Lisbon: Travel and tourism

With its many monuments, museums and ancient quarters, Lisboa has also become, in the past decades, a cosmopolitan capital with a rich cultural life, animated events (from classical music to rock concerts, traditional bullfights and football matches), lively late-night entertainment (discotheques, clubs and bars along the waterfront, for example) and large commercial centers with fashionable shops.

Spreading across hills on the north bank of the Tagus estuary, the city is proud of its days of glory during the Age of Discovery, as can be seen in such monuments as the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos, a magnificent monastery from the 16th century, or the Torre de Belém, a tower built as a fortress near the river Tagus that became a symbol of the Portuguese era of expansion.

Many other historic monuments and museums are worth visiting, such as the Castelo de São Jorge (once a Moorish castle with superb views over the city), the Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga (a national art collection within a 17th century palace), the Cathedral and churches such as São Vicente de Fora.

Old and fascinating quarters with picturesque houses and narrow streets, such as Alfama and Bairro Alto, now exhibit fashionable restaurants and bars or the fado houses, where this typical music of Lisbon is sung acompanied by guitars.

More modern developments, such as the Centro Cultural de Belém (featuring concerts, shows and exhibitions) or the grounds where the Expo´98 was held, with a gigantic aquarium, illustrate new tendencies in architecture and entertainment.