Introduction to Lisbon

In the recent years Lisbon has become one of the most up and coming cities; it has been the capital of Portugal since 1255. It is situated beside seven low hills and on the north side lays the Rio Tejo (River Tagus). The river Tagus widens to a seven-mile wide bay (11 Kilometers). Many of the attractions of the city are within walking distance within the city center. Not only does this city have spectacular scenery, but also has hundreds of lively bars, an exciting nightlife and a growing number of shops.

The seven hills separate the city into each individual neighborhood. The high quarter, known as Bairro Alto, has many good restaurants and loads of places to enjoy a meal while listening to the mournful, satirical, sentimental and occasionally happy guitar and vocal songs known as Fado. Alfama is the oldest part of the city, with narrow streets twisting down to medieval architecture.

At the heart of the city, there are tree-lined avenues, Art Nouveau buildings, street cafes & mosaic pavements; also there is the eighteenth century grid of tidy avenues, which belong to the town of Baxia. The Baxia lies on the north side of the River Tagus close to the waters edge. The stylish Chiado shopping area moves away to the west, while the Elevador de Santa Justa lies just at the top part of the Baxia. Lisbon is a mix of exciting blue and white painted tiles – these are known as azulejos – cobble stoned walkways, superior architecture, and fado singing, these are just some of the many touches of medieval that you will see.

The amount of visitors in the recent years has escalated – this is mainly due to major events like, Expo ’98. The city has a huge amount of historic interest with over 20 century’s to hear about. The Alfama is one of the oldest parts of the city, it survived the horrific earthquake in 1755 but much of the area still has its original layout.