RECOMMENDED TRAVEL GUIDE TO LISBON

IHW 2008 is pleased to offer a 30% discount to all participants on Frommer’s Lisbon Day by Day guide book. A few examples of places to visit in Lisbon (taken from this book), together with a useful map of the city centre are shown below. To order your copy of Lisbon Day by Day please click here and enter WB757 to receive your promotional discount.

Favourite Moments in Lisbon

In the past 20 years Lisbon has opened its doors to the world. I love this place for its history and culture, from its glorious seafarers to melancholy fado music and literary masters – but it’s by no means stagnated in the past. Since Portugal joined the E.U. in 1986, the city has built bridges into the future, from the modern Parque das Nações to the revamped Alcântara docks. It all adds up to an exhilarating cocktail of art and architecture, vibrant street life and café culture, traditional eateries and hip bars.

Strolling through the Baixa. At the center of historic Lisbon, the grid of neo-classical streets known as the Baixa is the easiest place to get your bearings. Start in the airy Praça de Comércio, a meeting point for visitors and Lisboetas, and drift through the monumental Arco Triunfal archway into the bustling Rua Augusta, where streetsellers tout souvenirs and paintings.

A night of Portuguese food and fado. When it comes to food and entertainment, the Portuguese know how to put on a good spread. I like to sample the best bacalhau (salt cod) dishes, skewers of meat and fresh fish at a fado restaurant in the Bairro Alto or at one of many small, tile-covered restaurants in the heart of the Alfama.

Stand at the summit of the Cristo Rei statue. Take a ferry across the Tagus River to visit the Cristo Rei statue, which stands arms open-wide majestically in Almada. Ride the elevator to the top for a heady sight of the 25 de Abril Bridge below and panoramic views of the city.

The Best in One Day

Miradouro de Santa Luzia. One of the city’s most famous miradouros (viewing points), this looks over the steep Alfama district and down towards the Tagus. I like to stop and linger over a coffee taking in the views. It’s also located by the access road up to the castle. Stop at the small Igreja de Santa Luzia, a church (igreja) run by the Order of Malta. In the square at the front, there’s a tile panel with a city panorama. [time] 20 min. (with coffee). Tram: 12, 28. Bus: 37.

Castelo de São Jorge. The arch marks the entrance to this castle, but buy your tickets at the Casa Gobernador (Governor’s House). Head directly through the barriers into the leafy square, Praça das Armas with its mighty statue of Dom Afonso Henriques (1109–85), Portugal’s first king and liberator from Moorish rule.

Built in or around the 10th century by the Moors as a means of defense, the castle was extended as a  Royal Palace from the 13th to 16th centuries, but fell into neglect after the royal family moved to what is now the Praça de Comércio. Very little of the original structure remains, but 20th-century reconstruction evokes something of what it was. The large leafy square offers spectacular city views, and the inner courtyard of the castle often echoes to the sounds of musicians playing, as you climb the towers. [time] 60–90 min. Alfama. [tel] 21-880-0620. www.castelosaojorge.egeac.pt. Admission 5[eu], 30% discount Lisboa Card, free under 10s & seniors. Open Nov–Feb 9am–6pm; Mar–Oct 9am–9pm.

A Brasileira. Stop for a coffee and snack at this café, once frequented by modernist poet Fernando Pessoa (1888–1935). You’ll know when you’re there as there’s a bronze statue of him sitting outside. Rua Garrett, 120. [tel] 21-834-6. Tram: 28.