Founded three thousand years ago, Lisbon, the largest and the capital city of Portugal, is nothing but a true treat to a tourist in search of contemporary magnificence. However, in spite of such an early inception, having experienced an interesting renaissance very recently, this place has become an abode of modern culture that has taken the world by storm. Today, it is one of the liveliest and most flourishing tourist destinations in Europe. It has a population of around 564,657 inside its administrative boundaries and more than 3 million in the urban portion. Lisbon is known as an “alpha city” owing to its significance in the field of commerce, finance, international trade, entertainment, arts, media, education and of course, tourism. Lisbon has, in fact, been rated as the World’s twenty-fifth most-livable metropolis by a famous lifestyle magazine.
Situated at the edge of Atlantic Ocean, “Lisboa”, as called in Portuguese, falls into the short list of cities, lying in Western Europe, which enjoy the face of the ocean and count it as one of the chief elements describing them. Other than the water, hills play a very significant role in defining Lisbon. Being placed among seven well-communicated hills, this capital city is often called the City of Seven Hills. The white limestone buildings with red tiled roofs, numerous colored windows and tiny balconies, small courtyards, cozy alleyways and the historical remains scattered around them form the real essence of Lisbon. All of this, together with the unbeatable simplicity and natural charm, make Lisbon a very popular holiday spot. Due to its latitudinal position and proximity to the ocean, this city enjoys a climate of the type Subtropical-Mediterranean, thus adding to your fun. Whether you have a stringent pocket or a very lenient one, you get a variety of transports suiting your capacity bringing you to this land of pleasure. Once you are here, getting around Lisbon is another pleasurable thing to do because of the wide range of options. The unique architecture is sure to sweep you off your feet. The St. George’s Castle, Águas Livres Aqueduct, Vasco da Gama Bridge and 25 de Abril Bridge are some of the examples. Lisbon also hosts a range of galleries and museums that successfully take you back to the early days of its origination. The National Museum of Ancient Art, Árpád Szenes-Vieira da Silva Foundation, Calouste Gulbenkian Museum, Electricity Museum, Water Museum and Berardo Collection Museum are some of the famous ones that meet both of your historical and modern interests. Gardens and parks like Jardim Zoologico, Lisbon Botanical Garden and Black Park of the Nation are also some its biggest tourist attractions. The Jeronimos Monastery and the Belem Tower have been listed as ‘World Heritage Site’ by UNESCO. Accommodation is a very petty issue because of the number of affordable options. After hitting Lisbon, you will have a plethora of things to do including sight-seeing, watching theater, getting fit, eating and drinking to the brim, clubbing for pleasure and of course, shopping your guts out. Lisbon also has a very welcoming nightlife which you will never want to miss.
