Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Under the energetic and eventually dictatorial leadership of Prime Minister Marquês
de Pombal—who had the new city planned within a month of the quake—downtown Lis-
bon was rebuilt on a progressive grid plan, with broad boulevards and square squares.
Remnants of Lisbon's pre-earthquake charm survive in Belém, the Alfama, and the Bairro
Alto district. The bulk of your sightseeing will likely be in these neighborhoods.
As the Paris of the Portuguese-speaking world, Lisbon (pop. 564,000 in the core) is
the Old World capital of its former empire—for some 100 million people stretching from
Europe to Brazil to Africa to China. Immigrants from former colonies such as Mozambi-
que and Angola have added diversity and flavor to the city, making it as likely that you'll
hear African music as Portuguese fado these days.
Pronunciation Guide to Lisbon
Lisboa
leezh-BOH-ah
Rossio (main square)
roh-SEE-oo
Praça da Figueira (major square)
PRAH-sah dah fee-GAY-rah
Baixa (lower town)
BYE-shah
Alfama (hilly neighborhood)
al-FAH-mah
Bairro Alto (high town)
BYE-roh AHL-toh
Chiado (part of Bairro Alto)
shee-AH-doo
Belém (suburb with sights)
bay-LEHM
Rio Tejo (Tagus River)
REE-oo TAY-zhoo
rua (street)
ROO-ah
And Lisbon's heritage survives. With its elegant outdoor cafés, exciting art, stunning
vistas, entertaining museums, a salty sailors' quarter, and a hill-capping castle, Lisbon is
a world-class city.
For a two-week tour of Portugal, Lisbon is worth three days, including perhaps a day for
a side-trip to Sintra. If you have an extra day, Lisbon has plenty to offer. Many top sights
are closed on Monday, particularly in Belém. That'd be a good day to choose among the
following options: Take my self-guided neighborhood walks; day-trip to Sintra (where all
