Downtown Lisbon A Guide to the Heart of the City
Lisbon is full of interesting areas, ancient and mysterious, modern and thriving. Downtown Lisbon joins the old to the new, the traditional and the post modern. The unique quality of Lisbon is this effortless blend of modern life with the glorious past. It gives an atmosphere to the Downtown Lisbon areas which is very special. In the very central squares there is still an unhurried feel. You can sit for hours in a Rossio cafe musing over a coffee and a cake as the world goes rushing by. Take in the romantic architecture of the Carmo monastery ruins as you go to a cash point machine. Take a break from shopping in Saldanha at the splendid Cafe Versailles with its fin-de-siecle atmosphere and not pay a fortune for the privilege. Baixa
The Baixa was built to be the new commercial heart of the Downtown Lisbon area after the city was devastated by the Eartquake of 1755. It is built on a grid plan with streets named after trades. Some specializing in gold, some silver, some full of shoe shops others have now been converted to pedestrian areas full of cafes. Modern life goes on side by side with ancient trades and splendid civic and religious architecture. There are some good restaurants here as well as some indifferent ones. Try A Licorista in Rua Sapateiros , with it's old Lisbon atmosphere, very popular with locals - good lunchtime plates at reasonable prices.Sapateiros is just off Rossio square - Praca Dom Pedro 1V, he watches the world unmoved high on his plinth. Rossio is cenre of Downtown Lisbon. It is home to a beautiful Theatre, a magnificent Railway Station and some of the best cafes in town - Nicola and Suiza. At the opposite end of the Baixa is the impressive Praca Commercio with great views of the river and the boats crossing it.East of the Baixa are the more ancient atmospeheric Castle and Alfama districts.
Chiado
From Rossio take the Santa Justa elevator to The Chiado - an upmarket shopping area with a trendier atmosphere than the Baixa and designer shops like Have a Nice Day and Storytailors. It is great for culture too with Art Galleries, Theatres and Squares where concerts are often held. There are really lovely cafes here and memorable restaurants with sophisticated Cuisine and Decor, like Olivers in Rua Alecrim. The Chiado is one of the most cosmopolitan areas of the city but it still has that special Lisbon relaxed atmosphere. At night the near by Bairro Alto is the place to be with great bars and restaurants. The views from the top of the elevator are magnificent and near by the gardens of San Pedro de Alcantara have some of the most magnificnet panoramas of the city. It is especially beautiful to watch the sun go down over the city from this garden. 
Avenidas - Saldhana and North
Lisbon is changing and developing. Now many people regard more northerly areas in Lisbon like Pombal and Saldanha as the central downtown area. These districts are called Avenidas because the two main avenues of the city - Republic and Liberty are here. The business districts have moved to this area, the big hotel chains have their main accommodation here and there are cultural buildings and lively shopping centers. Saldanha was once a suburb known for its gentle quality of life. It is now a transport hub, a shopping mecca and a great place to eat. Nearby Sao Sebastiao is the home of the first Corte Ingles department store in Portugal and is a lovely area with great lunchtime restaurants not far from Edward V11 park. Just a little further north the wonderful Gulbenkian collection awaits visitors. An art gallery in a beautiful garden with a great restaurant. Campo Pequeno the bull ring of Lisbon is a downtown Lisbon monument with shops restaurants and great music events. Just near Campo Pequeno going east towers Culturgest an arts center with workshops , exhibitions and theatrical events. There are often things for kids here. Culturegest is also near Praca Londres and the Alameda an oasis of calm in the heart of the city. Close by is Almirante Reis the heart of workaday Lisbon with a frenetic atmosphere and great bars and restaurants.
for more information on the districts of Lisbon see our in depth pages starting with
Lisbon Districts
and
Lisbon streetwise
or try
Lisbon sights
for tips on what to see and do in the city Downtown LisbonTop Home
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