Travel Guides

Lisbon is nowadays an emerging target for every kind of tourists coming from all the corners of the world.But  longtime Lisbon used to be an overshadowed spot of the Old Continent, due to the isolation caused by a dictatorship. But all these has much changed during the last 30 years: Lisbon is nowadays a favorite fashioned stopover.

Belem Tower in Lisbon is a tribute to the Golden Age of geographic discovers

The city is build on 7 hills, resembling to Rome, and has a secret charm which is hard to explain. The history of Lisbon goes back to Neolithic, Roman Empire, Moorish Period, Reconquista, Empire Period etc. All these periods left behind some interesting remnants, or ruins or even city quarters ( or freguesias, as the locals say). The district of Alfama is very similar to an Arabian city, with narrow streets and plenty of little shops. Alfama was the heart of the city during the Moorish period.

Most of Portugal’s best beaches are in the Algarve, and typically these are vast, sandy areas with beautiful scenery and fantastic local facilities such as hotels, bars, cafes and restaurants. The Algarve has been a popular destination for tourists for many years, and one criticism of this area is that it is very commercialised and there is little cultural input, and Portugal’s colourful history is barely represented in many of the bland modern resorts and bars. Still it is a lively area, and good value for money so it does make a great sun and beach destination.

Portugal is an excellent destination for your holiday, and there are plenty of different things to see and do, which should keep any kind of visitor entertained. Here are the best top 10 things to do in Portugal:

1. Visit Belém – there are several excellent sites at Belém that make a trip here more than worthwhile. The Mosteiro dos Jerónimos is one of the most stunning monasteries in Portugal, and has some wonderful examples of Manueline design and architecture. Also there are the Padrão dos Descobrimentos and Torre de Belém which are beautiful architectural monuments which honour the Portuguese explorer spirit and the country’s many overseas discoveries. There are also plenty of lovely walks along the nearby river, and some excellent cafes and restaurants where you can enjoy the local speciality pastry treat, Pasteis de Belém.

Did you hear about Port wine or Madeira wine? I am sure you did. They come from Portugal.

Further, did you hear about Lisbon, Porto, Algarve, Funchal? These are cities or beach resorts in Portugal.

There are many things to say about Portugal, most western european coutry, which is the former roman province of Lusitania. In the Middle Age after the muslim Moors came and invaded the Iberic Peninsula, the spectacular phenomena of Reconquista managed for the independence of Portugal (XIIIth century).

Portugal has only two neighbours: Spain and the Atlantic Ocean. Therefore the portuguese had a strong vocation of explorers and sailors, and the most famous explorer is Vasco da Gama.  In the Middle Age Portugal had one of the greatest colonial empire, with Brazil as a crown jewel. The collapse of this empire and the independence of Brazil caused many problems in Lisbon.