Bairro Alto:
The Bairro Alto is a picturesque, colourful and artistic quarter which was built during the latter part of the 16th century . During the day it is rather quiet and relaxed and as the evening progresses into the night, the district transforms into a active, friendly and above all bustling nightlife area, where different cultures and people from different generations come together in the most popular bars, where modern music is mixed together with Fado , the traditional Portuguese songs.
From the mid 19 century up to the 70’s of the last century, the Bairro Alto was the headquarters of the major newspapers and printing companies in the country. The street names refer to this period and carry the names of the newspapers such as the Rua Diário de Noticias and the Rua do Século.
Chiado:
The Chiado on the other hand is the literary and cultural centre with theatres, bookstores, cafes and art, but it is also an elegant, expensive and very popular shopping district. At the end of the 19th century it served as a meeting place for intellectuals which is still remembered by the many statues of literary figures such as Fernando Pessoa, Luis de Camões, and Eça de Queiroz.
The Chiado fire:
On August 25, 1988 between three and four in the morning a disastrous fire started in a warehouse on Rua do Carmo, which links the Bairro Alto with the Baixa. Due to the fact that the Rua do Carmo is a pedestrian area, the fire engines could not reach the fire quickly enough, and spread to adjacent buildings Rua Garett. In some places you can still see the damage done to the restored 18th-century facades, but the 2 shopping streets that have risen from the ashes are more modern and fancier than ever before.
Ascencor da Glória:
From the Praça dos Restauradores (in the Baixa) you can catch the funicular, the Ascensor da Glória of 1885, which takes you 265 meters higher at an incline of 18% to the Rua de S. Pedro de Alcântara in the Bairro Alto. At the top on your right is the Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara, where you have a great view over the city centre and the Castle of São Jorge. It’s a shame that the two trams that shuttle up and down, are sprayed with graffiti.
Address: Rua de S. Pedro de Alcântara
Address: Praça dos Restauradores (Baixa)
Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara:
From the Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara viewpoint, at the top of the Ascencor da Glória, you have stunning views of the Castle of São Jorge and the city centre. At the railing is a panel with painted tiles with a map of the view.
Tip: When night falls and the city lights come on, the castle on the hill on the other side is lit up beautifully on the Alfama. Also, many young people come together here, before a night on the town.
Address: Largo de São Pedro de Alcântara
Igreja São Roque:
Behind the discreet facade of this church there is a stunning interior with eight chapels with beautiful decorations, marble tiles and stunning colours that light up this space. The ceiling of the church has a wooden frame of Prussian origin and trompe-l’oeil paintings, which are deceptively realistic. De São Roque was built in the 16th century by the Jesuits. In the adjacent museum, there is a collection of Baroque silver, displaying fascinating sacred and religious art.
Address: Largo Trindade Coelho
Cervejaria Trindade:
The Cervejaria Trindade used to be a monastery from 1294 that has been through many disasters ranging from fires to earthquakes. In 1836 it was converted to the oldest and finest brewery of Portugal, decorated with hand painted azulejos (tiles) that represent the hidden secrets of Portuguese Freemasonry. You can also eat with some typical Portuguese dishes in one of the four large dining rooms. Since opening almost two centuries ago, they have been open every day.
Address: Rua Nova da Trindade 20c
Link: Cervejaria Trindade
Elevador da Santa Justa:
The Elevador de Santa Justa, also known as the Elevador do Carmo, connects the Bairro Alto neighbourhood with the lower Baixa, and was opened in 1902. The neo-Gothic lift was designed by Raoul Mesnier du Ponsard, a pupil of Alexandre Gustave Eiffel. The steam-driven 45 meter high elevator made from cast iron was converted into an electric elevator in 1907.
Address: Largo do Carmo
Igreja do Carmo:
The Igreja do Carmo, also known as the Convento da Ordem do Carmo, are the ruins of a Gothic Carmelite Church that was founded at the end of the 14th century. The church was largely destroyed by the earthquake in 1755 and has never been rebuilt. The only thing that still stands are the graceful arches of the roofless ship. In the choir there is an archaeological museum established with sculptured tombs, as well as European and South American discoveries.
Address: Largo Carmo
Livraria Bertrand:
The Bertrand bookshop is decorated with beautiful wood panelling and is a known throughout Lisbon, as it is the oldest exiting bookstore in the world. The store was originally located on the Rua de Loreto Direita but due to the earthquake, tsunami and fires in 1755, moved location 4 times and changed its name 11 times, until its current location in the Chiado 1773.
Address: Rua Garrett 73-75
A Brasileira:
In 1905, the A Brasileira “shop” opened, where, if you bought a kilo of freshly ground coffee, you got a Brazilian cup of coffee for free. In A Brasileira the first ever Bica was served, a sort of espresso on which all the Portuguese now live! The famous poet Fernando Pessoa was a loyal customer here, and his bronze statue can still be found sitting outside on a bench.
Tip: the place is definitely worth a visit because the interior has barely changed since the opening, with its art nouveau paintings, decorative plasterwork and mirrors. And if you fancy a ‘bica’? Take yours fast at the bar as the locals do, not only is it cheaper, but more importantly the place is renowned for slow and sometimes unfriendly service.
Address: Rua Garrett 120
Tasca do Chico:
Leaving Lisbon without having experienced the Fado can be considered a mortal sin. Of course you can go an evening out to one of the many Fado houses and restaurants, but they are often, completely packed with tourists.
But… at the Tasco do Chico, you get the real deal: Fado Vadio, the Fado off the street. In this Lisbon old-fashioned tavern, it can get crowded too, sometimes so much so you must wait outside for a spot, while you listen to the Fado sounds coming through the doorway and the small windown, only by guitarra (Portuguese guitar, see picture left) and viola (Spanish guitar).
On Monday and and Wednesday evenings it’s amateur night, where you share a table with strangers, sit close together on wooden benches, and have no idea whether the person next to you will break out and start singing Fado. Nothing is more exhilarating than the tension building up as you hear the: Silencio! O Fado vai começar! (Silence! The Fado is about to start!) And you hear the room fill with heartbreaking songs. Sometimes the level may not be so good, though most of the time it’s really good occasionally you get world-class acts, of which you can see evidence of newspaper clippings and autographed photos of famous fadistas, including the internationally known Mariza.
‘Chico’, short for Francisco Gonçalves opened in 1994, the Tasca do Chico in the Bairro Alto, where he invites only musicians, because the fadistas (fado singers) will show up naturally. Since 2009 a second Tasca has opened in the Alfama district.
Tip: this wonderful way to spend the night will cost you maybe a beer or two, and perhaps an chorizo assado (a roasted sausage), because there is no admission fee.
Address: Rua Diário de Notícias 39 – Bairro Alto, Rua dos Remedios 83 – Alfama
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