The European Capital of Color and Sound – Lisbon in 2024

Most noble and always loyal City of Lisbon.

Slogan (City of Lisbon) Tweet

#Lisbon #Portugal #adventure #travelblogger #3dayitinerary

…And you guessed it. In the middle of writing my second Vienna post, I left for the airport, to travel to Lisbon – with no idea of how far it truly is. A regular flight would take around four hours, but due to strong winds upon landing, it took much closer to five. Also, the local wind was so strong, not only did the plane have to circle around the airport to descend, but my head was blowing up of aches, despite not even having been outside. And then I was shocked to hear about the time zone difference. Knowing how small the continent of Europe is, I’d never expect a physical neighbor of Spain to be in a different time zone. Oh well, I may have underestimated my continent by birthright, having lived in much more spacious areas.

Another surprise, right off the bat, is that public city transport runs all the way to the airport, and a return ticket to the city center does not cost around 80% of the flight fare. In two days, I will be shocked again, to discover the same tickets are valuable for the whole region, including the nearby town of Sintra, as well as other towns in the area. Good job and an applause from my side to the Administration of Lisbon!

Having arrived at 8PM, situated only 20 minutes away from the water (by foot), of course I decided to make a short stroll and become introduced to the city by night, before being introduced to it by day. It’s more than just a royal, majestic city of epic beauty, and in the following three days, I was about to find out more about it than I bargained for. Follow me!

Lisbon at night

I absolutely do not regret moving around by night without having learnt about the terrain in daylight. The nocturnal atmosphere is so unique, it would be completely altered should you meet the city during the day first. This unique feeling of Lisbon at night, before knowing what all the city entails, cannot be felt again. All the tiles on outside walls look fascinating in an utterly different light. The only thing that ruins your gaze into the new are street lamps and cables, hanging all around – just like in any other part of the civilized world. Yes, we’d all be lost without them, and we need them. Still, they’re the biggest minus of any new city I come across.

The main square, looking right at the shore, called Praca de Comercio (pardon the lack of diacritics, my Portuguese-speaking friends and fans), looks like a gate into the unknown, with only some light shed on where you will be going. You do not know the streets? No worries, Lisbon will have you covered. And you know what especially I liked about Lisbon, what made it love at first glance? The city is alive! All those beautiful spirits that make up for the atmosphere in Barcelona, Antwerp and Vienna, are consorted with the one in the Portuguese capital.

PS. At night, you’ll be offered drugs every five to ten steps. You will even be offered to try some before buying. However, the vendors are very fair and amicable – the moment you tell them you’re not interested, they will thank you for your time and move on.

Breakfast

The apartment where I was staying is located at Intendente – about 20 minutes of walking from the water. What I noticed on Booking in Lisbon, is that quite a high volume of nice-looking properties has horrifying grades, many even under 6 (let’s be honest, you won’t even be considering a 7.4, let alone anything that starts with a 6), despite their great locations and nice pictures. And you find out why, if you dig deeper and look into actual photos – where the rooms posted on Booking are actually covered in unreal pictures, and in reality are broom closets. My property, although maybe not a complete 10.0 (but certainly a 9.0 or above) was at least in a “what you see is what you get” category. It’s named Charming Guest House in a 19th Century Building (linked for your convenience, dear traveler), and the only reason why I’m advertising it is because I’ve had a great time there. Also, the host is extremely pleasant and will share tips and tricks on what to see and where to eat – my favorite two things at any new destination.

Anyway, breakfast options. Right across the street, there’s quite a popular place called A Padaria Portuguesa. I cannot say it isn’t expensive for a breakfast place (bakery) – in fact, it may be the most expensive joint I’ve visited in Lisbon. However, the quality of the food is so great, you’ll want to come again – as I did. I read comments about the coffee being bad, which I cannot agree with. It was not amazing, but on the other hand, neither was it bad. Croissants come in an array of different tastes, including salmon, chocolate, and more traditional tastes. Also, there is a plethora of squeezed juice options. And don’t forget to try their famous pastel de nata. Recommended, 100%.

Overlooks

My map was stacked with green flags of places around Lisbon I wanted to visit. The most common ones (and I can bet there are at least ten of those) are the overlooks, or miradouros. Yes, they take some time to climb, and no, there is nothing in particular atop any of them (other than an occasional cathedral). But the views are utterly breathtaking. Especially if you decide to wait for the sunset on one of them. I cannot tell you which one is better, because they all show a different view of the same city. Rather than that, I can warn you not to make a mistake I did. If it’s your first day in Lisbon, and you are intending to visit Sintra the following day, save your legs.

Colorful buildings

Lisbon is truly full of radiant buildings of all shapes and sizes (and colors). And everywhere you look, there is some kind of natural and spontaneous music in the streets. This is the reason why I believe Lisbon should be called the European Capital of Color and Sound. The train station is an absolutely marvelous place you have to drop by. The miraduors are something that cannot be skipped, no matter how many steps to the top. The marina is again something you came to see. And each of these points will provide an amazing viewpoint for the taking. Tiles are the ornament of the city’s facades and mark a chapter in civilization’s uniqueness. Colors, colors everywhere!

Taking the public transportation

I walked across most of Lisbon in a day – instead of seeing everything I bargained for in one day, I got to see around 80% of everything planned to go around for the duration of the whole voyage. The following day will show why that was not the best idea. However, if you decide to not walk around the whole region, but instead take public transportation to more dispersed locations, you may as well be able to find other beauties, in towns such as Sintra, or simply a more distant parts of Lisbon itself, such as Belem. As those make up for excursions themselves, more over it in parts two and three.

Stay tuned!