5 Best Sights in Lisbon, Portugal

The Carmelite Convent—once Lisbon's largest—was built in 1389 and all but ruined by the 1755 earthquake. The ruins are hauntingly beautiful, and the convent's sacristy houses the Museu Arqueológico do Carmo (Carmelite Archaeological Museum), a small collection of ceramic tiles, ancient coins, and other city finds. The tree-shaded square outside—accessible via a walkway from the top of the Elevador de Santa Justa—is a scenic, tree-shaded spot to dawdle over a coffee or a cocktail.

One of the finest approaches to the Bairro Alto is via this funicular railway, also known as Ascensor da Glória. Inaugurated in 1888 on the western side of Avenida da Liberdade, it's located near Praça dos Restauradores. It runs up the steep hill and takes only about a minute to reach the São Pedro de Alcântara Miradouro, a viewpoint that looks out over the castle and the Alfama.

Within an old palace, the Museum of Pharmacy takes a playful approach to more than 5,000 years of pharmaceutical history, from prehistoric cures to the fantastic world of Harry Potter–style fictive potions. Ancient objects related to pharmaceutical science and art—from Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Roman, and Incan civilizations—are on display, as are those from Europe. Whole pharmacies have been transported here intact from other parts of Portugal, even a traditional 19th-century Chinese drugstore from Portugal's former territory of Macau. A smart bar and restaurant, Pharmacia Felicidade, serves lunch and dinner as well as afternoon petiscos (small plates for sharing).

Completed in 1574, this church and museum was one of the earliest Jesuit buildings in the world and today is home to one of Portugal's most comprehensive collections of religious art. While the exterior is somewhat plain and austere, the inside is dazzling, with abundant use of gold and marble. Eight side chapels have statuary and art dating from the early 17th century. The last chapel on the left before the altar is the extraordinary 18th-century Capela de São João Baptista (Chapel of St. John the Baptist), designed and built in Rome. The chapel was taken apart, shipped to Lisbon, and reassembled here in 1747.

Also known as the Museu do Chiado, this museum housed in a former convent specializes in Portuguese art from 1850 to the present day, covering various movements like naturalism, surrealism, and modernism. The museum also hosts temporary exhibitions of paintings, sculpture, and multimedia installations, as well as summer jazz concerts in its small walled garden.