Hi Steemit friends!

Happy New Year to you all!!! Welcome to my first travel post!

Last June, I had the pleasure of visiting Lisbon, Portugal. I simply cannot say enough good things about this place. It featured some of the most beautiful places, delicious food, and friendly people that I’ve had the pleasure to encounter in my travels. After I returned, a friend of mine was planning a trip there as well so I wrote up the below guide to help her plan her trip. I’ll dive deeper into some of this in future posts and please feel free to comment if you’d like to know more about any of this. Thanks for reading!

What to see in Lisbon

1. Belem

This is definitely an area to check out. I recommend starting at the Torre de Belem and getting your tickets ahead of time. We waited for quite a while to get into the tower since they only allow a certain amount of people at each level. If you have a ticket you skip over everyone waiting to buy a ticket. You may also want to get right on the line for the top of the tower because the line builds up quickly as you’re busy enjoying the first level. It’s a single file walk up and down fairly narrow spiral staircases. On the walk down you can stop in on each floor with some funky passageways. From here, walk over to the Discovery monument, then spend some time wandering through the Jeronimos Monastery. You can purchase this ticket in a combo pack with the Torre de Belem. Make sure to catch the church and the cloisters. Next, head over to the Pasteis de Belem for a treat (take some to go!).

2. Alfama

I definitely recommend starting in this area by getting dropped off at the Castelo de Sao Jorge- this is the highest point so it’s best to start here and work your way down. Alternatively, the classic yellow no. 28 tram runs through this area if you want to hop on. Just watch out for pickpockets! The views from the castle are amazing so soak in the beautiful panoramic views from up high. Take a stroll along the castle walls and watch your step! There is a fantastic gelato place called Nata Lisboa right outside of the castle and to the left (if you’re leaving). Definitely recommend popping in there! From here, wind down through the streets of Alfama to Se de Lisboa and Santo Antonio church. There are lots of cute shops along the streets. We found a great handmade tile/azulejo shop and bought lots and lots of beautiful souvenirs.

3. Baixa-Chiado

Check out Praça do Rossio - it's a pretty square with waves of tiles, along the square there is the tinned sardines shop which looks like a circus. There are tons of restaurants and shops south of here along with the Santa Justa Lift - the only remaining vertical elevator - there is always a long line so beware - we skipped this experience; continue south to the Arco de Rua Augusta and the Praça do Comércio. You can also walk over to the Time Out market from here. Another cool spot in this area is Bertrand books and music. Spend some time wandering around this area.

4. Feira da Ladra

If you’re in town on a Saturday, make a stop at this awesome flea market. You’ll find a very wide array or jewelry, pottery, and lots of vintage finds. While you’re in the area you can stop by the National Pantheon and the Church of Sao Vincente de Fora. Our favorite vendor was this adorable lady selling these beautiful handcrafted ceramics. We bought some plates, bowls, and a pitcher from her.

5. Museums

There are a number of interesting museums that you can check out in Portugal. We chose to only go to the National Tile Museum during our stay and really enjoyed it. Inside there’s an entire reconstructed chapel. Other notable museums are the Coaches Museum, the Ancient Art museum, and many more.

Tips

1. The vast majority of people you will encounter speak English - in restaurants, uber drivers, at any tourist location. I tried to learn some words and found I confused people by speaking the few words of Portuguese I knew. I found it easier to communicate in English and many people we spoke with were happy to improve upon their English while speaking with us.

2. We found Uber to be very helpful and very cheap to get around town. You may want to take the tram for the experience but otherwise we took Uber everywhere. Also keep in mind that Lisbon is known as the city of 7 hills. Those hills are no joke! This is where getting a lift to some places definitely comes in handy - Castelo de Sao Jorge in particular!

Hope you enjoy this post! Please let me know if you would like to me add anything for future posts and any questions are welcome!