69 Best Sights in Lisbon, Portugal

One of the original buildings on Praça do Comércio houses the Café Martinho da Arcada, a literary haunt since 1782, favored by modernist poet Fernando Pessoa. The main rooms contain an expensive restaurant; adjacent to it is a more modest café-bar.

This Italianate dwelling is one of Alfama's most distinctive buildings. It was built in 1523 for Bras de Albuquerque, the son of Afonso, who became the viceroy of India and conquered Goa and Malacca. The name translates as House of Spikes, and it's not hard to see why—it has a striking facade studded with pointed white stones in diamond shapes. The top two floors were destroyed in the 1755 earthquake, and restoration did not begin until the early 1980s. Since 2012 the building has housed the José Saramago Foundation, a cultural institute set up in memory of the only Portuguese-language winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature, with two floors dedicated to his life and works.

One of Lisbon’s lesser-known but most extraordinary museums, this is the former residence of collector António de Medeiros e Almeida. Every room of his late-19th-century mansion is filled with works of art ranging from paintings to ceramics, sculptures to furnishings. Highlights include paintings by Rubens and Tiepolo, a Rembrandt portrait, a silver tea set used by Napoléon, fountains originally from the Palace of Versailles, and what's said to be the world's most notable private collection of clocks.

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.

In the shadow of the huge Ponte 25 de Abril, the old wharves have been made over so that you can stroll along the riverfront all the way to Belém (taking about 30 minutes each way). At Docas de Santo Amaro, known to locals simply as Docas, a line of swanky restaurants and clubs now inhabit the shells of former warehouses. On the terrace in front of the marina, the party goes on until late into the night.

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.

The Santa Justa Elevator is one of Lisbon's more extraordinary structures. Designed by Raul Mésnier, who studied under French engineer Gustave Eiffel, the Gothic-style tower was built in 1902. Queues are often frustratingly long in high season, but it's an enjoyable ride up to the top. The return ticket sold on board includes access to the miradouro, but at €5.30 it's a poor value—a 24-hour Viva Viagem public transportation card costs €6.45 and is valid on the elevator as well as all of the city's buses, trams, and subways.

To skip the queues and the fare, you can access the viewpoint at the upper level via the walkway from Largo do Carmo.

This small but beautiful museum in a former silk factory displays paintings, drawings, and prints by Maria Helena Vieira da Silva and her Hungarian husband, Árpád Szenes. The couple lived in Lisbon, Paris, and Rio de Janeiro and were influential artists after their participation in the 1937 World Exhibition in Paris. Most of Vieira da Silva’s pieces are geometrical abstractions and can be seen over the two floors of the building that face the arches of the city’s landmark aqueduct. Throughout the year the museum also hosts temporary exhibits of 20th-century and contemporary art.

In a prime riverside location, this giant medical research and clinical facility designed by Pritzker Prize winner Charles Correa has become a pilgrimage site for architecture buffs. Darwin's Café restaurant is open to the public and has stunning river views, not least from its charming esplanade.

This high-profile gallery is one of the few dating back to before the 1974 revolution, presenting some of the best contemporary Portuguese artists from the 20th and 21st centuries. You may find works by big names like Paula Rego and Vieira da Silva together with pieces by emerging artists.

Inaugurated in 2001, this gallery regularly presents works by top contemporary Portuguese artists plus some big international names. Many of the works on display later appear in some of the world’s leading art fairs.

Housed in a former warehouse not far from the Museu Nacional do Azulejo, this gallery is owned by, and bears the name of, one of Europe's leading female art dealers. Her roster includes leading local and international artists like Ângela Ferreira and Dan Graham.

Portugal's oldest botanical garden—laid out in 1768 by the Italian botanist Domenico Vandelli (1735–1816)—is a relaxing place to spend an hour or so. Baroque fountains and stairways, Renaissance style terraced slopes, and meandering peacocks create a sense of splendor, and the aromatic "Scented Garden" adds to the sensory appeal.

Lisbon's main botanical garden was first laid out in 1874 to teach students about botany, and is still part of the University of Lisbon. Hidden behind the small Museu de História Natural about 2 km (1 mile) north of the Bairro Alto, the garden has 10 acres of paths through nearly 15,000 species of subtropical plants.

Steps from Belém’s Manueline monastery, this tropical botanical garden offers shady respite from the heat and the crowds outside. Towering palm trees provide a grand entrance to a flower-filled space which was created in 1906 as the "Colonial Garden," housing some 600 species from Portugal’s tropical and subtropical former colonies. There are some grand colonial-style buildings, although most are closed to the public, and resident peacocks stroll amid the flowers and plants. Entrance is free on Sunday from 10 am to 1 pm.

Families should set aside a full day to explore this deservedly popular and immaculately maintained zoo, which is home to more than 3,000 animals from more than 330 species. The grounds are huge, but visitors can leap aboard a cable car to whiz from one attraction to another. Those who don't have a head for heights can board a miniature train (not included in entrance price) that trundles around the gardens. There's a petting zoo and twice-daily animal shows (you have your pick of those featuring parrots, pelicans, dolphins, sea lions, reptiles, or lemurs). There are several cafés on the grounds, as well as picnic areas for those who prefer a packed lunch.

This large square at the heart of Intendente is one of the most striking in the city. Neglected for many years, it's now a major hub for hipster activity. The beautifully tiled buildings surrounding the square now house trendy bars, coffee shops, and spaces for creatives to showcase their wares at regular feiras (street markets). There's some interesting architecture, including Lisbon's answer to New York's Flatiron Building at the top end of the square, which is now a fashionable hotel.

Notable for its pretty terrace with blue-and-yellow azulejo tiles, the Miradouro de Santa Luzia has great views of the rooftops of Alfama and the boats along the Tagus River. Street musicians draw crowds with jazz and samba performances, and artists sell reasonably priced etchings of the scene. There's a pleasant kiosk serving coffee, cocktails, and snacks that you can enjoy at the nearby tables as you savor the views.

The Italianate facade of the twin-towered St. Vincent's Monastery heralds an airy church with a barrel-vault ceiling, the work of accomplished Italian architect Filippo Terzi (1520–97), finally completed in 1704. Its superbly tiled cloister depicts the fall of Lisbon to the Moors. The monastery also serves as the pantheon of the Bragança dynasty, which ruled Portugal from the restoration of independence from Spain in 1640 to the declaration of the republic in 1910. It's worth the admission fee to climb up to the rooftop terrace for a look over Alfama, the dome of the nearby Santa Engrácia, and the river. Guided tours of around 90 minutes run Tuesday to Sunday for a modest extra charge; be sure to reserve in advance.

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).

One of Lisbon's oldest museums (it was founded in 1853), the Maritime Museum showcases the importance of the seafaring tradition in Portugal. With its thousands of maps and maritime codes, navigational equipment, model ships, uniforms, and weapons, the museum appeals to visitors young and old.

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.

Visitors intrigued by the haunting sounds of fado drifting from doorways in Alfama and nearby Mouraria can learn about the celebrated Portuguese music at Lisbon's small but carefully curated fado museum. A permanent exhibition outlines the emergence of the style and its key artists throughout history, while occasional live performances provide a chance to hear modern day stars of the fado scene.

Housed in a former bacalhau (salt cod) warehouse with impressive bas-reliefs on its facade, the Museu do Oriente is one of Lisbon's most important cultural institutions. Funded by the Fundação Oriente (a legacy of colonial Macau and its gaming revenues), this dockside giant seeks to tell the story of the centuries-long Portuguese presence in Asia and to provide a showcase for Asian cultures. Highlights of the permanent collections include unique maps and charts from the golden age of Portuguese maritime exploration and stunning Chinese and Japanese painted screens. The museum hosts excellent, inexpensive concerts in its cozy auditorium.

This small museum close to the cathedral displays some of the few visible traces of Roman Lisbon. The space was once a Roman amphitheater with capacity for 5,000 spectators and was built by Emperor Augustus in the 1st century BC. It fell into disrepair during the Middle Ages and lay buried and forgotten until reconstruction of the area began in the 18th century. Columns and other interesting artifacts are on display here, and multilingual touch-screen kiosks explain everything.

The spirit of heroism is palpable in the sprawling barracks and arsenal complex of the Lisbon Military Museum, which houses one of the largest artillery collections in the world. You can ogle a 20-ton bronze cannon and admire Vasco da Gama's sword in a room dedicated to the explorer and his voyages. As you clatter through endless, echoing rooms of weapons, uniforms, and armor, you may be lucky enough to be followed—at a respectful distance—by a guide who can convey exactly how that bayonet was jabbed or that gruesome flail swung. In this ornate building there is also a collection of 18th- to 20th-century art. The museum is on the eastern edge of Alfama, at the foot of the hill and opposite the Santa Apolónia station.

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.

Designed by Brazilian Pritzker Prize winner Paulo Mendes da Rocha, the National Coach Museum has a dazzling collection of gloriously gilded horse-drawn carriages. The oldest on display was made for Philip II of Spain in the late 1500s. The most stunning are three conveyances created in Rome for King John V in 1716. The museum, one of the country's most popular, is right next door to the official residence of the president of the republic, whose Museu da Presidência tells the story of the presidency, profiles the officeholders, and displays gifts they have received on state visits.

If Willy Wonka turned his attention to canned fish, it would probably look something like this flamboyant shop on Rossio Square. A riot of color, complete with a miniature sardine-themed Ferris wheel, the Fantastic World of Portuguese Sardines is a gift shop and sightseeing experience all in one. The decorative, personalized tins make for uniquely Portuguese keepsakes.

Way off the beaten path and far from the city center, this palace by the modern district of Benfica and on the edge of Monsanto Park is one of Lisbon’s most beautiful buildings. Built in 1670, it’s known for some of the finest examples of Portuguese tile panels, both inside the palace and outside around the garden. It's tricky to reach by public transportation, but a taxi from the Jardim Zoológico metro stop, about a mile away, will be quick and inexpensive.