Lisboa a Pé - Lisbon on Foot

Last week's TimeOut Lisboa published a sequence of suggested walking routes in an issue made "for keeping" (uma revista para guardar). Once again, the routes are not new, but the attitude in the writing, the photos, and descriptions establish the difference in a cool way :-)

There are suggested routes for Alfama (of course!), Principe Real, Baixa-Chiado, Bairro Alto, Campo de Ourique, Graça, Santos, Cascais, Oeiras and Sintra, which take between one and two hours.

Of course the magazine is in Portuguese, but I keep it for consultation at the apartment anyway :-)

Alfama in 360º views

www.360cities.net is a website which publishes images of various cities in a very special way, allowing us different perspectives through 360º rotations. There are some rotation views of Alfama, try them out at this link .

Views include narrow alleys, the old 28 tram line, small Alfama squares, panoramic views, old street shops. It will help you getting a different idea of what expects you on your trip, or remembering what you have already seen. Alfama is really the ideal place where to stay visiting the city, at old Lisboa's heart :-)

At 360cities.net you may even find views of other spaces familiar to you. Enjoy! :-)

One-day trips outside Lisbon

Many guests staying at the apartment ask for alternatives outside Lisbon, trying to know a bit more of the country. I usually try to understand people's interests first, and then make some suggestions, also taking into account the time of the travel - one day trips of 8 hours sitting in a bus is not to recommend as fun :-)

The area of Portalegre, with beautiful villages of Marvão (in the picture) and Castelo de Vide is a must, although it is better to get there by car. This is subject to an article in the travel section of the New York Times, called "Alto Alentejo, Unsung But Not For Long", which you can access here.

Here are is an extract of the article, just to arise your interest :-)

"There is no shortage of historic sites in Alto Alentejo and one of the most beautiful is Marvão, a walled town that sits on a narrow spit of rock overlooking the rugged plains that reach across into Spain. Marvão is home to perfectly restored, whitewashed houses and a castle built in the ninth century as a Moorish fortification by Ibn Marwan. "

Lisbon Walker

I usually say that walking is the best way to get to know the city, and I am obviously not the only one :-)

Lisbon Walker organizes several walking tours, subject to different themes, such as "Oldtown", "Downtown", "Legends and Mysteries". By reading their website, it all sounds very interesting. I suggest you visit their website and look into detail to the planned walking tours ... if you are already in Alfama, you can contact my neighbour from the 1st floor, she is one of the guides, and can certainly help you.

Access their website here for more information.

Secret gardens

Lisbon is not particularly known for having many trees and green areas, but there are some nice parks where to have a decent walk, in the city. Some of these parks deserve better attention & care, and also more visitors, due to their individual singularities, such as location, design, existing species.

My favourite "less known" parks in Lisbon range from the palace of Necessidades to the Ajuda palace botanical gardens, the Botanical and Tropical garden in Belem to the garden at the top of Torel lift. My favourite of all, however, is the garden located at the old Faculty of Sciences, in Principe Real area, located at Rua da Escola Politecnica 58. Give it a try, it is quite special, unexpected beauty in the heart of the city :-)

Palacio de Queluz

Queluz national palace is known to be the “Portuguese Versailles”, due to the French influence of this 18th century building. Initially built as a weekend resort, and due to its closeness to Lisboa, the palace was regularly used by the royal family, which accounts for the richness in its decoration and the quality of the objects displayed there.

Nowadays only half of the premises are open to public (the other half is reserved for the services of the Republic, such as the reception and accommodation of foreign dignitaries, for instance), but a visit to the part open to public and its gardens is well worth it.

Getting there is not too complicated, just take the train heading to Sintra at Rossio, getting off at Queluz / Belas stop. The palace is not far from the train station, just 10 / 15 min walking, and the way to the palace is perfectly signed.

Lisbon by Bike

The other day, on one of my walks around Baixa, I found this bike rental shop, and thought this could be something nice for guests at the apartment. Down at the river, from Santa Apolónia train station to Torre de Belem, there are some bike trails, great for exercising and relaxing, and a bike ride could also be a an alternative way of enjoying the riverfront. Sunday mornings are usually the best time for outside exercise, this is at least when there is less traffic, and lisbonians bring out their cycling apparel :-)

Besides of biking along the river, there are other possibilities, such as the Expo area or even the way from Cascais to the fantastic Guincho beach, where bikes would have to be transported halfway by train.

Enjoy the ride :-)