We can take the opportunity to enjoy the neighboring country at any time, because it is close and its climate in the coastal areas is very similar to that of cities like Valencia. We have talked to you about the wonders of Portoideal city for visit even when it rainsof natural parks like this one and even of their amazing palatial villas.
Portugal goes a long way, but you may want to go off the beaten path on your getaway, or visit places less known to tourists. And that’s exactly where we’re going to help you with these five different stops to make in Lisbon.
A different view of Lisbon: the Mirador de Monsanto
Everyone who has visited Lisbon will have enjoyed the views from the Santa Justa elevator or the Santa Catarina viewpoint, one of the the essentials to visit Lisbon. but there are many more places from which we can appreciate the city and that are Less touristy and usual. Our favorite is the one located in the Monsanto Forest Park. It is the most original and different, guaranteed.
It is in a green area where there are ruins, tracks to practice different sports and hiking trails to enjoy this green lung. And a tip that you will love: it was an abandoned restaurant perfect for taking photos for Instagram.
The Monsanto viewpoint is located in a building that was abandoned in 2001 after it was a restaurant, warehouse and nightclub, and reopened in 2017 as a viewpoint. Is now the place underground great for taking photos and from which you can see Lisbon in a completely different way.
The National Palace of Ajuda
Perhaps on your express getaway to the Portuguese capital you have not noticed one of the most beautiful palaces in Lisbon, and also one of the least visited. The Palácio Nacional da Ajuda is the headquarters of the Biblioteca Nacional da Ajuda and the Ministry of Cultureand is far from the city.
The 1755 earthquake managed to demolish the Ribeira Palace where the royal house resided, until Queen María I ordered the construction of the Ajuda National Palace. This new palace would be the residence of the Portuguese royal family until the beginning of the 19th century, and it retains much of that time. So much so that today it has one of the best collections of decorative arts in Portugal, with many pieces of sculpture, paintings, porcelain and tapestries.
A tip: take advantage of the visit to give a walk through the Botanical Garden of Ajudaa beautiful garden of Italian architecture that is worth getting lost in.
An aperitif at As Bifanas do Afonso
I’m not kidding you if I tell you that the local is the best place to try one of the most delicious typical dishes of Portugal: the bifanaa pork sandwich in whose simplicity lies all its success.
The place is called “As Bifanas do Afonso” and is located on the corner of Largo Adelino Amaro da Costa and Rua da Madalena (here we leave you how to get there), very close to the well-known neighborhood of Alfama -an obligatory stop- and the Lisbon Cathedral. It is a very small place where they only sell bifanas and which is the best representation of street food in the city. Safety pin.
Visit the oldest bookstore in the world
Everyone talks about the Lello bookstore in Porto, but I have not yet met anyone who has recommended the one that is the oldest active bookstore in the world. It was founded in 1732, and it was the work of the Frenchman Pedro Faure. Pierre Bertrand joined as a partner in 1742 and the bookstore was renamed Faure & Bertrand, until after Faure’s death, the name is what we now know: Bertrand.
Who doesn’t like to walk through history? There are few places in Lisbon with as much living history as this place.
Eat the best pastels de nata in Lisbon (and they’re not the oldest patisserie in the city)
Forget the pastels de Belem from the oldest patisserie in the city, because it is the most touristic and well-known, but that does not mean that it is the best. In addition to the fact that there is always a queue, we have found a place where the famous portuguese cream cakes they are even better. Is named Manteigaria and is a cream cake factory with premises in Porto and Lisbon. His cakes are a blessed madness.
I warn you that it is one of those bites capable of causing orgasms, so it is mandatory to stop for a coffee and a pastel de nata in one of its four places in Lisbon:
- Rua do Loreto 2, five minutes from the Do Carmo Archaeological Museum
- Rua Augusta 195-197, between the Lisbon Cathedral and the Do Carmo Archaeological Museum
- Avenida Rio de Janeiro 44 B, just outside the historic center of Lisbon
- Rua de Belém 31, near the Torre de Belém
Photos | istock
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