Pombal tried to modernize the country as well as its town planning, but his reforms were too little, too late. Left behind by the Industrial Revolution, Portugal entered the 19th century in deep decline. When Napoleon’s troops conquered Lisbon in 1807, the royal family escaped in the nick of time on British ships and transferred the capital to Rio de Janeiro. Brazil’s independence and a civil war in the 1830s hastened Portugal’s decline.
In 1908 King Carlos II and his oldest son were assassinated in Praça do Comércio and 2 years later, a republic was proclaimed from the balcony of City Hall. More chaos followed until dictator António de Oliveira Salazar took power in 1932. He managed to keep Portugal neutral during World War II, when Lisbon became a nest of spies and a haven for refugees.
By the 1960s, however, Portugal was at war: Lisbon’s quaysides saw the tearful departure of troops ships headed for colonial conflicts in Angola, Mozambique, and Guinea Bissau. Poor and isolated, Portugal was an outcast in democratic Europe. That began to change as dawn broke on April 25, 1974 to reveal armored cars and young soldiers taking up position in Praça do Comércio. The revolution launched by junior officers immediately won the hearts of Lisbon’s citizens, who took to the streets and decorated the soldiers’ guns with carnations from the flower stalls on Rossio. Portugal was set on the path to democracy.
The soaring towers and cutting-edge architecture of Parque das Nações symbolize modern Lisbon. The district was built to house the Expo ’98 World Fair, which drew 11 million visitors to the city on the 500th anniversary of Vasco da Gama’s arrival in India. It was a brash statement of a newly confident country. The new landmarks included Europe’s then-longest bridge, towering blocks of upscale apartments, shopping malls, exhibition halls, theatres, and a railway station designed by Spanish architectural superstar Santiago Calatrava. It embodied Lisbon’s transformation since the 1974 revolution. After some years of revolutionary turmoil, the country emerged as a stable parliamentary democracy. In 1986, it joined what would become the European Union, along with neighboring Spain. EU funds and foreign investment fueled an economic boom with new roads and infrastructure springing up around the country. The party had fizzled out by the mid-2000s and Lisbon, like the rest of Portugal, was hard hit by the world economic crisis. The capital, however, has been at the forefront of a recovery since 2015, with tourism and foreign investment fueling a booming property market.
Today, the city is the heart of an urban area that’s home to 2.8 million people. Its airport struggles to keep up with the demand for visitors flying in to enjoy its attractions. Neighborhoods in the old center that were once picturesquely rundown are spruced up with facades brightly painted or covered in new azulejos. The downside of the renewal is that those districts are losing their character. Residents are forced out as demand for vacation apartments pushes up rents; unique stores and cafes that have served neighborhoods for generations are replaced with souvenir shops and hipster watering holes that look like they’re transplanted from New York’s Williamsburg or London’s Shoreditch. Like in Prague and Barcelona, you’ll find old timers who’ll tell you Lisbon’s not what it was, but its sun-drenched beauty endures and, if you know where to look, there’s still charm aplenty in the streets and squares, along with marvelous museums, fabulous (and still affordable) food and wines, and amazing architecture for all tastes from early medieval to startlingly modernist.
Orientation
When to Visit
Lisbon is a year-round destination, but the summer months of July and August are the busiest, when tourists flock in, temperatures sizzle, and Lisboetas leave on vacation. June is a party month when Lisbon city celebrates its patron, Saint Anthony. It’s great for atmosphere with street parties and open air concerts on warm evenings, but not ideal if you seek peace and quiet. Winter is calmer, when hotels are cheaper, temperatures cool (January averages 12°C/53°F), and cultural programs are in full swing in museums and theaters. April and May are many people’s favorites as the weather warms and markets fill with strawberries and juicy loquats, but they can be showery. September and October see the city still warm and fizzing with energy after the summer break.
Arriving
By Plane Lisbon’s Humberto Delgado Airport (www.aeroportolisboa.pt;
The current airport is conveniently just 6.5km (4 miles) from the heart of the city. A cheap and easy way to the center is the Aerobus (www.aerobus.pt;
The airport Metro station is part of the red line, connecting with central Lisbon in Alameda (green line), Saldanha (yellow line), or São Sebastião (blue line) stations. A single journey costs 1.40€ plus 0.50€ for the reusable Viva Viagem Card (p. 73).
Taxi passengers line up outside the Arrivals hall. The parking lot in front of Departures is the place to meet drivers from Uber or other ride hailing firms. Taxi fares to downtown should be around 15€, with supplements at night and an extra 1.60€ for each piece of luggage. Watch the meter, because taxi drivers frequently try to hike prices for unsuspecting visitors.
By Train Lisbon’s few international train connections (p. 467) arrive at the Oriente station in Parque das Nações and Santa Apolónia close to Alfama. Both are on the metro and have taxi ranks. Mainline trains to Porto and the north also depart from there. Trains from the Algarve and Alentejo arrive at the Sete Rios and Entrecampos stations. Bookings on domestic routes can be made on the website of CP (www.cp.pt) the national rail company, which also has details of fares, routes, and timetables
By Bus Intercity domestic and international buses (p. 468 and 471) terminate at the Terminal Rodoviário de Sete Rios (www.rede-expressos.pt;