A walking tour of Lisbon with Andreia

A tram winds through Alfama.

The first thing I organize for my friends who are visiting is a walking tour of the city. Usually I start in Santa Apolonia by the river and then Alfama, Mouraria, and all the old parts of Lisbon, and then Bairro Alto and Chiado. It’s a long day of walking. Walking up and down. It's seven hills!

There isn’t one neighborhood I like especially. All the old parts of Lisbon are nice. They're very similar. But it’s changing. Many of the old people…well, you know, they’re going. Youngsters are taking over, so it's becoming a more bohemian place. Plus, there are a lot of foreigners coming. It's a good vibe. It’s a very rich mix of people, and there are lots of associations of young people trying to make a difference.

Tasty, garlicky pork, waiting to be made into a bifana.

I usually have a snack with me on my tour. Or I stop at a traditional restaurant and have my traditional steak with fries and an egg. It’s called bitoque. The sandwiches are also good. Bifana is pork meat and prego is steak. They are really good. I would say garlic is one of our biggest assets in the kitchen.

Then if you have the opportunity, take the ferry to Cacilhas, especially at sunset. It's beautiful to see Lisbon at night. You take the ferry from Cais do Sodre, and then you go to the other side of the river. There isn't much to see there. It’s not even really a very nice place to be. But the views are great. Just go have a beer and relax and see the views.

In terms of food and sightseeing, Lisbon has great places. There's a lot of live music for free and low cost. The jazz school here in Lisbon is called Hot Club. It might be free still. It's a bar, and when they have invited bands, you pay 5 to 10 euros, but when it's students it's free and they just jam all night.

What makes Lisbon special?

I think it's the light. If it's a beautiful sunny day and you sit somewhere where you can see the castle… Lisbon has a very good energy because of the light. I I lived abroad for a year and when I came back I spent so much time walking around just looking up at the light. 

Lisbon at dusk, from across the river in Cacilhas.

The must-sees with Miguel

In Lisbon, you have to see the monuments in Belém, the castle, and the ancient—well not ancient, but typical—neighborhoods. 

Padrão dos Descobrimentos, or the Monument of the Discoveries, on the Tagus River in Belem.

The monuments are not quite in the center of the city, but in Belém. It was from there that in the really old days, they left for conquering the world. That’s what the monuments are celebrating. There are also gardens and museums in Belém.

The castle is important to see. Not just the neighborhood, but the castle, which is one of the most typical points in Lisbon.

The view from Castelo de Sao George, overlooking the city.

The neighborhoods to see are Alfama, Bairro Alto, and Mouraria. What’s special about them is the streets, basically. There are lots of different types of streets that go up and down, very skinny streets with lots of things to do and see. Like, hidden gardens. The best thing to do is just get lost in the neighborhoods, because every time you climb a street and turn around, you can see the river and the little buildings--everything. And Bairro Alto, at night, it’s the place to get some booze. Drink a bottle of wine, beer, hang out with friends. Cais do Sodré, also.

Then we have some really nice restaurants in the area. It depends on your wallet, really. My favorite place...Well, yesterday I went to a place with really nice hot dogs at Frankie Hot Dogs. I spent 15 euros and had 3 hot dogs with chips and bacon. So good. It’s near the university, so it’s cheap and all the students go there at lunch. And if you like fish, it’s not low budget but it’s really good, a place called Sea Me. 

Also, you have the restaurant Trevo. It’s at the beginning of Praça de Camões, which is a very important meeting point in the night when you go out with friends. In Trevo, you can have bifana, a pork slice on bread with sauce, and a beer. In Lisbon, we call it an "imperial."

Two more. Nearby, there’s a store that sells wine, ham, cheese, and olive oil, called Baco Alto. God of the Wine. There’s a shop downtown called Pollux. If you go to the top floor there, you have a view from one side of the city to the other side. You can also see a good view of the city from Park. It’s a parking lot where on the top floor, there’s a bar. And finally, just to check it out, the Elevator of Santa Justa. Then you’ll have a nice scene of the city.

Then by car or train, you can visit the village of Cascais. Really nice, really quiet. You can find some beaches, and it’s nice for a warm sunny day like this. Today it’s the 9th of November? On the 11th of November, it’s called…I don’t know. We eat chestnuts, and we drink wine. We call it the summer of San Martinho and say that the weather will be good, at least until the 11th.

One way to manage the hills of Lisbon: Elevators. After the many stairs that go up and down the city, they were the obvious next step. Elevador de Santa Justa dates from 1901.

Chestnuts sold in the streets of Lisbon in November, before St. Martin's Day on Nov. 11.