Lisbon City Breaks

A guide to Lisbon

Portugal’s vibrant capital offers a quintessential experience, and provides stylish attractions and entertainment, lots of intriguing history and the perfect Mediterranean climate year round. A hilly undulating city, Lisbon is nevertheless compact and inviting to stroll around at leisure. It features many historic districts, each with their own distinct character and atmosphere. A must-see is Barrio Alto, known as the upper city, with its colourful winding cobbled lanes, filled with ancient chapels and lovingly restored mansion houses. The neighbourhood truly lights up at night as Lisbon's premier nightlife quarter, with cafe bars and Latin clubs attracting the movers and shakers of this cosmopolitan city. The riverfront area of Belem is also a must and houses Lisbon’s most famous landmarks. Admire the stunning St Jerymos Monastery and charming Belem Tower.

Fascinating art & architecture

The city was built on a series of steep hills, which are all thankfully connected by a wide network of lifts, funiculars and trams. Getting around Lisbon this way offers visually stunning vistas of an eclectic urban landscape and ocean. Visit Medieval St Georges Castle and the ornate city cathedral, which illustrate its urban beauty, and there are also several lavish palaces worthy of a visit in Ajuda, Casa dos Bicos and Belem. There are also fascinating art and historic artefacts in the Museum of Popular Art and the Maritime Museum, which are worthy of a whole day to fully appreciate.

Magical kid’s attractions

The young will love the irresistible array of venues downtown during a long weekend, and wild nights of salsa, jazz and mainstream clubbing is available for those with the energy. The city also features dozens of attractions for young children, including a huge tropical aquarium, zoo and planetarium, and of course lots for youngsters along its picture-perfect sandy beaches, like windsurfing, sailing and beach sports. Lisbon are a haven for serious golf courses, and boasts no less than a dozen championship courses, some of which have featured on the European PGA tours and hosted major celebrity tournaments.