Giving Lisbon a Lift
The world’s most original and attractive elevator tower is a filigree-style metal construction looming over downtown Lisbon.
When the Earth Shook
The great earthquake of 1755 wasn’t exclusive to Lisbon. In fact, the epicentre was calculated to have been out in the Atlantic some 200 km south-west of the Algarve.
The Best of Belém
Taking a stroll down Lisbon‘s memory lane, through the historic square mile of Belém, the place from which Portugal‘s fearless adventurers set sail for unknown lands in the 15th and 16th centuries, is one of the […]
Mother of All Parties
Put a note in your diary (coronavirus permitting), June is the month when Lisbon explodes into life with dancing in the streets and sardines sizzling on every corner. It’s the month […]
Poetry in Commotion
Portugal’s most celebrated poet, Luís Vaz de Camões (c. 1524-1580), lived an extraordinarily eventful life by any stretch of the imagination. As a young man he fought in Morocco and paid […]
The Lisbon Aqueduct
Built in the 18th century, Lisbon’s magnificent Águas Livres aqueduct has 109 arches in all and stretches 19 kilometres (11 miles) from Caneças to the Casa de Água reservoir in […]
Lisbon’s Sé Cathedral
The construction of Lisbon’s imposing cathedral began in the middle of the 12th century, during Afonso Henriques’ siege and capture of the city from the Moors.
Lisbon’s Alfama Quarter
A maze of narrow, winding streets, Lisbon‘s Alfama quarter is the oldest and most historical part of the Portuguese capital, having survived the great earthquake and subsequent fires and tidal […]
Let There Be Light
Benfica’s magnificent Stadium of Light is a modern version of the one built in the early 1950s, which began life as a large open bowl before floodlights were added four […]
My Kingdom for a Boat
When King Manuel II sailed off into the sunset on the 5th of October, 1910, it marked the end of the Portuguese monarchy. Boarding the yacht Amélia with the rest […]