As it's a good idea to plan travels in advance, now I will advertise a destination that from my point of view is perfect for late winter/early spring sunny escape - Lisbon, or Lisboa in Portuguese. The capital and the largest city of Portugal, situated on the edge of Europe is second-oldest European capital after Athens, once being a home to the greatest explorers like Vasco da Gama, Magellan and Prince Henry the Navigator, is definitely worth visiting.
Of course depending on a year, but in average the weather in the beginning of March in Portugal is sunny and pleasant, with temperatures about +17 degrees, that is completely enough for escaping from snow, rain and wind.
One more reason for choosing Lisbon as an escape destination is the price- the trip to Lisbon will cost you much less than the vacation in Paris or Rome, especially if you will book tickets in advance. The average price for a really good 4 star hotel in the centre of Lisbon is around 50 EUR per night for a double room with breakfast included, and no doubt you can have a meal for two in a middle range restaurant for 30 EUR. Officially, Lisbon is Western Europe's least expensive capital.
But of course the main reason of visiting is the city itself.
Remembering my trip, I can not say that there are some one or two major sightseeing spots in Lisbon, so do not expect to see local "Coliseum" or "tour Eiffel". But trust me, it's completely not a minus. Lisbon actually is packed with attractions and sights.
One of the main symbols of Lisbon is a tram. The Lisbon tramway network is in operation since 1873. A highlight of any visit to Lisbon is a ride on the tram. Tourists usually choose route number 28, because this route passes through the major Lisbon districts. Due to the hills, only the classic Remodelado trams, that were originally commissioned in the 1930s, are able to navigate the steep inclines of the tracks.
The number 28 tram departs from Praca do Martim Moniz and the first section rides through the Graca and Alfama districts. Route part from the Santa Luzia viewpoint and Baixa is the busiest one.
All tram route timetables can be found here.
One more typical symbol of the Portugal and Lisbon as well is Galo de Barcelos- brightly colored roosters. The legends why Galo de Barcelos became a symbol of the Portugal were passed from generation to generation and the stories do vary, but the moral stays the same - Galo de Barcelos represents honesty, integrity, trust and honour, and it is also believed to bring good luck. Souvenier shops are filled with the brightly colored Galo de Barcelos rooster souvenirs.
There are a lot of sights to see in the Lisbon and around. So, let's start a little virtual excursion.
The geography of Lisbon may seem confusing. The city is very hilly and maps can be deceptive when they show two parallel streets, when one actually can be 30 m above the other.
There are four main districts for the sightseeing.
The famous Sao Jorge castle overlooking the historic center of Lisbon and the Tagus river is a perfect panaramic spot to see the city from above. Castle's oldest parts date from the 6th century. Some parts of the castle were destroyed in the Great Earthquake of 1755.
As the royal palace, the castle was the setting for the reception by King Manuel I of the navigator Vasco da Gama when he returned from discovering the maritime route to India in 1498.
Here is the information about the tickets and opening hours.
Baxia and Avenida is the central and the busiest part of the city with many fountains, beautiful squares and narrow streets full of restaurants and taverns where you can enjoy typical Portugal specialities, including large variety of fish and seafood while enjoying fantastic weather conditions and atmosphere in the terrace of one of the restaurants near Rossio or Praca da Figueira squares. It's a good idea to taste Portugal wine - Port or Madeira as an aperitif. Most of the cafes and restaurants in Lisbon offer Pratos do Dia- Plates of the Day. Offerings usually change daily. As usually my advise is- try to find a restaurant for locals, not for the tourist, in this case the quality will be completely different. Pass through narrow streets a little away from the crowds and main squares. An authentic local restaurant will usually have handwritten Portuguese menu on window- instead of touristic menu with a lot of photos.
Bairro Alto and Chiado. Bairro Alto district is the Lisbon vibrant nightlife quarter featuring dozens of bars and restaurants. In contrast, Chiado is a fashionable shopping district where you can visit elegant shops cafes and restaurants. The area is full of Lisbon charm. Here is the list of Bairro Alta and Chiado restaurants.
There are many very nice local brands in Portugal, so some shopping is a must. Main streets of the district are Rua do Diario de Noticias, Rua do Norte, Rua da Atalaia .
After some shopping do not forget to visit Miradouro de Sao Pedro de Alcantara -a garden with a panoramic view over the city. As Bairo gets very noisy at night, it's not a good idea to choose the hotel in this area.
Belem is mostly known for the Torre de Belem. The tower was built as a fortress in 1520 in the middle of the Tagus river. You can visit the tower for free on Sundays and public holidays before 2 pm.
But there are many more beautiful sites here. Including Mosteiro dos Jeronimos that building was financed by "pepper money" a tax levied on spices, gold and precious stones.
16th century was the rise of the Manueline style in architecture, which left its mark in many monuments including Belem Tower and Jeronimos Monastery, which are UNESCO World heritage sites.
Just few steps away from the embankment is the Museu de Marinha that is dedicated to discoveries and ship-building, you will find the navigational instruments, the replicas of the 16th century maps and of course the big exposition of the ships. The entrance is free on Sundays before 2 pm.
On the Belem embankment you will also see the monument to the Discoveries, where you can see the famous Portuguese discoverers including Vasco da Gama.
As many sites in Belem are free on Sundays, I would suggest you to visit this district on Sunday morning. After exploring Belem, make a break and have a cup of uma bica- a small cup of strong coffee, similar to Italian espresso, or um galao- very milky coffee usually served in a glass and for sure try pasteis de nata, as well known as pasteis de Belem- typical Portugal delicious custard pastries- a must try when you're in Lisbon.
If the weather is sunny, head to one of the Lisbon parks and have some ice cream.
When you had explored all districts mentioned above, my suggestion is Lisbon Zoo, one of the best Zoo's I've visited. And I've been to many zoo's, including famous Berlin, Vienna and Beijing zoo's. To get there you can use a metro till the station Jardin Zoologico or choose one of the busses:701, 716, 726, 731, 746, 754, 755, 758, 768, 770 and exit at the stop Sete-Rios.
There are many attractions in the zoo, including the cable car, so you can see the zoo from above, the journey lasts about 20 minutes and is very excited especially when the cable car drives above the tigers and lions.
There is a dolphin and sea lion show as well. All the shows and attractions are included in the regular ticket price. Here is the timetable.
One more must visit place when you are in Lisbon is Sintra, situated just some 25 km away from Lisbon. The easiest way to reach Sitra from Lisbon is to take a train. The train to Sintra departs Lisbon from the Rossio train station,
located in central downtown Lisbon. The train station is connected to
the green metro line and is served by the Rossio metro station. A single train ticket from Lisbon to Sintra costs 2.15 EUR. After arriving to Sintra train station use bus 434 that is specially designed for tourists who are visiting Sintra
as a day trip and connects the train station, the historic center, the
Pena Palace and the Moors castle. The 434 bus service makes it possible
to visit the town and the three major sights of Sintra in a single day.
I would suggest you to reserve 2 days for visiting Sintra and one extra day for visiting the Atlantic ocean coast. But wake up early, there are a lot of sights to see in Sitra. Sintra is a UNESCO cultural landscape sight and is well known worldwide for it's magnificent castles and palaces. Moorish castle, National palace of Sintra, Park and National palace of Pena, National palace and gardens of Queluz, Park and palace of Monserrate- yes all these castles and palaces are located in Sintra.
Here is the information about the ticket prices and opening hours, there is an option to book tickets on-line to avoid queues in the high season.
The palace was built in the 19th century. Inside the palace you can explore the beautiful classical and elegant interiors.
The views from the palace terrace are breathtaking, you will see the Atlantic ocean and the some other castles of Sintra as well.
After exploring the castles, have a walk in one of the beautiful parks.
Then take a 474 bus to city center and enjoy lunch in one of the multiple tavernas in the city center and have a walk through the narrow streets, to buy some souvenirs that would remind you about this fantastic place.
One more interesting option to do in Sintra is to take Sintra tramway to the coast. The tram connects Sintra with the resort town of Praia das Macas. The line was opened in 1904 and tram uses classic 1930 Brill trams, which slowly trundle down from the hills of the Sintra to the pretty coastal town. The tram operates from Friday to Sunday, with an extended summer timetable. Check the actual timetable in the tourist information desk. A single ticket will cost you 2 EUR, the journey lasts about 40 minutes.
Lisbon buses, trams, funiculars and elevators
Transport fares
Daytime transport map
Night transport map
Airport shuttle
Lisbon restaurant reviews
How to get there:
Hope you are not afraid of flying, because the easiest way to reach Lisbon is to take a flight.
There is no direct fright from Riga, but there are convenient connecting flights.
Riga-Frankfurt-Lisbon operated by Lufthansa offers you 4 options daily. The minimal duration of the journey including time between frights is 6:40.
The prices of course vary depending on the day of the week and the month as well, but in average it's possible to get return ticket for about 200 EUR in Economy Light class- the new ticket class offered by Lufthansa from October 1st. The difference between Lufthansa Economy ticket classes can be seen below:
If you have never been to Frankfurt, it's a good idea to choose option with some 5-6 hours between connecting flights either on your inbound or outbound journey and instead of spending time in the airport head to the city centre using S-bahn. The city centre is some 30 minute ride away from the airport.
A little cheaper, but less convenient option is using one of the Ryanair flights, with connection in London Stansted, Dublin, Manchester, Milan Bergamo or Frankfurt Hahn airports. The as the price difference between the first option offered Lufthansa and Ryanair flights is not significant, my vote goes to the Lufthansa even though the Lufthansa landing in Lisbon in a very strong cross wind was the scariest landing in my life. And one more point- remember that Ryanair does not sell connecting flight tickets, only separate tickets for every flight.
More travel solutions can be found on skyscanner.
Some travel tips:
For travelling within the Lisbon choose Viva viagem card- an electronic card for Lisbon public transport similar to London Oyster card. The cost of the card is 0.50 EUR. The ticket prices can be found here.
The optimal duration of the trip for visiting Lisbon, Sintra and the coast would be about a week.
I would suggest to visit Portugal in the very beginning of spring and to make a sunny escape from rains winds and snows. However, due to the mild climate Lisbon is an ideal year-round destination. Even in winter, when most other European cities are freezing, in Lisbon high temperatures rarely go below +10 degrees.
But if you force some rainy/windy days, head for some shopping. Lisbon and surroundings has some of the biggest shopping malls in Europe and most are very accessible from the center. The biggest in the city is Colombo, featuring lots of stores, cafes, restaurants and a cinema.
The most convenient way to reach Colombo shopping mall is by metro using Blue Line till Colégio Militar/Luz Station. Plan your journey here. You can enter the shopping mall directly from the subway station.
Hope you are already searching the tickets :)
Julija
But of course the main reason of visiting is the city itself.
One of the main symbols of Lisbon is a tram. The Lisbon tramway network is in operation since 1873. A highlight of any visit to Lisbon is a ride on the tram. Tourists usually choose route number 28, because this route passes through the major Lisbon districts. Due to the hills, only the classic Remodelado trams, that were originally commissioned in the 1930s, are able to navigate the steep inclines of the tracks.
The number 28 tram departs from Praca do Martim Moniz and the first section rides through the Graca and Alfama districts. Route part from the Santa Luzia viewpoint and Baixa is the busiest one.
All tram route timetables can be found here.
One more typical symbol of the Portugal and Lisbon as well is Galo de Barcelos- brightly colored roosters. The legends why Galo de Barcelos became a symbol of the Portugal were passed from generation to generation and the stories do vary, but the moral stays the same - Galo de Barcelos represents honesty, integrity, trust and honour, and it is also believed to bring good luck. Souvenier shops are filled with the brightly colored Galo de Barcelos rooster souvenirs.
There are a lot of sights to see in the Lisbon and around. So, let's start a little virtual excursion.
There are four main districts for the sightseeing.
Almafa, where you will see the Lisbon cathedral- the oldest church in Lisbon built in 1147. It has survived many earthquakes including the devastating 1755 earthquake.
The famous Sao Jorge castle overlooking the historic center of Lisbon and the Tagus river is a perfect panaramic spot to see the city from above. Castle's oldest parts date from the 6th century. Some parts of the castle were destroyed in the Great Earthquake of 1755.
As the royal palace, the castle was the setting for the reception by King Manuel I of the navigator Vasco da Gama when he returned from discovering the maritime route to India in 1498.
Here is the information about the tickets and opening hours.
Sao Jorge castle can be seen from almost everywhere in the city.
The castle can be reached on foot, but if you are tired or your time is limited, mini bus route 37 will bring you to the main entrance, the other option is to use tram route 28, that is more enjoyable, but will require a short walk.
If you want to enjoy spectacular views of this part of the city, visit elevator de Santa Justa located in the end of Rua de Santa Justa. The elevator is 45 m high. Multiple levels of Lisbon due to the hills have always been a problem for travel between the lower streets of the main Baixa and the higher Carmo Square. Santa Justa lift has become a tourist attraction for
Lisbon same as the other lifts in the city, but Santa Justa is the only
remaining vertical one. Others, including Elevador da Gloria and Elevador da Lavra, are funiculars.
There are many very nice local brands in Portugal, so some shopping is a must. Main streets of the district are Rua do Diario de Noticias, Rua do Norte, Rua da Atalaia .
After some shopping do not forget to visit Miradouro de Sao Pedro de Alcantara -a garden with a panoramic view over the city. As Bairo gets very noisy at night, it's not a good idea to choose the hotel in this area.
Belem district is away from the busy city center. The easiest way to reach Belem is to take tram 15, during the ride you can enjoy the views of the busy embankment. Or the alternative- use one of these buses: 28, 727, 729, 751.
Belem is mostly known for the Torre de Belem. The tower was built as a fortress in 1520 in the middle of the Tagus river. You can visit the tower for free on Sundays and public holidays before 2 pm.
16th century was the rise of the Manueline style in architecture, which left its mark in many monuments including Belem Tower and Jeronimos Monastery, which are UNESCO World heritage sites.
Most of the Portuguese expeditions of the Age of Discovery left from Lisbon during the 15th to 17th centuries, including Vasco da Gama's expedition to India.
If the weather is sunny, head to one of the Lisbon parks and have some ice cream.
As you're not in Italy and here are no gelaterias serving fantastic gelato at every corner, but Häagen-Dazs can solve this problem.
When you had explored all districts mentioned above, my suggestion is Lisbon Zoo, one of the best Zoo's I've visited. And I've been to many zoo's, including famous Berlin, Vienna and Beijing zoo's. To get there you can use a metro till the station Jardin Zoologico or choose one of the busses:701, 716, 726, 731, 746, 754, 755, 758, 768, 770 and exit at the stop Sete-Rios.
There is a dolphin and sea lion show as well. All the shows and attractions are included in the regular ticket price. Here is the timetable.
Here is the information about the ticket prices and opening hours, there is an option to book tickets on-line to avoid queues in the high season.
For
me the most beautiful sight in Sintra is Palacio Pena, that can be translated to English as feather place. Pena palace is
situated on the top of the hill and looks like a castle from the fairy
tale. Palace is some 5 km away from the Sintra city center. The Palace and Park of Pena are open daily except December 25 and January 1.
In 1995 palace was added to UNESCO World Heritage List.
The palace was built in the 19th century. Inside the palace you can explore the beautiful classical and elegant interiors.
The views from the palace terrace are breathtaking, you will see the Atlantic ocean and the some other castles of Sintra as well.
Not to get lost:
Lisbon metro Lisbon buses, trams, funiculars and elevators
Transport fares
Daytime transport map
Night transport map
Airport shuttle
Lisbon restaurant reviews
How to get there:
Hope you are not afraid of flying, because the easiest way to reach Lisbon is to take a flight.
There is no direct fright from Riga, but there are convenient connecting flights.
Riga-Frankfurt-Lisbon operated by Lufthansa offers you 4 options daily. The minimal duration of the journey including time between frights is 6:40.
The prices of course vary depending on the day of the week and the month as well, but in average it's possible to get return ticket for about 200 EUR in Economy Light class- the new ticket class offered by Lufthansa from October 1st. The difference between Lufthansa Economy ticket classes can be seen below:
A little cheaper, but less convenient option is using one of the Ryanair flights, with connection in London Stansted, Dublin, Manchester, Milan Bergamo or Frankfurt Hahn airports. The as the price difference between the first option offered Lufthansa and Ryanair flights is not significant, my vote goes to the Lufthansa even though the Lufthansa landing in Lisbon in a very strong cross wind was the scariest landing in my life. And one more point- remember that Ryanair does not sell connecting flight tickets, only separate tickets for every flight.
More travel solutions can be found on skyscanner.
Some travel tips:
For travelling within the Lisbon choose Viva viagem card- an electronic card for Lisbon public transport similar to London Oyster card. The cost of the card is 0.50 EUR. The ticket prices can be found here.
The optimal duration of the trip for visiting Lisbon, Sintra and the coast would be about a week.
I would suggest to visit Portugal in the very beginning of spring and to make a sunny escape from rains winds and snows. However, due to the mild climate Lisbon is an ideal year-round destination. Even in winter, when most other European cities are freezing, in Lisbon high temperatures rarely go below +10 degrees.
But if you force some rainy/windy days, head for some shopping. Lisbon and surroundings has some of the biggest shopping malls in Europe and most are very accessible from the center. The biggest in the city is Colombo, featuring lots of stores, cafes, restaurants and a cinema.
The most convenient way to reach Colombo shopping mall is by metro using Blue Line till Colégio Militar/Luz Station. Plan your journey here. You can enter the shopping mall directly from the subway station.
Hope you are already searching the tickets :)
Julija
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