LISBON - Portugal - page 12

of the major sights are open); go on a guided walking tour with Lisbon Walker or Inside
Lisbon (see here ) ; or head to Parque das Nações for a dose of modern Lisbon.
Day1: See Lisbon's three downtown neighborhoods (following the self-guided walks
described in this chapter). Kick off your visit to the Bairro Alto with a ride up the El-
evador da Glória funicular. After a downhill stroll through the neighborhood, catch a trol-
ley for a joyride to the Alfama. Start your Alfama visit at the highest point in town, São
Jorge Castle, and survey the city from the castle's viewpoint. Hike down to another fine
viewpoint (Miradouro de Largo das Portas do Sol), then descend into the Alfama. Ex-
plore. Walk, bus, or taxi to the Baixa (“lower town”), and wander through the shops on
your way to the major squares, Praça da Figueira and Rossio. Art-lovers can then hop
a taxi to the Gulbenkian Museum (closed Mon). Consider dinner at a fado show in the
Bairro Alto or the Alfama. For more evening options, see “Entertainment in Lisbon” (see
here ) and “Shopping in Lisbon” (malls/cinemas are open late, here ) .
Day2: Trolley to Belém and tour the monastery, tower, and National Coach Museum.
Have lunch in Belém, then tour the Museum of Ancient Art on your way back to Lisbon.
Day 3: Side-trip to Sintra to tour the Pena Palace and explore the ruined Moorish
castle.
Orientation to Lisbon
Downtown Lisbon fills a valley flanked by two hills along the banks of the Rio Tejo.
At the heart sits the main square, Rossio, in the center of the valley (with Praça dos
Restauradores and Praça da Figueira nearby). The Baixa, or lower town, stretches from
Rossio to the waterfront. It's a flat, pleasant shopping area of grid-patterned streets and
the pedestrian-only Rua Augusta. The Alfama, the hill to the east, is a colorful tangle of
medieval streets, topped by São Jorge Castle. The Bairro Alto (“high town”), the hill to
the west, has characteristic old lanes on the top and high-fashion stores along Rua Garrett
(in the lower section called Chiado ).
From Rossio, the modern city stretches north (sloping uphill) along wide Avenida da
Liberdade and beyond (way beyond), where you find Edward VII Park, breezy botanical
gardens, the bullring, and the airport. To the east is Parque das Nações, site of the 1998
World Expo and now a modern shopping complex and riverfront promenade. The suburb
of Belém, home to several Age of Discovery sights, is three miles west of the city, along
the waterfront.
Greater Lisbon has more than three million people and some frightening sprawl, but
for the visitor, the old city center is your target—a delightful series of parks, boulevards,
and squares in a crusty, well-preserved architectural shell. Focus on the three character-