Top of the best neighborhoods in Lisbon
What are the best areas to stay in Lisbon ?
During our trip to Lisbon, we stayed at the Lisboa Camping & Bungalows, located at the west end of the city: there was a bus in front of the campsite that dropped us off in the city center.
The Alfama is one of the oldest and most picturesque areas of Lisbon, which survived the earthquake of 1755.
In the Portuguese capital, we can talk about four central neighborhoods and two essential places on the outskirts: Baixa (very lively during the day, but quiet at night), Chiado, Bairro Alto, Alfama, Belém and Ajuda .
The Alfama neighborhood is one of the most picturesque: colorful facades, narrow and sloping pedestrian streets, bars and small fado restaurants, small traditional dishes, a warm atmosphere guaranteed.
Alfama withstood the 1755 earthquake, which destroyed the city and left between 50,000 and 70,000 dead.
However, the Castle of São Jorge and the buildings of the neighborhood remained standing, which gives Alfama its appeal today: modernity combined with the architecture of the Moorish era.
Do the facades of the old Alfama district look a bit run down, even ruined?
In truth, it is a product of history, related to the culture of Islam: under Arab domination, before the Reconquest, Muslims were more interested in the interior of houses, since the aesthetics of the walls it was considered superficial.
Below is the modern Baixa neighborhood, the lower city, the commercial and tourist lung of the city.
It includes the Plaza del Comercio, the train station next to Cais do Sodré and the Arc de Triomphe on Rua Augusta . Rent can be more expensive, especially in summer.
By taking the stairs or the funicular, you will reach Bairro Alto and Chiado: two complementary neighborhoods.
The first for the nightlife (but quiet during the day) and the second for the shopping soul, very active during the day. Bars and shops one after another, a young and modern town where beer and wine flow freely.
Are you not so attracted to urban centers? Stay in Belém, with its Torre de Belém, the Jerónimos Monastery and the Monument to the Discoveries !
Located a 1.5 hour walk from the center, Belém offers another look at Lisbon, with popular residential areas, including the Ajuda side: with a magnificent view of the 25 de Abril de Premio Bridge!