Lisbon is 7 hills overlooking the Tangus River, and it exactly how you imagine it: endless cobblestone hills, bright pastel-colored buildings and stunning Parisian-styled architecture. It is a mix of San Fransisco and Paris, with a whole lot of Portuguese cultural influence, and is one of my favorite European cities (although
Porto gets first place!) While there are a ton of spots I didn’t get to this time around, I plan to take my husband there next time to see those sights!
Relax in a lush oasis at Jardim da Estrela park
Located across the street from the Basilica Estrela, Jardim da Estrela was built 176 years ago. Step back in time and soak in the romantic and bourgeois charm with its lush palm trees, library, kiosks and water fountains. Amidst the hustle and bustle of the city, this was a perfect haven for me to relax and take a breather from the busy-ness.
Visit the oldest bookstore in the world – Bertrand Livraria
Still in operation from 1732, this quaint and charming book store is located on the busy shopping avenues of Rua Garret. There is also a cute cafe in the far back with beautiful portraits! They are open from 9am to 10pm.
Take the Santa Justa lift
Get an all-day bus pass from the metro station and take the lift up for a magical view of the city of Lisbon! I reccomend getting there early around 7:30am to avoid the massive crowds and all the selfie-sticks.
Ride the Bairro Alto yellow tram
Bookstore Bar Girl and Girl
Visit the beautiful park off of Principe Real
Explore the Artist Shops at the LX Factory
Hang out with the local hipsters and shop, dine and ruminate on the meaning of performance art at the popular LX Factory! If you’re an artist like myself – or just appreciate art in general – you’ll love this charming outdoor space! Be sure to check out the pretty sculptures made with recyclables and the gigantic Ler Devagar bookstore!
Take in the city sights on the famous tram 28 through the city
The best, most romantic way to see the sights of Lisbon. But keep in mind: this tram is super popular amongst the tourists. The best way to ride the tram is during the daylight hours, but expect long wait-times at the end of the lines. I was able to jump on during the evening at one of the stops along the way down the hill. Also, don’t forget to flag down the tram or the driver will keep on goin’!
Take a Train to Sintra
Sintra was my favorite part of Lisbon. It’s just a short train ride away and exploring the opulent early 20th century Quinta de Regaleria and garden grounds was a mystical treat! It is here where you can wander the hills, climb up and down stone steps, discover wells and dark caves, hop stones and explore the grottos and waterfalls. Here in Sintra is where I found natural beauty, simplicity and the most intricate architecture and carvings. Otherwise known as a fairytale medieval town surrounded by hills, valleys and lush trees just outside of Lisbon,I have a video in the making on the beautiful town, but for now I’ve got a more in-depth blog post on the charming town here.
FAVORITE EATS
Comoba Lisboa
My favorite coffee-shop and naturally-lit and airy cafe to sit down for a few hours with my fellow creative millennials, write some letters and eat some delicious vegetarian food! If you love acai bowls, greens and avaocado toast, you’ll love this place as much as I do!
Doces Teresa Pyrrait
I also visited here twice for their chocolate little cakes, as seen in the vlog above, and I still dream about them to this day. You can bet I’ll be coming back. If you love desserts, you’ll love this spot!
Moules and Co.
This casual and stylish
restaurant was not featured in my
video but it
so so good. I ate here
twice! I particularly love their deep-fried mussels as an appetizer and their classic mussels and frites. They have around 20 different flavors of mussel sauce, so enjoy getting stuck on what to order as I did!