Lisboa, Portugal
06/06/2022
On our second day in Lisbon [you can find the first day here] we set out to explore the city. Our starting point was Castelo São Jorge in the Alfama district. After a brief walk up the hill and skipping a long cue by simply purchasing the tickets online we were already on the premises and ready to take some awesome photos.
The almost 1000-year-old fortification impressed not only with well-preserved and restored buildings but also with a 360° view over the city, enabling us to get a nice understanding of what we would be able to visit where over the next few days. For example, looking through my camera I spotted Museu Arqueológico do Carmo, a destroyed church which I planned on visiting during our time in the city. Ponte 25 de Abril and Praça do Comércio, the commerce square, were two more such locations.
We also took the chance to take some more pictures in front of the skyline before continuing to check out the castle itself.
As we were slowly getting hungry it was time for our first true Portuguese meal. Right next to the castle entrance we discovered a nice-looking and well-rated restaurant Petisqueira Conqvistador where we had lunch.
After having replenished our energy we walked downhill towards the waterfront and Praça do Comércio for some cool aerial footage. I was able to capture both Ponte 25 de Abril from afar and the square from the waterside. We then walked across the piazza and towards old town Lisbon.
You can find the video on YouTube here.
On the way to our next stop we came by a couple of wonderfully decorated stores in the Bairro Alto district, one of the few ones that remained intact after the dramatic 1755 earthquake. The designers skilfully place modern interiors in beautiful historic stone and brick buildings.
Next up we headed to Museu Arqueológico do Carmo which we had spotted from the castle earlier. This was one of my must-see places because of its surreal setting: a church destroyed by the earthquake, only some pillars remaining, with the sky visible above.
As it was already evening we decided to take a bus to LX Factory, an unused factory turned art / lifestyle hub. It is always fascinating to see such old buildings get a new purpose and being used for cultural and social exchange. Upon entering the area, we spotted Ler Devagar, a book store well-known for the art hanging from the ceiling and a massive old commercial printing press to the center of it. After taking a look inside and walking the site for a while we found the rooftop of a hostel to look around for a while and wind down before returning to our hotel.
Tchau tchau!