Lisbon, the westernmost city in Europe, is a bridge towards America. Beautiful Lisboa, capital of Portugal and shaped by centuries of glory, symbolises the renewal of the country which hosted Expo 1998. Lisbon, the white city, embraces the visitor in a thousand ways, in a thousand scents and colours.
The modern world was born in Lisbon! As the point of departure for all expeditions to the Indies and Americas from the 15th to the 17th centuries, the Portuguese capital and its commercial harbor were the main gateway for a Europe hungry for the riches of overseas territories. Lisbon has always had strong ties with its Spanish neighbour and also suffered the occupation of Napoleonic troops before becoming the capital of the Portuguese republic in 1910. Following a bleak period, the city was transformed in the 1970s by the building of new infrastructures, then by hosting Expo 98 and the European football championship. Lisbon is now the most important European air hub for South America, especially for its former colony, Brazil. With its 800,000 inhabitants, it is a capital city on a human scale with a strong traditional for hospitality, and boasts a mild climate softened by the Atlantic trade winds.
Lisbon is built on seven hills on either side of the mouth of the river Tagus, spanned by bridges with such famous names as the "Vasco da Gama" which is the longest in Europe at 18 kilometres. The four quarters of the town centre, Baixa, Alfama, Bairro Alto and Belém contain the main sights. There is the remarkable Bélem Tower, Jeronimos Monastery, with the tombs of Manuel I and Vasco da Gama, medieval St George's Castle or Don Pedro IV Square, formerly Rossio Square. In the steep streets of Bairro Alto and Alfama you will find the true Lusitanian spirit of saudade (nostalgia), to the sounds of Fado, Portugal's own music genre. The new Lisbon with its Oceanarium on the Expo site at Parque das Nações is stunningly elegant. From the Vasco da Gama Tower, 145 metres high, you can view the whole city and even lunch on the 25th floor. It would be a shame to leave Portugal without tasting the famous Bacalauh, salted cod, or sardines, squid and Vinho Verde. Lisbon, like its famous blue and white Azulejos, pottery, will rock you gently in its colours and distant images, your heart as light as a Fado.
For a comprehensive guide to this destination, visit visitlisboa.com
Français
Lisbonne
