Lisbon Remains the Gateway to Discovering Portugal
Portugal is a small country with a population of approximately ten million and the size of the State of Indiana. Over 2.9 million of the nation’s people live in the metropolitan area of the Lisbon, Portugal’s beautiful capital city located near the mouth of the Tagus River. Lisbon has been a dynamic force in world history over the centuries. It was the centerpiece for Portugal's Age of Discovery and the development of an extensive colonial empire that lasted for over five hundred years. An estimated 232 million people speak Portuguese around the globe making it the world’s sixth largest language.
Lisbon’s culture and lifestyle attract over four million people to visit there each year. However, the seafaring legacy, Catholic tradition, and worldwide influence of the Portuguese people remain prominent in the city’s museums, historic sites, and economy. Lisbon has a strong presence in the European business community through corporate headquarters, finance activity, a container port, and the entertainment companies.
There are plenty of interesting things to do during a visit to Portugal whether traveling just around Lisbon or throughout the country. The Alfa Pendular high speed train, domestic flights on TAP Portugal, and driving on electronic toll motorways allow visitors to move comfortably from city to city. Within Lisbon, the underground metro, electric trams, and commuter trains provide efficient transportation.
Explorer Legacy and Colonial Power
Beginning in the 1400s, a series of Portuguese explorers set out from Lisbon to explore the oceans of the world and seek new trading opportunities in small ships known as caravels. Some of the best-known explorers were Vasco da Gama, who discovered a sea route from Europe to India, Ferdinand Magellan, the first captain to circumnavigate the globe, and Bartolomeu Dias, the first European explorer to pass around the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa. Many explorers were financed or inspired by Prince Henry the Navigator. The ships were staffed by experts in navigation, cartography, and science, and accompanied by warriors, missionaries, and fortune hunters.
What started as a search for better routes to the exotic lands which produced spices, gold, and agricultural products desired by Portugal and other European nations, gradually expanded to include the export of goods manufactured in Portugal and the reliance on slave labor in its settlements. By 1600, Portugal had created a vast trading network of colonies throughout Africa, South America, and Asia, while promoting Catholicism to native peoples and building many churches. Substantial portions of the areas now known as Brazil, Angola, Mozambique, Cape Verde, India, Macau, and Indonesia became subject to the political, economic, and cultural domination of Portugal.
During the Napoleonic Wars of the early 1800s, the royal court and nobility of Portugal fled to Brazil and ruled the Portuguese empire from there until Prince Pedro declared Brazil to be an independent nation in 1821 and crowned himself as Emperor. Eventually, independence movements, competing powers, and international pressures displaced Portugal from its remaining colonial possessions in the 1970s. While Portugal remains proud of its explorers, it has discarded the legacy of colonialism to become a stable democracy and socially progressive nation.
Here are some worthwhile places to visit or experiences to pursue on a short visit to the city:
Monument to the Discoveries - Along the bank of Tagus River lies the 171-foot-tall Monument to the Discoveries. This monument, first designed in 1940 for the Portuguese World Expo, was reconstructed in 1960 with concrete, masonry, and limestone to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the death of Prince Henry the Navigator. Built to resemble the bow of a sailing ship protruding into the water, the monument pays tribute to the explorers and key figures involved in Portugal’s Age of Discovery with statues depicting thirty-three of the most prominent people led by Prince Henry. The base surrounding the monument includes a mosaic map of the world showing the date and location of “new” lands explored by the discoverers. For people wanting to learn more about the individual voyages, the ships, or the places visited, the nearby Maritime Museum has over 17,000 items on display.
Belem Tower - Another popular structure dating back to the Portugal’s golden age is the Belem Tower. This World Heritage Site was built as a fortress in 1520 and placed in the middle of the river. Serving as a symbol of Portugal’s military power, this gateway structure provided the second-floor royal chambers with a tremendous view of ships and processions in the city. Strongly built, the tower has ornate towers and carvings depicting various scenes and symbols of imperial power.
Today, the tower is located along the north shoreline of the city. Unlike many other prominent structures in Lisbon including a second tower formerly located on the opposite bank of the river, the Belem Tower survived the catastrophic earthquake, tsunamis and fire of 1755 which killed an estimated 50,000 Lisbon residents and destroyed as much as 85% of the city’s buildings. The complete destruction of churches, libraries, homes, palaces and government buildings in Lisbon and other locations in Portugal devastated the nation’s economy and affected intellectual discourse and political events throughout Europe.
Castle of St. George - The longevity and location of the medieval Castle of St. George make it another one of Lisbon’s popular tourists stops. Once controlled by the Moors, the castle was overrun by Christian soldiers in 1147and used as a royal residence thereafter before being partially destroyed after the 1755 Earthquake. Although the castle’s interior is in ruins, the walls and battlements of the hilltop site provide a panoramic view of the white and red houses of the city neighborhoods below and the river.
Neighborhood Culture - It can be easy to spend time in European cities looking at monuments, rivers, old churches, and historic buildings. Lisbon has a compact city center city so strolling around the narrow streets of its diverse neighborhoods is worthwhile. The Alfama District has an artsy and cultural flare to it with lots of restaurants and music venues including Fado shows of traditional Portuguese music. For designer clothing, luxury hotels and downtown sophistication, the Avenida da Liberdade section is fun for walking and shopping. Like many cities, portions of the riverfront have been redeveloped so a sunset cruise on the Tagus, a meal and drinks at a restaurant or club, or a movie and theater performance can be enjoyed in the Parque das Nacoes section of the city.
Excursions from Lisbon - People with an extra day or two to spend in Portugal often explore the colorful nearby community of Sintra. Sintra is popular for its castles, palaces, and gardens. The buildings range from gothic mansions to 19th century Romanticist palaces or mountaintop medieval ruins. Farther afield, about two hundred miles to the north, lies the seaside city of Porto. Porto is known for its famous wineries, bridges, and beachfront promenade, but its historic district is also a World Heritage Site. Porto churches such as the blue and white Chapel of the Souls often feature elaborate painted tiles and stained-glass windows.
When to go - Located on the southwest coast of the Iberian Peninsula, Lisbon has a mild Mediterranean climate without the intense dry heat found in parts of Spain. Daytime temperatures exceed 60 degrees from early April to mid- October and rarely exceed 85 degrees during this period. Precipitation is more likely to occur in the spring or late fall so the ideal months for visiting Lisbon are from mid-May to late September. Lisbon’s conditions are colder and wetter in the winter especially at night, but low temperatures remain in the 40s.