Three Day Trips from Lisbon, Portugal
Portugal is having a moment right now. Travelers are finding out that the prices are right, English is widely spoken and it's a beautiful country. One of the most popular places to visit is the capital city of Lisbon. Here are 3 day trips from Lisbon:
Belem
A short train ride from Lisbon, about 15 minutes, is Belem. Located along the Tejo River, Belem isn't actually its own city but a suburb or parish of Lisbon.
Vasco de Gama set sail for worlds unknown from here and it still holds the spirit of the Age of Discovery. The immense wealth of the new sea routes funded the Monasterio dos Jeronimos (Jeronimos Monastery) and some 500 years later, the Monument to the Discoveries was built to celebrate this history. First built in 1940 for the Portuguese World Exhibition and then reconstructed in 1960 to commemorate 500 years since Henry the Navigators death, you can visit this monument - though we didn't as we didn't have a car and the walk was not only far but also a bit complicated.
But our first stop was at the above mentioned, Jeronimos Monastery. We took in the outside of the monastery as rain had started to fall and the line to get in wrapped around the building. A popular spot, no?
Then we sloshed our way down the street to have the most famous pastry in Portugal, a Pastel de Nata at the most famous spot to get one since 1837 - Pasteis de Belem. The line here was also out the door but we had to try one of these creamy custard tart served warm with a cinnamon and powdered sugar topping. The line moved quite quickly and we found a table to enjoy our sweet afternoon treat.
 |
| the Pasteis de Nata - an egg tart |
Next we passed the house of the President of Portugal on our way to a Rick Steves recommendation - the National Coach Museum. We were in for a pleasant surprise as there was a high school or university orchestra giving a concert here. The doorman let us enter for free and we found the concert to be quite entertaining. The fun, spontaneous things one finds when traveling!
 |
| The Presidents house |
We headed out to see the Ponte 25 de Abril, or 25th of April bridge. This suspension bridge, the 4th longest in the world and the longest in Europe, crosses the Tagus River and we were lucky to catch a rainbow behind it. Though it looks quite similar to the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, this bridge was originally named Salazar Bridge after the leader of Portugal when it was built. But the Carnation Revolution of 1974 saw the overthrow of Salazar and the bridge was named for the date of the revolution. Today the upper deck carries six lanes of cars and the lower deck carries a double track railway.
Belem, with its monastery, Monument of Discovery, the Ponte 25th de Abril, Pasteis de Belem and even the Coach Museum, is definitely a place you should venture to when you're in Lisbon
Cascais
Cascais is a resort town located just west of Lisbon. Once a fishing village, it became a popular getaway for royalty and aristocracy.
We took the train from Belem to Cascais and walked around its cool tiled streets just before sunset. It wasn't very crowded as it was still not "in season" so we had no problem finding a place to sit and eat. Fortified with a delicious Italian meal - and watching some soccer with a few locals and a few tourists - we sauntered down to the sea where there were few people except for a couple of sand volleyball games going on. I know it was off season but I really enjoyed our visit here - and as always, I'd love to go back.
 |
| One of the ubiquitous sardine stores. That's all they sell -sardines |
Evora
Located just an hour east of Lisbon, Evora was one of my favorite places I visited in Portugal. The capital of the Alentejo region, Evora is a charming and historic town that is well worth a visit. The entire town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and it has Roman, Moorish and Portuguese influences.
We started our visit at the infamous Chapel of the Bones. Constructed by Franciscan monks in the late 16th Century when cemeteries became full, monks started placing bones and skulls on the walls of the chapel. Today it is one of the must see places in Evora, especially for those who are religious. For some, it might be a bit too graphic, including full skeletons of an adult and child. We didn't spend too much time here, though, it was a very unique spot to visit.
 |
| Entry to the Chapel of Bones |
 |
| The museum attached to the Chapel |
We moved on to the Evora Cathedral, or Basilica Se da Nossa Senhora da Assuncao (Basilica Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption) This 12th century church is the largest medieval cathedral in the country of Portugal - it can be seen from far away - and is considered to "protect" the city.
The interior is a mixture of baroque and gothic style with the outside has a marble portal carved with images of the twelve apostles. The nave is one of the longest in Portugal and the organ is the oldest in Europe (which is saying something!)
If the interior isn't impressive enough, you can visit the cloisters and then
The Roman Temple, or sometimes the Diana Temple, is one of the greatest and best preserved roman temples on the Iberian Peninsula. It's one of the most important landmarks of the city and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1986. Built in the 1st century AD, it is located next to the Evora Cathedral. Evorans are quite proud of their Roman ruin!
We spent some time on the main street and doing a little souvenir shopping - well, at least I did! I loved Evora so much that I had to get a little something to remember it by!
 |
| Always the sardine stores |
So if you're heading to Lisbon and would like to see a little more of Portugal outside of the city, consider a few of these day trips. I think you'll be glad you did.
Comments
Post a Comment