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Lisbon is the capital of Portugal and the center of a region with numerous facets, which appeals to a variety of tastes and feelings.
In the city, which has absorbed for many centuries the influence of a variety of cultures from the most distant countries, and now the breath of the village in every historical district is noticeable. We will be able to walk through the streets in the form of bars in the Baixa quarter, designed by the Marquis de Pombal. This quarter overlooks the Tagus River on the Trade Square (Praça do Comércio). Let's go further along the river embankment, getting acquainted along the way with some of the most beautiful places in the city: the monumental area of Belém, where monuments included in the UNESCO World Heritage List are located, medieval areas, as well as with the newly appeared modern recreation areas, such as the Park of Nations (Parque das Nações
If we continue our walk towards the mouth of the river, we will understand why they say that Lisbon is the center of a spacious resort. After driving along the road parallel to the promenade, we will get acquainted with the beaches and balneological resorts, where villas and palaces of the early twentieth century are perfectly combined with harbors, esplanades and magnificent golf courses. And then on our way we will meet world-famous surfing sites, and even further - palaces scattered throughout the cultural landscape of Sintra, which were included in the list of World Heritage of Humanity.
Both to the north and south of the capital, we will get acquainted with the rich variety of landscapes and objects of cultural and historical heritage. Beaches, natural parks, cultural routes and accommodation for all tastes - it is difficult to resist exploring the Lisbon region during your stay in Portugal.
In Fado, we will learn another way of expressing the Portuguese soul, which has been recognized as one of the objects of intangible cultural heritage. We will be able to get acquainted with the authentic melodies of Fado in one of the houses or districts of the city where ordinary residents live. However, we can visit a lively bar or disco, dominated by other areas of music - from reggae to African music, new wave, indie or electronic music - here you will find a huge variety of sounds, a variety of audiences and, of course, a great reason to miss a glass of great wine and dance until the morning.
Lisbon is one of the most remote European capitals from our country. Despite this, Portugal is a fairly popular tourist destination, and Lisbon airport receives dozens of planes from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan, Yekaterinburg, Nizhny Novgorod and a number of other Russian cities every day. There are direct flights in the schedule of the capital's airports, you can get from other regions only with a transfer.
Tickets cost a lot, and on the way, depending on the specific flight, you can spend more than a day. In any case, getting there by air is cheaper and faster than in any other way.
The Baisha district is the heart of the financial and commercial life of the city. The most interesting sights are here - Don Pedro IV Square, the National Theatre, 19th century Rossio Station and the 45 m high Santa Jushta elevator. Its tower is connected by a passage to the Bayrou Alto and Chiado districts.
The latter are the busiest areas of Lisbon. Cafes, bars and small shops are open 24 hours a day. Immediately there is the main monument of the earthquake of 1755 - the ruins of the Gothic church do Carmo. The Alfama district is the only part of the capital that survived this earthquake. The most interesting sights are Lisbon Cathedral and the Monastery of San Vicente de Fora.
The Estrela district got its name due to its main attraction - the Basilica of Estrela. It houses Queen Mary I of Portugal, and the roof offers a great view of the city.
A large number of architectural monuments are concentrated in the Balen district. On a small island at the mouth of the Chezhu River there is a Belem Tower. In front of the Geronimus Monastery there is a fountain square, and near it is the grave of the famous navigator Vasco da Gama.
Prices for accommodation in Lisbon do not particularly depend on the area. Budget accommodation can be found even in the historic center of the city. A bed in the hostel dormitory room will cost 7-15 EUR. The atmosphere is quite ascetic, but the price may include breakfast. In the suburbs of Lisbon, in the popular resorts of Cascais and Estoril, the situation is somewhat different. Prices per night in a double room in a bed + breakfast hotel start from 40 EUR.
There are several dozen 3* hotels in the city with the appropriate level of service. A double room will cost 45-150 EUR, often breakfast is included in the price. Accommodation in a four-star hotel, of which there are even more in Lisbon, including discounts, can cost even less - from 35 EUR. The price range for a room in high-quality 5* hotels is quite large - from 75 (including discounts) to 400 EUR.
Transport links in Lisbon are simple and convenient. Metros, buses, trams and funicular lifts run between different districts and suburbs. Although the latter are more of a tourist attraction. There is also water transport - a ferry across the Tagus River.
The subway is very easy to navigate, there are only 4 lines, open from 6:30 to 1:00. VIVA Viagem or "7 colinas" transport cards, which are sold at subway ticket offices and kiosks on platforms and train stations for 0.50 EUR, can be filled with trips and money. If one trip without a card costs 1.85-2.90 EUR (depending on the mode of transport), then on the card it will cost only 1.30 EUR.
Lisbon ground transport is buses plying day and night, trams and lift lifts that help passengers climb the mountain. Tourists love retro tram No. 28, which slowly travels through the streets of the old city.
At night, if you don't know the schedules of night buses, it's easier and more convenient to take a taxi.
Many tourists prefer to travel around the city by bicycle. You can rent it in most parking lots and in some hotels. At BiCas rental points, transport is provided free of charge.
Arriving in Lisbon, it is better to immediately buy a SIM card of a local mobile operator. For communication with the house and calls around the country, this is the most budget option. There are 4 large companies in the Portuguese capital - MEO, NOS, Vodafone and Lycamobile. MEO offers the best prices for calls to Russia.
You can connect to the network for free in almost any area of the city. Access points are installed in numerous hotels, cafes, restaurants, communication offices and even in two dozen parks. For those who have chosen the MEO mobile operator and connected the additional Servicos service - WiFi - Ativar, another 150 Wi-Fi points are available, which can be used for free and not waste mobile traffic.
Lisbon has a Lisboa Card tourist pass, which allows you to save on vacation. The program includes almost a hundred museums, excursion products and entertainment venues. Discounts range from 15 to 100%. In particular, you can visit the Mafra Palace, the National Museum of Ancient Art, the Belem Tower, the Santa Justa Elevator, the Jeromonos Monastery and other facilities free of charge. An additional bonus is free travel on public transport, including trips to the suburbs, and small discounts in stores.
There are three types of Lisboa Card - for 24 hours (19 EUR for adults and 12 EUR for children), 48 hours (32 EUR and 18 EUR respectively) and 72 hours (40 EUR and 21 EUR). You can buy a card online in advance (off. website). Upon arrival, you will need to exchange the printed voucher at the airport, Phos Palace or Lisbon Welcome Center. If there is no voucher, you can buy and pay for the card right on the spot.
Although Lisbon is located almost on the Atlantic coast, there are no beaches within the city. It is not customary to swim in the Teju River, and you need to go to the suburbs to the ocean by train. In the summer months, the surrounding beaches of the city are full of people.
The beach strip stretches from the mouth of the Tagus to the town of Cascais. This area was popularly nicknamed the Lisbon Riviera because of the huge accumulation of fashionable resorts. The Riviera itself extends a little further, to Cape Roca.
The closest beaches to the city center are in Kashiash and Oeirash districts. There are only 4 of them - Cachais, Paso de Arcos, Santo Amaro de Oeiras and Praya de Torre. You need to get to the bathing place by train from Cais do Sodre. The journey takes from 15 minutes to an hour (in some places you need to walk from the stop, no more than 20 minutes). The beach "Kashiash" is sandy-stoney, wild. Among the amenities - paid and free parking. The other three are better equipped - there is an umbrella rental, rescue towers, bars, a shower, a toilet and a medical center. Descent into the water is gentle everywhere, it is convenient to bathe babies. You don't have to pay for the entrance, only for parking, and then not everywhere.
Lisbon is among the ten best European cities for shopping. There are many shops, boutiques and shopping centers, the range of which includes clothes, shoes and accessories of fashion designers and famous democratic brands. Portugal itself is famous for its excellent shoes at pleasant prices.
The most popular shopping areas are Shiado and Baisha. In the first one, next to boutiques of fashion brands, street markets get along perfectly. Go to the Baixa area to get souvenirs. In the historic center of Lisbon, it is full of small shops selling linen and ceramics, embroidery, wines and cork wood crafts. The latter look very stylish and are considered a symbol of the country. But it is better to buy wines in supermarkets (for example, Jumbo), where there is more choice and prices are lower.
Avid shopaholics should take a look at the Feira da Ladra flea market in the Alfama area or one of the major shopping centers. The first one works every Tuesday and Saturday. The range is huge - from souvenirs to real antiques. Of the shopping center, Centro Colombo, Freeport Outlet Center and Centro Vasco da Gama are of the greatest interest. The first of them is the largest in this part of Europe, the second is located in the suburbs, but it is worth going there for pleasant prices. The latter is interesting for its unusual design - water flows down from the roof, creating the illusion of an aquarium.
When you arrive in Lisbon, be sure to try Portuguese wines. They are not as famous as French or Italian, but definitely deserve attention. And not only the famous port wine, the birthplace of which is Porto, but also the products of Madeira, Setubal and other wine regions. Of alcoholic beverages, the liqueur of the gin is also interesting, in each bottle of which there is definitely a cherry.
Don't pass by Portuguese cheeses. They are produced in almost every region, and each product has its own characteristics. You should also try it on the spot and take with you "presunto" (Portuguese ham). It tastes in no way inferior to Spanish and costs here several times less than in Moscow stores.
Of the Portuguese sweets, Pastel de nata cakes are the most famous. For pastries from puff pastry with milk and egg cream, it is best to go to a cafe-confectionery marked "fabric proprio". This means that everything is cooked right on the spot, and the cakes are always fresh.
Portuguese cuisine is diverse, but the menu is dominated by seafood dishes. Fish delicacies in Lisbon are cheaper than our usual beef. Therefore, lobster or grilled sardine costs less than a veal tail delicacy.
There are several specific establishments that have no analogues in Russia - marisqueira (marisqueira) and churrasqueira (churrasqueira). In the first, you can taste fish and seafood dishes, the second specialize in grilled meat. Both come in different formats - from simple eateries to full-fledged restaurants.
For breakfast, go to small cafes or coffee shops. You won't be able to eat in a restaurant before 12:00. From 12:00 to 15:00, lunch is fed in the eaters, after which almost all of them are closed for siesta.
Dinner starts at 18:00 and lasts until 22:00, after which most restaurants close. The exceptions are places where Fada is sung in the evenings, and night bars and clubs, but it is unlikely to be possible to eat there fully.
The historical core of the city with its numerous attractions is St. George is a fortress on a high hill that served until 1147 as the residence of the Emir of Moorish, and then, until the 16th century, as home to Portuguese kings. It was from here that the capital of Portugal and the oldest historical district of Alphama began on the steep slope of the hill between the castle and the river - with the typical Medieval confusion of streets and streets, alleys and passages. Its name is St. George received in honor of the patron saint of England when an allied treaty was concluded between the countries in the 14th century. The castle has been rebuilt several times, its interior decoration has not been preserved.
The earthquake of 1755 turned the city into ruins, sparing only a few structures. Among them is Xie Cathedral, built by 1150 on the site of the mosque destroyed after the siege of 1147. From the monastery of Karmo, founded for the Carmelite Order, only the walls and Gothic arches sticking into the sky, which are an indescribable spectacle, have been preserved. Now there is an Archaeological Museum in the monastery. Museums in Lisbon are interesting, but they can't all be bypassed in one day.
The port of Lisbon at the mouth of the Tagus River - one of the most important in the Atlantic Ocean - dates back to the 13th century. He has always played an important role in the life of the city: from here Portuguese caravels went on their famous voyages, Vasco da Gama's expedition, leaving Lisbon, was the first to reach the coast of India; huge merchant ships loaded with jewels, spices, silks and black slaves came here; during World War II, refugees from all over
Unlike all other European countries, Portugal avoided participating in World War II. The Portuguese believe that this happened because God heard their common prayers. In gratitude, the residents of the country generously donated money for the construction of the statue of Christ Cristu Rey - a copy of the Brazilian statue, and in 1959 a 28-meter sculpture ascended over the city on a pedestal 84 m high. Today, the statue of Christ is of particular importance in the spiritual culture of Portugal. Where it rises, the two banks of the river are connected by the April 25 Bridge (formerly named after António Salazara), which will immediately remind the experienced traveler of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.
Majestic palaces of different centuries are another notable attraction of Lisbon. Ajuda Palace was built in the style of classicism on the site of the royal palace of the 15th century destroyed by the earthquake, open to tourists. The Palais de São Bento in the heart of Lisbon served as the front building of the Benedictine monastery in the 17th century, after 1755 it was rebuilt. The Portuguese parliament is now sitting there. In the vicinity of Lisbon you can also see luxurious palaces: the Baroque Mafra Palace - the largest royal palace in Portugal - and Rocococo Palace of Quelos.
Even if you are in the capital for only a couple of days, it is worth going to Belem, on the outskirts of Lisbon, where the Jeronimos Hieronymite monastery is located, built in the early 16th century in the Manuelino style (a mixture of Gothic and Arabic script with sea symbols) to commemorate the successful return In the central temple of the monastery there is a sarcophagus with the remains of a famous navigator. To protect the harbor, a watchtower-beacon was erected near the monastery, which has also survived to the present day - the Belem Tower. There is also the Belem Palace - the official residence of the president and the Monument to the Discoverers, somewhat discordant with its appearance with the surrounding landscape.
Trains to Sintra depart from the main railway station, the building of which looks more like a palace. Another great reason for a country excursion is a visit to Almourol Castle. It is located about 100 km from Lisbon, you can get there by car, and then from the pier Cais d'El Rei - by boat (on weekends every hour, 2.50 EUR). The castle, built at the beginning of the 12th century, is perfectly preserved: both thick walls and 10 watchtoir towers are in place.
In Lisbon, young tourists will definitely not be bored - there is everything for active and fun holidays. One of the local attractions will give great pleasure to children and adults. We are talking about the Lisbon Zoo, where young guests of the city can admire lions, leopards, monkeys, lemurs and fur seals. The conditions here are close to the real habitat, performances are held daily in the dolphinarium. Unlike the Moscow zoo, animals can be fed, but only in the presence and permission of employees.
Be sure to visit the Lisbon Oceanarium. This is one of the largest aquariums in the world, its volume exceeds 5 million liters, and its population is 25,000 marine life. The greatest impression is made by a huge Pacific octopus weighing 250 kg. The oceanarium is inhabited by representatives of the fauna of 4 oceans - from the smallest to truly huge.
Having enjoyed communication with wildlife and our smaller brothers, go to the Puppet Museum. Here children are waiting for dolls of different times and peoples. Some of the local artists "perated" on the stage of ancient theaters, others take part in modern performances. Young visitors will be interested in master classes where they will learn how to make or manage dolls.
Due to the proximity of the ocean, Lisbon has a mild seaside climate, characterized by hot, arid summers and warm snowless winters. Almost all year round, the sun shines in the city, occasionally there are showers. In the place where the Tagus flows into the Atlantic, fogs are not uncrequired, but in the central part of Lisbon the humidity is not so high.
Any time of the year is suitable for sightseeing tours, but the Portuguese capital acquires special charm in late spring and early autumn, when there is warm comfortable weather outside. For those who plan to combine sightseeing with a beach holiday, it is better to choose mid-summer.
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