Travel Monday – Lisbon, Portugal
Line BreakAuthor: Kathryn Frengs (350 Articles)
Travelfusion's Social Media Officer, I manage all of our online marketing and presence on Twitter, Facebook, our blog and more. I love my job!
One of the best parts of working at Travelfusion is the fact that our employees come from all over the world. No, really…I’ve met people here from countries near and far and I love it.
Not only is it great to meet people from different cultures, but I love learning about new places to visit! Today’s Travel Monday will feature some insider tips and places to see from our resident expert on Portugal, Travelfusion’s senior front-end Java developer and all-around fun person, Ana Henneberke!
As I’ve never been to Portugal at all, and have my sights set on visiting Lisbon soon, I asked Ana what she would recommend as must-see spots in the Lisbon for a first-time visitor. Here’s what she came up with for ideas of things to visit in some popular Lisbon neighbourhoods:
1. Belém
Photo credit: Bernt Rostad
Visit the Jerónimos Monastery and the Praça do Império that’s located in front of it. One of the largest city squares in all of Europe, this square is a good place for people-watching. In the area, be sure to visit the Belém Cultural Centre for a performance, ballet or symphony. The nearby Padrão does Descobrimentos monument celebrates the Portuguese who participated in the Age of Discovery and Age of Exploration and is worth a visit. The famous Pastel de Nata house is also in this area – a must-visit to sample famous and delicious Portuguese egg tart pastries. Delicious!
Photo credit: heatheronhertravels
2. Bairro Alto
Photo credit: detengase
Located in central Lisbon, the Bairro Alto neighbourhood is a great place to go for dinner and to enjoy some Fado music in a Fado music house. With its origins dating back to the 1800’s, Fado is a popular style that traditionally includes only a singer, Portuguese guitar and a classical guitar. However, Fado is now available in many different forms and has become popular even outside of Portugal. This is a great way to spend an evening and take in some real Portuguese culture. If you travel to Bairro Alto during the day, take some time to appreciate the typical Portuguese architecture that can be seen there.
3. Baixa
Head to the Baixa neighbourhood during the day and take photographs of Lisbon from up at the Elevador de Santa Justa. Lots of good shopping can be done in this area on the Rua de Ouro or Rua da Prata. This is also a great area for architecture aficionados. I love this gorgeous shot of Lisbon that Ana took and shared with us. Makes me want to go even sooner!
Photo credit: AnaVanessa
Finally, visit the Parque das Nações, or the Park of Nations. The site of the EXPO 98, this is a fantastic park with great modern architecture, plenty of places to relax and an Oceanarium that’s one of the world’s biggest. Sounds right up my alley for something I’d like to do in Lisbon.
Photo credit: ricardo-pereira
I’m so appreciative of Ana’s suggestions and can’t wait to ask some of my coworkers about their favourite places to visit in their home countries. Check back to see more good tips in the future!
Tags: Europe, Fun, lisbon, Photos, Portugal, Travel Monday, travelfusion staff
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