Here are just some of the reasons why you just cannot
miss one of the most charming cities in Portugal and the world: LISBON
On the right hand side of the Tagus, Lisbon is a major European city, with a metropolitan
area containing up to 2.5 million people (which means that 1 in 4
Portuguese people live in the Lisbon area). Lisbon has justly won three
of the 2009 World travel Awards for Europe: Europe's Leading City Break
Destination,Europe's Leading Cruise Destination and Europe's Leading
Destination.
It seems that the city’s name stems from a Phoenician expression,
“Alis-Ubbo”, which means “serene harbour”.
In fact, Lisbon was built
around the immense Tagus’ mouth. Although the river’s mouth is quite
large towards the west, it has a large gulf that gives it a somewhat
oceanic quality. It was always a good port and it still is one of the
most important ones in Europe today, but it is also good for a great
variety of nautical sports. Lisbon is connected to the south by two very
characteristic bridges, engineering masterpieces which give the capital
a particular charm.
Lisbon has a dozen different faces, of different urban landscapes,
each and every one with its own urban rhythms and lifestyles. With an
undulating topography, many of its monuments are seen from afar on top
of their hills. It has seven hills, all of them densely urbanised. Some
say that Lisbon is, architecturally speaking, a white city, which gives
it its markedly Mediterranean character.
Lisbon has an excellent
transport network, especially its underground lines, abundantly
decorated with artworks: each station has its own colour scheme and
theme. Lisbon is also dotted with the picturesque yellow electric trams,
whose trajectories are of great tourist interest.
This is a very sophisticated, complex and cosmopolitan city. It has
always been like this, with people from all around the world walking its
streets. It has an unrelenting appetite for culture, hosting a
multitude of events, and dozens of attractions, theatres, night-life
spots, football stadiums, churches and museums. You have no time to get
bored in Lisbon.
Whatsmore, there is a typical cultural expression
that was born in Lisbon: the Fado, a nostalgic, mysterious type of song
that enthrals and awes all those who hear it.
Lisbon is made up of many different boroughs. In Lisbon - Alfama, Baixa and Bairro Alto you can find the hustle and bustle of an historic city. Lisbon - Belém,
by the riverside, pays homage to the Portuguese Discoveries, with its
great and renowned monuments.
If you like modern acrchitecture, you
should not miss Lisbon - Eastern Lisbon where the Parque das Nações boasts a variety of facilities as well as cultural and leisure areas. Lisbon - Estrela, Lapa and Doca de Alcântara is a charming, quiet area of the city. By Lisbon- Greater Lisbon it is meant the wider area of the Portuguese capital.