A weekend in Lisbon

by Marco Muggiano

Like the rest of Portugal, Lisbon has the privilege of not being a transitory destination: those who want to go there have to decide to go there. This is a factor that, together with the quality and pace of life, the warm Portuguese welcome, the pleasant climate, and the special light, make the capital a place where you can spend an unforgettable weekend. Out of the myriad activities available, we've handpicked just a handful, providing a glimpse that ignites emotions during those three memorable days, even in destinations that often end up in every travel guide.

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Alfama

One of the neighborhoods least affected by the devastating earthquake of 1755, it is the historic heart of the city where time seems to have stood still. It is also considered the birthplace of fado, the poignant traditional music of Lisbon. It is built vertically, with a high and a low part and a cascade of houses on its sloping alleys, where it is worth wandering around aimlessly. Lanes, alleys, stairs, squares, small gardens, panoramic terraces, plants in front of the house, colors, and scents make you feel that modernity is far away.

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Chiado

One of the historic areas of Lisbon is the Chiado district (pronounced ʃiadu in Portuguese). From Largo do Chiado Square, numerous avenues branch off, some of them pedestrianized and lined with shops, hotels, and cafes. Still, the main commercial artery of the neighborhood is Rua Garrett, formerly Rua Chiado. You can walk around the neighborhood, which is not very big. Churches, museums, theaters, sightseeing, and, of course, shopping. Among the many attractions of Chiado, there is the Archaeological Museum of Carmo, which attracts tourists for three mummies, only one of which is Egyptian. The other two are Peruvian.

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La Sé de Lisboa

The Sé de Lisboa, or Lisbon Cathedral, is one of the seven cathedrals of the Holy Grail, along with Westminster (London), Santa Maria Maggiore (Rome), the Basilica of the Holy Blood (Bruges), Santa Maria Assunta (Mexico City), the Cathedral of the Transfiguration (San Salvador da Bahia), and the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul in Washington. This aura of mystery attracts many tourists, and not only pilgrims. Since the Middle Ages, Lisbon has been a favorite place for the development and practice of alchemy, hosting Masonic ministers, occult poets, and, above all, the Knights Templar, who, banned from the rest of Europe in the fourteenth century, took refuge in Portugal. Instead, history tells us that it was built in 1150 by the first king of Portugal, Alfonso Enrique, on the ruins of a large mosque, following the model of the Cathedral of Coimbra. Almost a millennium of history justifies the almost chaotic overlapping of styles and architectures. In the cloister, where the Romanesque and Gothic styles mix, you can see strange and disturbing pentagrams: in fact, the five-pointed star represented the realization of perfection for the monks who built it.

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Hotel Tivoli
Avenida da Liberdade 185

Built in 1933, it is located in the most luxurious shopping district of Lisbon, just a few steps away from the charming historic districts of Chiado and Alfama. But its fame dates back to World War II, when Lisbon was crawling with spies from both sides. The Nazis had their headquarters at the Hotel Avenida Palace. The British preferred the Hotel Aviz, now demolished and rebuilt, and this excellent example of extra-luxury hospitality in the 1930s. Ian Fleming is said to have been inspired in Lisbon to create the world's most famous spy, James Bond.

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Tasca Zebras
Calçada do Combro 51

Azulejos alle pareti (tiles on the wall) andComida Portuguesa de conforto (Portuguese comfort food) at the table. The "Pocket" is a typical Portuguese tavern with very few tables that are always full. They serve wine and petiscos and dishes to share. It is a pleasure for the taste buds and socializing. Since 1983, Tasca Zebras, with 20 seats in 66 square meters, has been servingpeixe e marisco(fish and seafood) on its menu: the best seller is the prego de atum, a kind of tuna burger. Then octopus, patelle delle Azores, rice with cannicoli, prawns with garlic. Despite 40 years of activity in Calçada do Combro, the management is very new: the new manager, a former manager of Disney and FOX, has taken over to preserve the original soul and avoid mass food production, which even in Lisbon risks making the premises all the same, like everywhere in the world.

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Taberna Anti-Dantas
Rua de São José 206

It was during a trip to the Azores that Filipe Nabais realized that he had to open a restaurant. A seemingly unusual idea for a video designer with a degree in History. In the Portuguese archipelago, he had a taste of a fish soup that would change his life. Maybe the story seems too romantic, but the truth is this: Filipe decided to open a restaurant so he could make this soup. The antique wooden tables, the hand-cranked cash register, and the newspapers and magazines of the past give the environment an atmosphere of yesteryear. The menu includes the famous sopa de peixe em pão alentejano, but also the pastéis de nata di baccalà, mushrooms stuffed with beetroot and coriander, and the traditional octopus. The average price is around 20 euro.

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Oficio
Rua Nova da Trindade 11

We've talked about fish. Now it's time to give space to meat lovers, who are the protagonists here. The gastronomic experience is divided into two parts. First, the bar, where you can try the Saint Receiving Day, a cocktail based on rum, port, vanilla, and nutmeg. The visit continues in the room where traditional dishes are reinterpreted with a modern touch. Not surprisingly, the appetizers include a taco with grilled ham and mountain cheese: the pseudo-Mexican touch comes from the chef who worked at the famous (and now defunct) Hoja Santa restaurant in Barcelona.
But the main reason to come here is for the famous chambão, a triumph of meat with bones marinated for 12 hours to be shared by four people.

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Ponte 25 de Abril

If you take a picture with this bridge behind you, many people will think of you in San Francisco. Its name celebrates the Carnation Revolution that liberated Portugal from fascist dictatorship in 1974. Built in 1962, with the old name of Ponte Salazar, in 2014, it was voted the most beautiful in Europe by European Best Destination. 2 kilometers long and 277 meters high (only the main span reaches the kilometer and 12 meters), it has foundations anchored to the basalt rock 80 meters below the riverbed. Doca de Santo Amaro is the best place to admire the Ponte 25 de Abril in all its majesty