Lisbon’s number 12 tram route, but climbing into one of the iconic, yellow Remodelado coaches can be a fun way of getting to see the Baixa and Alfama districts and taking in sights such as the Se Cathedral and St Anthony’s Church.
The tram doesn’t get to build up much speed on the journey; there are quite a few steep inclines in this part of town, and there can be some pretty hair-raising sharp turns and sudden jolts. But this, together with the sound of the brakes shrieking and the people-watching opportunities are,...
Sao Vicente Monastery and the Alfama Imposing 17th century monastery overlooking Lisbon. Built in the Mannerist style the monastery's Pantheon contains the tombs of the House of Braganza.
Santa Engracia - National Pantheon The Church of Santa Engracia is one of Lisbon's finest religious buildings. Located close to the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in the Alfama district, the white dome rises high above the surrounding jumble of cobbled streets.
The current building dates back to the 17th century although there had been previous churches on the site for around 100 years. As with the National Pantheon these churches were dedicated to Santa Engrácia, a 4th century martyr from Braga. Work began on the present day structure in 1681 after the...
Igreja de Sao Roque IPPARThe earliest Jesuit church in Portugal and one of the first in the world, the Igreja de São Roque was built in the 16th century specifically for preaching. When built it was positioned beyond the walls of the city to cut it off from Lisbon and was used as a burial ground for those victims of the plague. It is one of the few buildings in Lisbon to survive the 1755 earthquake.
25 de Abril Bridge Günter WieschendahlStretching across the estuary at the Tagus River in Lisbon is the Ponte 25 de April (25th April Bridge); the largest suspension bridge in Europe and the 20th longest in the world. Often considered as a twin sister of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco because of its similar design the bridge in Lisbon is actually 300 feet (100m) longer.
Officially opened in 1966 the Ponte 25 de April was considered the primary connection between north and south Portugal until the Vasco da Gama Bridge was built in 1998. Around this time works were carried out to suspend two railroad tracks under...
11. Praça do Rossio
If you’re looking for the heart of Lisbon, this centrally located square with its traditional Portuguese mosaic cobbles has been one of the city’s main plazas for centuries. Located in the downtown Baixa district it is officially known as Praça Dom Pedro IV, the locals prefer to use its old name, 'Rossio'.
The square features a large pedestrian area flanked by trees with numerous cafes, restaurants and touristy shops - not to mention some majestic buildings, two elegant, bronze fountains, which were imported from France in...
Praça da Figueira - Lisbon Bernt Rostad | BY-SAPraça de Figueira is a large square in the centre of Lisbon, one of three in the Baixa district. The name translates as fig tree square, although there is little sign of the original trees. The square was created in the 18th Century after the Lisbon earthquake of 1755 had destroyed the buildings that had stood on the site beforehand (as well as much of the rest of the city). It had previously been the location of Lisbon’s main hospital; the Real de Todos os Santos. Plans to rebuild...
Calouste Gulbenkian Museum World famous museum with collections of Oriental, European and Classical Art. Regular exhibitions
Praca do Comercio statue fotosvanHugoNo visit to Lisbon would be complete without a stop-off at the majestic Praça do Comércio, one of Europe's largest squares, surrounded on three sides by classical 18th century buildings and opening up on the south side to the Tagus River estuary. This plaza was once known as the "gateway to Lisbon", in recognition of the time when merchant ships arriving at the port would offload their cargo here. This was also where passenger ships disembarked.
...Praça Dos Restauradores Praça dos Restauradores is a square in the central Baixa region of Lisbon. Around the square are a number of the city's most iconic buildings, including the Italianate pink façade of the Palácio Foz and the Teatro Eden and Condes Cinema buildings, both fine examples of Art Deco architectural style. At the centre of the plaza towers a 30-metre-high white obelisk, built to commemorate Portugal’s fight to regain independence in the 17th century after 60 years of Habsburg rule.
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Bairro Alto travel guide »
Literally translated, Biarro Alto means ‘high district’, it is of no surprise that this traditional area of Lisbon, one of the few unaffected by the earthquake of 1755, is found atop one...