When I am not travelling or planning a trip, I talk or write about traveling, what a surprise you will tell me! Wanderlust is part of me and I have come to accept and embrace it.

This is why I have decided to write once a week about a city or a place that has caught my heart so what’s better than a #ThrowBackThursday to do so?

This week let me take you to Lisbon (or Lisboa in Portuguese) which I discovered quite recently. We had decided to plan a Portuguese getaway over Easter, we didn’t know what to expect and it was simply fantastic. 

About Lisbon: 

• Capital city of Portugal (Though interesting enough it has never been declared officially as such)
• Founded in 12th century – One of the oldest towns in the world (who would have thought?!)
• Located on the river Tagus (Rio Tejo in Portuguese)

Lisbon’s random and funny facts:

• Lisbon was the very first importer of Guinness in 1811
• You can find the smallest bookstores in the world there (Livraria do Simão is only 3.8 m2 big!)
• The Alfama area of Lisbon is the city’s oldest district and was the only area of Lisbon to survive, relatively unscathed, in the 1755 earthquake
• The Vasco de Gama bridge is the longest bridge in Europe (17.2 kilometer)

If you only have 48 hours in Lisbon, have fun:

• Walking around Belem with its beautiful monuments
• “Climbing” up to the Santa Justa where you get a 360 view over the city
• Wandering through the old town (Alfama)
• Jumping on Tram 28 that takes you through the city
• Strolling down the avenue da liberdade
• Checking and picturing the Rossio square with its gorgeous train station and the Lisbon opera 
• Taking a Tuktuk tour. Simply surreal! At some point we thought we would have to push our tuktuk up one of the many very steep streets! 
• Embarking on a catamaran that allow you to sightsee while chilling and suntanning. Praca de Comerico is even more impressive from the water. You get to see Lisbon from the river and it gives you a whole different perspective
• Admiring the vibrant sunset over the river Tagus

  

  

 

Of course, my list is not exhaustive and there are many other gems in Lisbon. If you have more time and are interested in museums, exhibitions and other monuments, just check the city website and create your own itinerary. 

Happy trails and remember: Carpe Diem!

Travelling fun times Lisbon