The Ins And Outs Of Lisbon

Author: Adam Singleton

Like any capital city, Portugal’s Lisbon has plenty of attractions to inspire travellers to visit. Full of beauty and charm, Lisbon appeals to history boffins, sport fans and culture vultures.

Football fans across Europe will know Lisbon for sporting reasons. The city’s two main clubs – Benfica and Sporting – often battle it out with Porto for the national league and all three have enjoyed recent forays into European competitions. Benfica’s stadium – The Stadium of Light – may ring a bell to many, as it is the arena that Sunderland named their own stadium after.

It’s not all football, though. The city is located on the Tagus Estuary which stretches a whopping 14km – enough room to house all the world’s warships. The harbour houses the Torre de Belem – a tower that has had many purposes over the years. First used to help defend the harbour from invaders, it later became a prison and now acts as a reminder of Portugal’s seafaring past and offers panoramic views of the city. The river bank also has a statue of Cristo Rei (Christ the King) to commemorate the nation surviving World War II despite having no direct involvement in the fighting.

History is a big thing in Lisbon although much of the city was destroyed in 1755 when an enormous earthquake shook the city to rubble; claiming the lives of more than 40,000 residents. Legend has it that the rumbling could be felt as far away as Norway. The Alfama was one section of Lisbon that survived the earthquake and gives visitors a great taste of pre-18th century Portugal.

For those wanting to go further back in time, there are Roman remnants underneath the streets of Lisbon’s downtown. This area – that has chambers, rooms, bridges and corridors – is only open to the public two days a year because of the safety worries.

The rebuilding of the city centre was done much in black and white – black to match the clothing worn by St Vincent while the white, not only good for the heat, is symbolic of the attire of the Christian Crusaders who defeated the Moors. Many Lisbon hotels, as well as bars, restaurants and other modern tourist amenities stick to this colour scheme.

Not all visitors to the city wish to stay in the centre. Known as the ‘town of seven hills’, Lisbon is perfect for walking and hiking enthusiasts. However, for those who prefer to take things a bit more easily on holiday, the city has kindly installed street elevators to take people up the more taxing inclines. The main one – The Ascensor de Santa Justa – takes people 45 metres from the Baxia Elevator to the Chiado District, another popular tourist destination.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/destinations-articles/the-ins-and-outs-of-lisbon-1934159.html

About the Author

Adam Singleton writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.