Rua Augusta Arch
Downtown Lisbon consists of the neighborhoods Bairro Alto, Chiado, and Baixa. We were staying in Alfama, in east Lisbon, and walked downtown to explore these neighborhoods over a few days. On my list of things to see and do included: Praça do Comércio, the Rua Augusta Arch, Ascensor da Gloria and da Bica (didn’t do either – so crowded with tourists!), Jardim de Sao Pedro de Alcantara Miradouro, Café A Brasileira, Livraria Bertrand, and the Elevador de Santa Justa.
King José I in the center of the Praça do Comércio (directly in front of the Rua August Arch)
The back of the statue, facing the Tagus River
Rua Nova do Carvalho: Lisbon’s Red Light District
Igreja do Loreto in Chiado
Exploring downtown
Jardim de São Pedro de Alcântara – beautiful view!
Enjoying the Mirodouro from the Jardim de São Pedro de Alcântara
Ascensor da Gloria – We actually walked up the hill past it and were shocked to learn the tram was the elevator! Seeing the long line for this short, slow tram ride up and down a hill, we decided to pass and keep exploring.
Just in case you don’t spot it – the woman in the blue dress is the woman in the photo on the first floor window
Ascensor da Bica – another tram elevator. As you can see there’s a long line and we still had a lot to see, so we took a photo and kept walking 🙂
Praça Luís de Camões – this small square is the transition zone between Chiado and Bairro Alto
I had to wait a good 5 minutes before I could take a photo of the entrance – everyone wanted a photo here! Café A Brasileira (The Brazilian Lady Cafe) is one of the oldest cafes in Lisbon and was once the meeting point for intellectuals, artists, and writers, Unfortunately I read the reviews first and decided to skip having coffee here – a photo was enough 🙂
Livraria Bertrand – the oldest operating bookshop in the world
Guinness World Record Holder
We really enjoyed the cafe inside Livraria Bertrand
Relaxing and enjoying our coffees
Elevador de Santa Justa – happy to see it was a real elevator!
An American in Antwerp 