november-2010

PORTUGAL Population 10,735,765 Currency Euro GDP
LISBON
† €15,645 Dialling code +351
Airport code LIS Flight frequency Five times daily Average temp (Nov) 13°C
It may seem charmingly
old-fashioned, but Lisbon
is fi rmly anchored in the
modern world. This is
mirrored in its art scene,
which this month sees
contemporary art at the
Arte Lisboa festival (25-28
November, artelisboa.fi l.pt)
and a Warhol exhibition
at the Berardo Collection
Museum (until 14
November, museuberardo.
com). Matthew Hancock
is our city guide
PARQUE DAS NAÇÕES
Built for Expo 98, this riverside
space has dazzling architecture,
a cable car and countless eateries.
SLEEP Tryp Oriente (Avenida Dom João
II, tel. 218 930000, tryporiente.com,
rooms from €91) offers high-rise
comforts; the best rooms have views of
the river and the Vasco da Gama Bridge.
CULTURE The Oceanarium (Esplanada
Dom Carlos) is a dazzling building with
enormous tanks full of sea beasties,
from sharks to otters.
EAT One of the best fish restaurants in
the city, Senhor Peixe (35-37 Rua da
Pimenta, tel. 218 955892) has outdoor
tables facing the river.
SHOP Centro Vasco da Gama (Avenida
Dom João II) offers three floors of
international and local stores plus cafés,
restaurants and cinema screens.
LATER Havana (115–117 Rua da
Pimenta) is a Cuban-style bar that pulses
with Latin sounds until the small hours.
TIP The best way round the park is by
bike: hire them from Tejo Bike (tejobike.
pt), next to the information centre.
Pena
PARK AND PALACE
INFO
Lisbon (Portela)
Airport is located
within the city.
Bus The Aerobus
leaves for the
city centre every
20-30 minutes
from 7am to 11pm,
terminating at Cais
do Sodré. Tickets,
valid all day, cost
€3,50 and can be
bought onboard.
Taxi The
20-minute journey
into the centre
costs about €15,
with an extra
charge for luggage.
Prices increase
by 20% at night,
weekends and on
bank holidays.
Tourist offi ce
Lisbon Welcome
Centre is at 15 Rua
do Arsenal (tel. 210
312700, visitlisboa.
com).
Enjoy a room with a view
at charming boutique
hotel As Janelas Verdes
CAIS DO SODRÉ
The dockside area is an atmospheric
blend of quirky shops, markets and
fashionable restaurants.
SLEEP On a hillside overlooking the
docks, Oasis (24 Rua de Santa Catarina,
tel. 213 478044, oasislisboa.com,
doubles from €44) is a delightful
independent hostel in an old townhouse.
CULTURE The Museu do Chiado (4 Rua
Serpa Pinto) hosts the Let’s Talk About
Houses exhibition, which focuses on art
and architecture (until 21 November).
EAT Fashionable Yasmin (1A Rua da
Moeda, tel. 213 930074) serves a fusion
of Portuguese and international flavours.
LATER Armazem F (Rua da Cintura) is
a Brazilian restaurant, bar and club with
a dance floor and great riverside terrace.
SHOP Lisbon’s main market, Mercado
da Ribeira (Avenida 24 de Julho) sells
a colourful array of fresh fish and veg
as well as local arts and crafts.
Sintra – Portugal
A World Heritage Site
www.parquesdesintra.pt
LAPA AND MADRAGOA
West of the centre, the districts
of Lapa and Madragoa are two of
the most desirable areas of the
city, full of ornate mansions and
embassy buildings.
SLEEP As Janelas Verdes (47 Rua das
Janelas Verdes tel. 213 968143,
heritage.pt, rooms from €135) combines
boutique comforts with old-fashioned
décor in an 18-century townhouse with
a small garden and superb river views
from the top floors.
CULTURE Fascinating for adults and
children alike, the Museu da Marioneta
(146 Rua da Esperança) displays
puppets from around the world, from
shadow puppets to satirical models
of contemporary figures.
EAT Picanha (96 Rua das Janelas Verdes,
tel. 213 975401) takes its name from
the house special, a delectable Brazilian
dish consisting of thin strips of beef.
CACILHAS AND ALMADA
Frequent ferries make the short
trip across the river Tagus to the
little harbour of Cacilhas, a suburb
of Almada that’s famed for its
seafood restaurants.
CULTURE Take bus 101 from Cacilhas
to the Cristo Rei, a towering statue of
Christ – take the lift up to its terrace
for extraordinary views over Lisbon.
EAT Choose a lobster from the bubbling
tanks at Cervejaria Farol (1-3 Alfredo
Dinis, tel. 212 765248).
TIP Cacilhas is also the terminus for
buses to the fantastic Atlantic beaches
of Caparica, half an hour to the south.
€129 *
FROM JUST
RETURN ALL-IN
Fly to Lisbon from
just €129* return all-in.
brusselsairlines.com
Monserrate
PARK AND PALACE
†PER COUNTRY PER CAPITA
*PRICES QUOTED ARE FOR A RETURN TICKET IN B.LIGHT ECONOMY FROM OR TO BRUSSELS, ALL TAXES AND FEES INCLUDED, IF BOOKED ON BRUSSELSAIRLINES.COM. TICKETS ARE NOT CHANGEABLE, NOR REFUNDABLE. PRICES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT PRIOR NOTICE