Lisbon City, the capital and largest city in Portugal.
Has a population of more than 500,000 people and covers an area of more than 100 square kilometers.
Lisbon’s urban area extends beyond the city’s administrative limits with a population of around 2.8 million people. This makes it 10th-most populous urban area in the European Union.
Lisbon lies in the western Iberian Peninsula on the Atlantic Ocean and the River Tagus.
It is an alpha-level global city because of its importance in finance, commerce, media, entertainment, arts, international trade, education and tourism.
It is one of the major economic centres on the continent, with a growing financial sector.
The busiest airport in portugal, Humberto Delgado Airport is in Lisbon.
The motorway network and the high-speed rail system of Alfa Pendular links the main cities of Portugal to Lisbon.
The city is the 9th-most-visited city in Southern Europe with more than 3 million tourists in 2017 alone.
The Lisbon region has a higher GDP PPP per capita than any other region in Portugal.
It is also the political centre of the country, as its seat of government and residence of the head of state.
Lisbon is one of the oldest cities in the world, and the second-oldest European capital city (after Athens).
8 Things to do and Not to Do in Lisbon City
- Don’t take your dinner before 8pm. People in Lisbon tend to take their dinner very late normally after 10pm.
- Do not try to get on tram 28 during rush hour. It’s mostly filled and you won’t get the best experience. Instead, try to catch it between 9-11am when it is almost empty.
- Don’t stay for too long or too little. It is a small city and timing is key. Plan yourself and have just enough time for your trip to avoid staying for long.
- Don’t ever try to speak Spanish in Lisbon. Instead learn some few Portuguese words to use during your trip.
- Don’t Get Swallowed by Tourist Traps in Lisbon. There is no reason to pay large sums of money for traditional or authentic Portuguese food while in Lisbon.
- Don’t Exclude Local Wines from Your Dining Experiences and instead make an effort to sample some local wines while you’re here.
- Don’t Insult Portuguese Coffee in Lisbon and instead keep it to yourself if you don’t like it.
- Avoid Bringing up Colonialism or the War in Lisbon. Instead, just avoid these topics at all.
9 Most Interesting Facts About Lisbon City
- Lisbon was almost totally destroyed on the 1st November 1755 taking 40 000 lives, anyway it was rebuilt within few years.
- The Tagus is Iberia is the largest river and its estuary at Lisbon, up to 14 km wide, is said to be large enough to contain all the warships in the world.
- The raven is a symbol of Lisbon. For a long time there was a cult for ravens in the city. The Municipality even had a large cage with ravens in the São Jorge Castle.
- Lisbon is known to be built on seven hills: Castelo, Graca, Monte, Penha de Franca, S.Pedro de Alcantara, Santa Catarina and Estrela.
- The Vasco da Gama Bridge over the Tagus River is the longest bridge in Europe – 17, 2 km (10.7 miles) long.
- Lisbon City holds the famous Stadium of Light, one of the Europe’s largest football venue.
- The most popular sport in Portugal is football (soccer). 214 clubs are registered in the Football/Soccer Association of Lisbon.
- The Largest Human National Flag was raised in 2006 at Lisbon’s national stadium by 18,788 people.
- Lisbon’s oceanarium is one of the Europe’s largest aquariums. With 16 000 animals and 450 species, there’s a lot of sea world to see.
History
Climate
Geography
8 MOST FAMOUS THINGS IN LISBON
#1 - The Castelo de São Jorge
The Castelo de São Jorge citadel stood majestically above central Lisbon and was entwined in the early history of Portugal. It used to be here that the Christian crusaders defeated the Moors in 1147, the Portuguese survived a siege via Castile (1373) and was the seat of power for Portugal for over four hundred years.
#2 - The Torre de Belém
Torre de Belém is the traveler icon of Lisbon and a stunning instance of the Manueline style of architecture. There are Arabic inspired watch towers, ornately carved battlements, and even the earliest stone statue of a Rhino. The little castle dates from the 16th century, and when built sat in the center of the Tejo Estuary and protected the shipyards in Belem and Restelo.
#3 - Lisbon Oceanarium
Located out in the blue waters of the Tagus Estuary, the massive Lisbon Oceanarium rises like a hulking plane carrier. Inside, the shape homes infinite exhibits related to marine life, which collectively pull in over one million visitors every year. You can get up close to colorful puffer fish as properly as watch the marauding sharks.
#4 - National Museum of Ancient Art
The National Museum of Ancient Art is the home of Portugal’s prestigious national art collection. Pieces right here range from pious saintly depictions by Nuno Gonçalves to chiaroscuro portraiture via Josefa de Óbidos. Most of the canvasses date from between the 16th and 19th centuries and came into public possession following the Liberal Wars that rocked the country in the early modern age.
#5 - Statue of Cristo Rei
The Cristo Rei statue towers above the southern banks of the Tejo Estuary and is one of the most distinguished monuments in Lisbon. This statue has many similarities to the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, and this is real as the Brazilian monument stimulated the Portuguese statue. Apart from being an exclusive landmark, the Cristo Rei statue gives one of the fine viewpoints of Lisbon, with unrivaled views of the suspension bridge and city.
#6 - Berardo Collection Museum
Bringing up the more current aspect of Lisbon’s already formidable array of world type museums and exhibition areas is the acclaimed Berardo Collection Museum. This massive institution now pulls in an extra 2.5 million traffic every year. They come to wonder at the smorgasbord of eclectic artworks, which range from abstract expressionism to digital art installations or neo-realism and photography.
#7 - Praca do Comercio
The Praça do Comércio is the most astonishing plaza in Lisbon and was once traditionally the industrial hub of the city. In the plaza, retailers would exchange distinctive objects and spices, and explorers would search for financing for voyages to Africa, India, or Brazil. Today the Praça do Comércio is simply as lively, but the focus is on tourism and culture. Residing in the distinct yellow constructions are boutique resorts and state-of-the-art restaurants, and there is constantly a gorgeous (holiday) ecosystem about the plaza.
#8 - Carcavelos Beach
The great beach, which is easily reachable from Lisbon, is the Praia de Carcavelos and it boasts golden sands, smooth sea waters, and wonderful traveler facilities. To the west of Lisbon is the pleasant hotel city of Cascais, whilst to the south of Lisbon is the Costa da Caparica, a 15km shoreline of pristine seashores and powerful surfing waves. During the summer a town break to Lisbon ought to also consist of time enjoyable on the beaches.