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Cruise Guide > South-East Asia > Portugal > Lisbon | |
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Lisbon Time Zone GMT (GMT + 1 from last Sunday in March to Saturday before last Sunday in October). Currency Euro (¬) = 100 cents or Esc200. Language Portuguese. Sightseeing The Torre de Belém is one of the city’s most famous sights and consists of a white stone tower, built in the early-sixteenth century to defend the river; it was the last thing that the seafaring adventurers saw before setting out on their epic adventures. The Castelo de São Jorge (Castle of St George) was once the Portuguese royal residence and is perched on the highest of Lisbon’s seven hills, high above the Baixa and the Mouraria (the Moorish Quarter). The legendary Tram 28 is a tourist attraction in itself. Vintage trams still ply the well-worn route from the city centre on sea level, right up through the jumble of streets towards the heights of the Castle of St George. The sixteenth-century Mosteiro dos Jerónimos (Jeronimos Monastery) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the resting place of Vasco da Gama. Parque das Nações, the former Expo98 site, has been converted into a mixed-use area, with a collage of housing, tourist attractions and a wide walkway on the Rio Tejo. The Centro Cultural de Belém houses a museum of twentieth-century design, divided into ‘Luxury’, ‘Pop’ and ‘Cool’ themes, supplemented by temporary exhibitions. Shopping Baskets and other objects made of wicker, copper utensils, embroideries and lace, pottery and other ceramics. The Baixa quarter of the city is a thriving shopping district. Lisbon’s most famous market is the Feira da Ladra (Thieves’ Market), which springs up on Tuesday and Saturday on the Campo de Santa Clara (on the Tram 28 route). The Lisboa Shopping Card, available from tourist offices for a small fee, offers discounts at more than two hundred stores. Eating Out The cuisine in Lisbon is geared heavily toward seafood and meat dishes. Local specialities include bacalhau à Brás (salt cod fried with egg and potatoes), pastéis de bacalhau (salt cod fishcakes) and pataniscas de balcalhau (salt cod fritters). Puddings include arroz doce (rice pudding). Typical Lisboan drinks include ginjinha (cherry brandy found especially in the Baixa), and pontapé na cona (sweet, dark beer found in traditional bars). Country Portugal Region Europe and Mediterranean |