111 Best Sights in Lisbon, Portugal

The formal name for this grand public square is Praça Dom Pedro IV, but locals still call it Rossio. A gathering place since at least Roman times (it was the site of a hippodrome), it was formally laid out in the 13th century as Lisbon's main public space. Crowds socialize beside baroque fountains beneath a statue of Dom Pedro atop a towering column and amid dramatic wave-pattern cobblestones, famously reconstructed on the beach promenades of Rio de Janeiro.

On nearby Largo de São Domingos, there's a memorial to Jewish victims of a massacre in 1506, when Dominican friars egged on the mob; just three decades later centuries of more organized persecution began with the creation of the Portuguese Inquisition, which had its headquarters where the Teatro Nacional Doña Maria II now stands, on the north side of Rossio. The atmosphere today is more peaceable: locals come here to relax with a newspaper, have their boots polished by the shoe shiners, or sip a drink at one of the ginjinha bars—the one on the southern side of the square is probably Lisbon's oldest.

Lisbon's answer to Rio de Janeiro's Christ the Redeemer was inaugurated in 1959 as a mark of thanks for Portugal's safety during the violence of World War II. Today, it's an important religious site, but most casual visitors come here for the spectacular views from the free lookout or the 262-foot-high viewing platform, reached by elevator.

Lisbon's austere Romanesque cathedral was founded in 1150 to commemorate the defeat of the Moors three years earlier. To rub salt in the wound, the conquerors built the sanctuary on the spot where Moorish Lisbon's main mosque once stood. Note the fine rose window, and be sure to visit the rooftop terrace and the treasure-filled sacristy, which contains the relics of the martyr Saint Vincent, among other things. According to legend, the relics were carried from the Algarve to Lisbon in a ship piloted by ravens; the saint became Lisbon's official patron. The cathedral was originally built in the Romanesque style of the time but has undergone several rebuilds and refurbishments over the years; today its rather eclectic architecture includes Gothic, baroque, and neoclassical adornments. Visitors are expected to dress respectfully.

A local landmark since 1892, the Mercado da Ribeira is worth a visit to see where locals go to buy some of the city’s freshest fruit, vegetables, fish, and seafood. The adjoining hall has become a bustling food court, Time Out Market. Some of Lisbon’s top chefs and most popular restaurants were invited to set up counter-service stalls with food to be enjoyed at communal seating areas. Although the clientele is predominantly tourists, it still offers a solid overview of local gastronomy.

The openwork balconies and domed turrets of the fanciful Belém Tower make it perhaps the country's purest Manueline structure. The UNESCO World Heritage site was built between 1514 and 1520 on what was an island in the middle of the Tagus River to defend the port entrance, and it's dedicated to Saint Vincent, the patron saint of Lisbon. Today the chalk-white tower stands near the north bank—evidence of the river's changing course. Cross the wooden gangway to check out the cannons, then climb the steep, narrow, winding staircase to the top of the tower for a bird's-eye view across the Tagus. Then, descend to the former dungeons.

One of Lisbon's most important contemporary art galleries, Underdogs, founded in 2010, works with some of the most renowned urban-inspired contemporary artists from around the world. Not only are there several solo and group shows in the warehouse-type space, but the founders formed a partnership with the city to give local, international, well-known, and up-and-coming artists spaces to create street art. They had a hand in some of the city's most iconic murals, including pieces by local hero Vhils and American artist Shepard Fairey; a map of pieces they commissioned is on their website.

Stretching for more than 18 km (11 miles), this aqueduct began providing Lisbon with clean drinking water in 1748. An imposing section of 35 arches—including one said to be the world's highest ogival (pointed) arch—stride across the Alcântara River Valley. Nearer the city center, another 14 arches run 200 feet along the Praça das Amoreiras, ending in the Mãe d'Agua reservoir ( Praça das Amoreiras 8), where you can explore equipment. Art lovers are in for a treat, too: Immersivus Gallery ( 91/065–8479,  portugalagenda.com) shows feature works by artists like Klimt, Kahlo, or Van Gogh projected onto walls and water, transforming them into a giant canvas.

Capping the post-earthquake restoration of Lisbon's downtown, the Arco Triunfal, as it's also known, was planned almost 50 years before the Parisian Arc de Triomphe. Its rooftop offers a splendid viewpoint from which to admire the handsome buildings around Praça do Comércio. Access to the terrace is via an elevator and then up two narrow winding flights of stairs. Once at the top, children delight in ringing a giant bell, while grown-ups can stand at the foot of the giant sculptures of Glory crowning Genius and Valour and revel in views of the Tagus River in one direction and the shopping, drinking, and dining strip of Rua Augusta in the other. The red-roofed houses and grand religious buildings that climb up the surrounding hillsides complete the dramatic scene. Back down in the square, you can identify other statues on the main facade by António Víctor de Figueiredo Bastos: from the left, a reclining figure representing the Tagus, followed by Viriato, native scourge of the Romans, and Vasco da Gama; and on the right, the Marquês de Pombal, medieval national hero Nuno Álvares Pereira, and the Douro River.

Júlio Pomar was one of Portugal’s leading 20th- and 21st-century artists, and this small museum was also his studio until his death in 2018. The building is a former warehouse, now redesigned by Pritzker Prize–winning architect Álvaro Siza Vieira, and it presents temporary exhibitions of Pomar’s paintings, drawings, and sculptures—as well as works by other local artists—spread over two floors.

Avenida, as Lisboetas usually call it, was laid out in 1879 as an elegant Parisian-style boulevard modeled on the Champs-Élysées. Although many of the late-19th-century mansions and Art Deco buildings that once graced it have been demolished, it remains a high-end part of town, with some notable survivors now housing luxury hotels and international fashion outlets. It’s worth a leisurely stroll up the 1½-km (1-mile) length of the avenue, past ponds, fountains, and statues, from Praça dos Restauradores to Parque Eduardo VII, at least once, if only to cool off with a drink in one of the quiosques (refreshment kiosks) beneath the trees and to admire the iconic cobblestone pavement.

This Italianate dwelling is one of Alfama's most distinctive buildings. It was constructed in 1523 for Brás 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.

Writer Fernando Pessoa spent his last 15 years (1920–35) living in this house. Visitors can see Pessoa’s personal items, including the typewriter where he wrote many of his last works and his personal library, with more than 1,000 handwritten notebooks and a collection of Portuguese and international poetry. The site is also a cultural center that organizes literary debates and exhibitions.

The former home of renowned 20th-century doctor and art collector Anastácio Gonçalves was turned into a museum in 1980 and houses around 3,000 of his most prized pieces. Those include paintings by major Portuguese artists like Columbano Bordalo Pinheiro and José Malhoa, ancient Chinese porcelain, and 19th-century furniture from around Europe. The building is an art nouveau mansion from 1904, which was just one of several in the neighborhood at the time. The others are now gone, leaving Gonçalves’s home dwarfed by the tall office buildings and hotels that surround it.

This convent from 1670 was never open to the public until 2014, after the last nuns moved out. Although it stands across from one of the city’s most famous viewpoints, it remains an under-the-radar stop. The church and chapel are free to visit any day, while the rest of the building can be seen on guided tours (in Portuguese), which usually take place on the second Sunday of the month. The baroque church stands between two wings of the convent; most of its interior dates from 1758, after the devastating 1755 earthquake left it slightly damaged. The older paintings were originally in the colossal convent and palace of Mafra, while the tile panels were added in the late 1700s and illustrate scenes from the life of St. Peter of Alcántara. Another highlight is a cardinal’s funerary chapel, covered in inlaid marble.

The Carmelite Convent—once Lisbon’s largest—was built in 1389 by Nuno Álvares Pereira to give thanks for Portugal’s victories over Castile. It was all but destroyed in the 1755 earthquake, leaving the haunting shell of a Gothic church that still stands today. The former sacristy houses the Museu Arqueológico do Carmo, a compact but intriguing collection of Gothic tombs, Roman epigraphy, medieval tiles, and ancient coins. Outside, the tree-shaded Largo do Carmo connects to the top platform of the Elevador de Santa Justa and is a tranquil spot for a coffee or cocktail. But this peaceful setting belies its dramatic history: it was here, at the adjacent Carmo barracks, that Prime Minister Marcelo Caetano took refuge during the 1974 Carnation Revolution. He eventually surrendered to rebel troops, marking the end of the dictatorship. Today, the Museu da Guarda Nacional Republicana (closed Sunday and Monday) occupies the barracks and includes the historic room where Caetano made his final stand.

One of Lisbon’s hidden treasures, the exterior of this 17th-century convent belies the riches inside. Still inhabited by nuns and women in need, it opens for visits every day except Tuesday, starting in the beautiful church lined with Portuguese and Dutch tile panels. They’re found below paintings framed by gilded wood carvings, which, together with the gold-and-marble altar, make it one of Lisbon’s most notable examples of Portuguese baroque.

When young Lisboetas want to go to the beach, they'll often cross the bridge for the Costa da Caparica, which packs out in summer with bronzed locals. As a former fishing village, the town itself lacks charm but the beachfront is lively with dozens of cafés and bars catering to a relaxed surf-loving clientele. The further south you go, the quieter it gets. Each beach is different: the areas nearest Caparica are family-oriented, while more southerly ones attract a younger crowd with beach parties (there are some nudist beaches, too). Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (fee); showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: partiers; sunset; swimming; walking.

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, waterfront restaurants and bars now inhabit the shells of former warehouses. On the terrace in front of the marina, the party goes on until late into the night.

The Santa Justa Elevator is one of Lisbon's more extraordinary structures. Designed by Raoul Mesnier du Ponsard, 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 a high walkway and an even higher miradouro (though this viewing platform is currently closed), but it's a poor value—a 24-hour public transportation pass costs around €7 loaded onto a €0.50 Viagem card and is valid on the elevator as well as all of the city's buses, trams, and metro lines. To skip the queues and the fare, you can access the upper walkway from Largo do Carmo.

Almada's eye-catching Mouth of the Wind elevator is a fun, free, and photogenic way to travel between Almada's Old Town and the pretty gardens and noteworthy restaurants on the riverfront of Cais do Ginjal. Enjoy the views from the glass-fronted cabin as you ascend or descend. 

The English Cemetery is where Lisbon’s once-sizeable English community was laid to rest over the years. Thanks to the Anglo-Portuguese alliance in the 14th century, the kingdoms of Portugal and England maintained close relationships, especially in trade. This led to the port wine industry in the city of Porto, which was mostly in British hands, and to a considerable number of British merchants settling in Lisbon. The cemetery, found behind a gate across from Jardim da Estrela, is filled with tombstones mixing English and Portuguese surnames, showing how British and Portuguese families intermarried over the centuries, but it’s the tomb of novelist Henry Fielding (author of Tom Jones) that most visitors look for. Fielding moved to Lisbon hoping that better weather would improve his health, but ended up dying in the city. A plaque also reveals that Thomas Barclay, appointed by George Washington as the first American consul in France, died in Lisbon in 1793 and is buried here.

This monumental fountain was built from 1938 to 1948, when World War II raged across Europe but Portugal remained a neutral war-free country. It’s called “Luminous Fountain” because of a light show that takes place daily after the sun sets, until 9 pm. The water falls from an upper platform to a large basin, but also only at set times—during the light show in the evening, and at lunchtime, between noon and 3. In the water are four sculptures of mermaids and another showing Triton on horseback. On either side of the monument are stairs that take you to a terrace at the top, with views over the Avenidas Novas.

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.

This 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 Maria Helena Vieira da Silva together with pieces by emerging artists.

After five years as a nomadic gallery, presenting exhibitions in other museums and commercial establishments, this art space opened in its permanent home in Marvila in 2017. It continues to show the work of artists such as Helena Almeida, Diogo Evangelista, and Tris Vonna-Michell, among many others. Their genres range from video art to sculpture installations, meaning there's always something thought-provoking to see.

This is one of Lisbon’s richest and most beautiful churches but one of the least visited, despite its central location on the edge of Bairro Alto. The baroque and rococo interior is a monumental mix of gilded wood carvings and stucco decoration, added in 1727 to a building that dates from 1647. The organ is considered a masterpiece of gilded woodwork, while the altar is a highlight of the art commissioned during the wealthy reign of King João V, with sculptures brought from Flanders. Two of Portugal’s most prominent 18th-century artists (Vieira Lusitano and André Gonçalves) are responsible for the large paintings in golden frames on the side walls. There are more treasures in the attached museum (open from 9-1).

This church, constructed in 1767, sits on the site where Lisbon's patron saint, Saint Anthony, was born. Although it's fairly compact, the interior is stunning, with ornately painted walls, abundant natural light, and stone carvings. The altarpiece on the side of the nave's gospel is thought to be from the 16th century, representing Saint Anthony (known as the "effigy of the Saint"), and locals still come to express their devotion.

Originally dating from the 13th century but reconstructed after a fire in the 16th century, this church was largely untouched by the 1755 earthquake. Its interior, with a painted ceiling and many artworks in gilded frames, illustrates the baroque splendor of Portuguese churches before the earthquake robbed the city of much of its heritage and wealth.

The only centuries-old attraction in this mostly modern neighborhood, this church was built in 1652 and is one of the few survivors of the Great Earthquake of 1755. It was surrounded by farmland but is now almost hidden by tall apartment and office buildings. Behind a plain exterior is typical Portuguese baroque decoration, with walls lined with 18th-century paintings and tile panels illustrating the life of Saint Sebastian. The 17th-century goldwork of the main altar has been carefully restored and shines as you enter.