01

Enjoy views over the city

As Lisbon is so mountainous, you can always enjoy wonderful views over the city! One very well-known viewpoint is the Miradouro de Santa Luzia. I really liked the view over the rooftops of the city and the water from there. There were also street musicians playing relaxed music, which made the atmosphere even nicer.

Just a little further up, on the way to the Castelo de St. Jorge, you can take in the next view of the city from the Recolhimento viewpoint.

Many tourists also like to go to the Elevador de Santa Justa. However, as we didn't want to wait over an hour for a ride in this spectacular elevator, we took the stairs to the next viewpoint. From the Topo Chiado bar, you have another beautiful view over the city.

In general, there are several rooftops throughout the city where you can enjoy the view with a delicious drink. I'll introduce you to a few particularly cool rooftops here.

02

Insider tip: EmbaiXada and view from the Jardim do Príncipe Real

We were traveling in Lisbon with friends, one of whom had already lived in Lisbon for a while. Perfect if, like me, you prefer to check out the insider tips rather than the tourist hotspots of a city!

Gusti took us to a shopping center with local retailers in a beautiful building! I could have spent hours in EmbaiXada admiring the beautiful things and fascinating architecture.

When we had finished our little shopping tour, we walked through the Jardim do Príncipe Real, at the foot of which the absolute San Francisco moment awaited us: a view of Lisbon's “Golden Gate Bridge”. The image of the steep street with the Ponte 25 de April in the background is something I will always remember!

03

Lisbon's trademark: The streetcar

In addition to its mountainous landscape and imposing bridge, Lisbon is known for one thing in particular: its old, yellow streetcars. You don't have to do much to see them, because you're sure to run into one on your way through the city.

However, if you want to be on the safe side or even take the streetcar, then it's best to walk to Rua da Conceição!

Otherwise, you can of course also go to the famous Ascensor da Bica and get on the steep cable car. Here you have a cool photo spot included!

04

My favorite memory: A trip to the Christo Rei statue

When you are in Lisbon, you can see the Cristo Rei statue from afar, which towers over the city on a hill in Almada. My brother had recommended that we pay Cristo Rei a visit at sunset. So we set off on our way. What we didn't think about: My brother was in Lisbon in winter, we were in summer. The sunset was therefore much later for us. So late, in fact, that the entrance to the statue was unfortunately already closed.

Now, we were standing there and didn't really know what to do. We therefore made our way along a small path to the banks of the Tagus. We enjoyed what was probably the best view of the Ponte 25 de April. But when we arrived at the bottom, we didn't really know what to do next. We found ourselves on an old factory site that looked more like a graffiti-covered ruin: Quinta da Arealva.

Finding our way through here was not so easy. Just before we were about to turn around, we finally found a safe-looking staircase that led us to the banks of the Tagus. We walked a little further and ended up at Cais do Ginjal, from where we watched a beautiful sunset. Afterwards, the route was fortunately a little less adventurous: it took us past the Jardim do Rio to some restaurants, on past old factory buildings, from which some suspicious singing could be heard, to the ferry station in Cacilhas. And so, after a little adventure, during which we laughed a lot, we returned to the better-known corners of Lisbon.

05

Getting out of the city: the beaches around Lisbon

Something I completely missed on my first visit but fell in love with the second time around: Lisbon isn't just a great city trip – the beaches surrounding it are just as good!

Costa da Caparica sits on the other side of the Tagus, so technically it's no longer Lisbon proper, and you can only get there by car or Uber. But it's absolutely worth the trip. The beach is incredibly expansive, with fine white sand that feels straight out of the Hamptons – right in the middle of Portugal. We had lunch at nuua Beach, a restaurant right on the shore that completely won me over. The food was amazing, the vibe was relaxed, and there are even coworking spaces for the digital nomads among us. On top of that, there are cute little beach huts, some of which you can actually rent. A total hidden gem!

A little easier to get to is Carcavelos Beach, which sits right on the train line from Lisbon – making it simpler to reach, though also busier. Still stunning though! We caught the sunset there at the Windsurf Bar with a drink in hand, watching the last rays of sunshine disappear over the water. There are also plenty of other beach bars dotted along the shore, so there's something for everyone.

I can wholeheartedly recommend both beaches and would definitely factor in at least one beach day if you're heading to Lisbon!

06

Slightly more alternative: LX Factory

I liked the LX Factory a little better. Where there was once a factory site, you can now find cute cafés, a few restaurants and small boutiques. We walked around for a moment, bought a little souvenir at “Make Up A Mess” and browsed through the cool “Ler Devagar” library.

07

The perfect photo motif: the flower wall at the Museum of St. Anthony and the pink Rua Nova do Carvalho

Lisbon is definitely one of the most photogenic cities I know. On the one hand, Lisbon is a great place to shoot expressive street photography. On the other hand, you'll get your perfect Instagram picture here.

A cute spot, where one of my favorite pictures was taken, is the flower wall at the Museum of Saint Anthony. The Pink Road - the Rua Nova do Carvalho - with its colorful umbrellas is a little better known. It's certainly perfect for a photo! In reality, however, I missed the ambience a little. Because here you can see and smell that Pink Road turns into a party mile (mainly for tourists) in the evening.

08

Get to know the corners of Belém

Before we left Lisbon again, we had to make a little detour to Belém! We walked through the Jardim Docas da Ponte to the famous Padrão dos Descobrimentos statue.

Afterwards we had to test which tasted better: Pasteís de Nata or Pasteís de Belém. I chose the winner here. On the way to the famous branch of Pasteís de Belém, we passed the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos monastery. Our trip to Lisbon ended with a view of the Belém Tower.

09

Outside Lisbon: Palácio Nacional da Pena

After our time in Lisbon, we headed to Sintra with one thing on the agenda: the Palácio Nacional da Pena. Unfortunately the weather wasn't quite on our side, so we didn't get to see the colorful palace in the sunshine. That said, the misty conditions had something almost magical about them – the forest surrounding the palace looked like a rainforest.

Afterwards we made our way on foot into the charming little town center, browsing through some small shops selling handmade goods. And that was pretty much it for our day trip, since we unfortunately didn't have much more time. But Sintra has so much more to offer! Make sure to plan significantly more time than we did if you want to explore the other stunning palaces like the Palácio Nacional de Sintra, the Castelo dos Mouros, or the Monserrate Palace.

Good to know: Private vehicles are not allowed on the road leading up to the palace – any cars you might see up there will be taxis or Ubers. There is an official parking lot (P1 Norte) nearby from which you can walk up to the entrance, but it fills up quickly especially during peak season. The easiest option is the tourist bus 434, which runs from Sintra train station up to the palace – though a day ticket will set you back €13.50 per person. Alternatively, an Uber from the train station is often the cheaper and more hassle-free choice.

10

What else to see

These were just my favorites of Lisbon. But the city has much more to offer. For example, you can visit the National Tile Museum to see azulejo art, the traditional tile work of Portugal.

You are also sure to pass by the neo-Moorish palace Chafariz D'El Rei and Lisbon Cathedral, which we also took a quick look at.

The Castelo de St. Jorge is certainly also interesting. However, we didn't go inside, but preferred to stroll through the area around it, which was very beautiful and quieter. Another palace you can visit in Lisbon is the Fundação das Casas Fronteira e Alorna.

Other than that, I also love just strolling through Lisbon and letting the city work its magic on me. So, what are you waiting for? Set out on your walk through Lisbon!

I have put together a list of all the places on Google Maps.

You can find the list here.