74 globaltravelerusa.com MARCH 2019
today: The rebuilt city was the first of its size to be designed
in a grid system, with broad avenues and expansive squares.
Reminders of Portugal’s golden age are most evident in
the city’s Belém district, well worth a visit. About five miles
from the city center, Belém is easily accessible via tram or
taxi. It was from Belém the famed Portuguese explorers
began their worldwide voyages. You can visit the ship-shaped
Monument to the Discoveries, built in 1960 to commemo-
rate 500 years of maritime exploration; the Belém Tower, a
UNESCO World Heritage monument and the starting point
for many of the voyages; and the late-Gothic-style Monastery
of Jerónimos, built in 1502 and where Vasco de Gama once
prayed and is buried. Check hours and closing dates before
you go.
After all that historical discovery, it’s time to sample some
more recent history.
Portugal is famous for its egg custard tarts, known as
pasteis de nata, and arguably the most famous pastry shop in
Lisbon sits right next door to the monastery in Belém, where
the tarts originated. Pasteis de Belém sold its first tarts in
1837; and if you only have time to try one shop, this is it. But
you could spend days sampling the tarts all over town.
You can spend hours walking around the mostly flat
central Lisbon areas along Avenida Liberdade, but to reallyexperience Lisbon you must go up the hills of the neigh-
borhoods like Barrio Alta and Alfama. Unless you want a
workout, consider a tram, a taxi or an Uber to get you to the
hilltops. Tram 28, which you can board at Martim Moniz
Square for a few euros, has become well-known to tourists
for its low-cost, scenic route up and around the city. But there
are often long lines, so consider a backup plan like a taxi if
your time is limited.
To get an overview of this city built on seven hills, take
advantage of one of Lisbon’s miradouros, or viewpoints, like
Miradouro da Graca, where you can get a coffee or a cold
beer while you savor the panoramic views. Or at Lisbon’s
most famous landmark and most visited tourist attraction, the
Castelo de São Jorge. Perched on the highest of Lisbon’s hills,
in Alfama, the city’s oldest district, the Moorish castle housed
Portuguese kings from the 12th century, when the Moors
were overthrown, until the 16th century.
Fado music — the mournful, passionate music played in
clubs around the city — gained global renown as a Lisbon
experience. Some of my contacts warned me visiting a fado
club was too touristy, but we didn’t find it so, and the evening
was one of the best we had in the city. In fact, the music
was classified in 2011 as a UNESCO Cultural Heritage of
Humanity.GOLDEN AGE:
Belém Tower
PHOTO: © SEAN PAVONE - DREAMSTIME.COM
Opened in 2016,
MAAT, Lisbon’s
Museum of Art,Architecture and
Technology, explores
contemporaryculture and is just
one of dozens of mu
seums worth a visit.