Lisbon, a city of which one hears again and again how great and beautiful it is. Especially the flair, as well as the warm people would make the city something very special. You should definitely visit it. These are enough arguments for an authentic visit. How much is there to what is said about the city? What is all the flair about and what is it really like on site?

Immediately after arriving in the Portuguese capital, one notices that the standard we have in central Europe is not self-evident.

Chaotic. Dirty. Unclear. Old.

These are the terms that ran through our head in the first few minutes. But that’s exactly what makes the city so charming. Not everything has to be perfect. Not every corner has to be clean. Not every facade needs to be renovated immediately. Not every pavement has to have its place.

Lisbon is a city full of narrow streets, sometimes flat, sometimes alternately up and down. At the beginning you will think that here nothing has its order and everyone lives the way he wants to.

Free. Open. Happy.

But then you will realize that exactly this way of living is typical for Lisbon or Portugal and this is what makes the city. Everywhere and on every corner there are colorful posters inviting you to the next party. Street art gives the sometimes gray neighborhoods back the colorful life that throbs in the residents.

Arrived in the center of the capital, the chaos gets a little more its order. Numerous sights attract tourists here and make for an unforgettable time. Here you can either have a wonderful stay, enjoying yourself in the numerous cafes or fill your stomach in great restaurants like Steakhouse Atalho.

Just get a delicious ice cream. Or have a cozy evening, full of deep conversations, fine shisha and delicious cocktails in Coctail and Shisha Bar Lounge. Lisbon is alive and just waiting to captivate you.

Every visitor to Lisbon naturally wants to see the typical sights. Be it in passing or during a targeted hunt for them. Like all other big cities in the world, Lisbon is packed with great places that will amaze you.

#1 Elevador de Santa Justa

Besides the very lively city center, there are of course buildings like Elevador de Santa Justa. Even if it requires some patience to get to the top and you may partly wonder why you are doing this to yourself.

But believe me, the view from the top is so cool that you will forget the 30 minutes waiting time very quickly. By the way, right behind the elevator is a pretty cool corner and a small restaurant that you should visit before going down.

#2 Pestana CR7 Hotel

For the football fans among us, a little detour to the Pestana CR7 Hotel should be in it. As the name suggests, the hotel is owned by soccer legend Christiano Ronaldo. Even if not everyone can afford a room there, or even wants to. A drink in the bar CR7 Corner, directly below, should actually be in it.

Suuu!

#3 Delicious Pastel de Nata

Delicious food is always welcome by many visitors. So we can recommend to definitely go to the nearest bakery and treat yourself to the delicious pastry Pastel de Nata. Or five, six pieces at once, like us. Pretty much every bakery sells the sweet little thing. But we can especially recommend Manteigaria.

In addition to the particularly good taste, there is also the possibility to see live and on site, how the delicious dessert is prepared. What we would less recommend is to buy the exact same tartlet in the bakery Pastel de Belem. Unless you like standing in line for 1-1.5 hours to get more or less the same thing.

#4 Praça do Comércio

What is more typical for Lisbon than Praça do Comércio. Here every day thousands of people gather to enjoy a beautiful sight and on it through the big gate into the city center to be able to forget themselves and the world.

#5 Tram 28

On pretty much all typical photos from Lisbon you can always see the classic Tram 28. During our stay we thought for just a short moment whether we really want to treat ourself to the ride. Quickly we decided against it, because quite honestly? Waiting in line for ages and then feeling like in a sardine can during the ride? And still pay for it? Not with us!

But if you really want to go and otherwise you would have the feeling of having missed something, then rather go early in the morning and get on at Martim Moniz or Campo Ourique. With a bit of luck and after standing in line for a while, you’ll feel like a sardine at least sitting down.

#6 Elevador da Gloria

Much more we can recommend a ride with Elevador da Gloria. The ride is also in a classic tram, with the extra that it is not crowded, you enjoy awesome street art on the way up and once at the top you can enjoy a beautiful view of the city.

#7 The bridge of April 25th

May it be a little San Francisco feeling? The bridge of April 25th or Ponte 25 de Abril, as it is actually called, is a really beautiful piece. Already from a distance it can be seen with its beauty and right in front of it it is even more magnificent.

It is a really nice feeling to just walk along the promenade, see the bridge and enjoy a delicious coffee with the view.

#8 Christ statue

By the way, on the other side of the bridge is the Christ statue. As you continue walking along the promenade, you will also arrive at Monument Padrão dos Descobrimentos. Lisbon couldn’t be more typical.

#9 Torre de Belém

Ready for the highlight? Torre de Belém is probably the most beautiful landmark in Lisbon. It’s best to go there towards the evening, because that’s when the view is at its best.

From one side it still appears completely bright and illuminated by the sun. From the other side you see almost only the silhouette and in the background the sunset. Unforgettably beautiful.

#10 Santa Maria de Belém

On the way, a short detour at Santa Maria de Belém is certainly still in it. The church enchants with its particularly beautiful and somewhat untypical construction. Don’t miss the oportunity to take a quick look there.

During the stay in Lisbon there were two places that we remembered particularly well. They are perhaps not the most famous neighborhoods and maybe exactly because of that something very special.

#11 Alfama neighbourhood

First, there is the Alfama neighborhood. Our accommodation was just here why we discovered it in the first place. Here, life takes place in the numerous narrow streets, especially at night. In addition to the many small bars and cute, somewhat atypical restaurants with fine cuisine, you can also just enjoy a nice evening accompanied by Fado music.

#12 LX Factory

For the slightly cooler among us, just under the bridge of April 25th, somewhat hidden, there is the LX Factory. Besides many small restaurants and bars, there is also some shopping and other things to do and to have a cool time. The crowd here is more geared towards the younger or young at heart. Alternative. Hip. Vintage.

Before the visit to Lisbon, as already mentioned in the introduction, we often heard how beautiful it would be locally, that the city had this certain flair and the people were very loving. The city is chaotic, partly a bit run down.

The many small plates on the facades often reminded us as Salvador da Bahia in Brasil, which may also certainly be due to the Portuguese history on the other continent.

It’s not beautiful in the conventional sense, and again, that’s the beauty of it! The people are terribly kind, polite, fun-loving and accommodating. Lisbon is chaotic. Lisbon is dirty. Lisbon is beautiful.

Prices are per person, except for the accommodation, which we rent for 2 people.

Accommodation: $58 / night

Restaurant: $15 – $20 / meal