ESTRELA - District

Estrela is one of the oldest districts of the capital located in the western hills. Despite the exhausting uphill (which can be avoided by taking tram 28), the church and its gardens must be visited. 

The "Basilica da Estrela", in neo-classical style, with its twin towers and the dome, overlooks the large gardens. The interior of the church is decorated with marble (of different colors) and sculptures made by Machado de Castro, is also possible admire the tomb of Queen Mary I, who commissioned the construction of the basilica. Inside the church you can see the impressive Nativity of Machado de Castro that consists of more than 500 figures. However, the real masterpiece is undoubtedly the dome, where you can enjoy a wonderful view of the city.

The park Jardim Guerra Junquerio (better known as the "Estrela gardens") is one of the largest gardens of Lisbon, and inside you can walk among fountains, statues, a lake and children's play areas. The gardens are a park "for all", sunday is not at all uncommon meet portuguese families bring their children to play, elders who come together to talk, but also many young people who come to Estrela to rest on the grass, play with friends or running. At the park there are also numerous events, especially in the summer, such as "out jazz festivals", concerts, performances by street artists, the days "of the child", and much more. The two bars in the garden are great to relax and have a coffee or enjoy a fantastic "tosta mista" (toast) one of the best in town.

 

BAIXA - District

The Baixa (that means low, bottom) is the "new" historic center of Lisbon. Although the previous definition of "new center" may seem contradictory at first sight, in fact it is not. The first center of the capital was Rossio, but due to the increasing importance of the port city, after the 1755 earthquake that destroyed the Lisbon's center, Marquês de Pombal decided that the new Praça do Comércio should be the new capital's center. 

But going on slowly...take our time...

 The Baixa is precisely the lower part of the city, starting from the river Tejo, it goes inland, passing through Rossio, Restauradores, and finally continues into the endless Avenida da Liberdade. At the sides of the Baixa, rise two hill's lines, eastern and western, which, proceeding toward the inside, delimit it. The Baixa, being one of the best located places, was one of the first inhabited areas of the city. Unluckily, in 1755 came a great earthquake followed by a tsunami that literally destroyed the "bairro". In this case, the low natural position, that was favorable to the accessibility and the population of the neighborhood, turned out to be dangerous. Baixa consisted of a set of short streets chaotically linked among ancient buildings and referred to the square Terreiro do Paço. Marquês de Pombal, after having buried the dead, and stopped the robbers, decided to rebuild the district starting from the square. This reconstruction had to be a "grandiose work", following the most modern architectural and urban needs, but at the same time it had to express the symbolic importance of the absolute power of the kingdom. In other words, the new square and the new district had to represent to the world the beauty and munificence of the Portuguese nation and its royal house. 

In order to witness the "new" international importance of the ancient city Terreiro do Paço square was renamed Praça do Comércio. The structure, strictly symmetrical and parallel (geometry = perfection, perfection = power), was designed to promote, through a clever use of perspective, the vision of the whole square. The most important foreign visitors landed in a small private dock, that is located on the side of the square facing the river, so they could see the Statue of King Jose I (in the square's center) and the arch above it that overlook "rua Augusta". Starting from rua Augusta, the new Baixa show itself as a regular "lattice" of parallel and perpendicular streets which intersect one with each other. All the buildings have the same height and often the same architectural style, the terraces are long, narrow and they always have the same size. All of this was made with the intention to protect the city from others earthquakes, but also for symbolize the new importance of the kingdom. 

 

 Today, in the Baixa, there are many touristic places, offices of banks and businesses (even if they are moving more and more to Marquês de Pombal), hotels and commercial shops. Nightlife... zero. It should be noted just the elevador de Santa Justa, the Design and Fashion's museum, and a couple of cafes, especially good for coffee or rest, but not for go there after dinner.

GRAÇA - District

Graça is the name of the district that is located on a hill above the castle of "São Jorge", bordering Alfama. If in "Portas do Sol" instead of going for "rua das Escolas Gerais", we continue to walk in "rua S. Tomé" we'll arrive in "largo da Graça". In "largo da Graça" we can easily find the homonymous miradouro with its church and outdoor bar. Resting or drinking a coffee in the shade of the trees, maybe listening to the music of some street artist, is a great way to "take a break" from the fatigue and exhaustion that always involves a visit to the city.  From the top of the miradouro you can see the Baixa district, but also the opposite hills, and even the dome of the "Basilica da Estrela". 

Continuing along the narrow streets of Graça is possible find another wonderful miradouro (perhaps my favorite), namely "Senhora do Monte", with its garden and church. In this bairro there is also the famous monastery of "São Vicente de Fora", one of the oldest and most beautiful of the entire capital. At its base there is an aquifer and, after visiting the various rooms and cloisters of the monastery, you can go up to the terrace, from where you can enjoy a fantastic 360 ° view of the city.

Like its neighbor Alfama also Graça is experiencing a sort of "depopulation" due to the uncomfortable accessibility of the area, and for this reason many houses are empty and rents are very cheap, but the "bairro" is regularly full of people every week thanks to the "Feira da Ladra".

 

"Feira da Ladra" is a market where you can find everything, and every object has a story (often invented), there are old cameras, books, antiques, clothes and many others stuff. Sometimes there is a little "cheat" and sometimes the objects are stolen, but everyone is free to bring their used goods and try to sell them.

In ancient times, some rich and influential nobles have built their homes in this district close to downtown, so is possible find unexpectedly beautiful buildings colored by their azulejos. "Villa Berta" is a typical example, a majestic "villa" that runs completely across a street and it gives its name. During the feast of St. Anthony (patron of the city) the road is off-limits to the cars, therefore is possible to stop and eat at the tables, placed in the middle of the street, listening to live music played from the balconies of the villa.

BAIRRO ALTO - District

"Bairro Alto" is one of the most ancient neighbourhoods of Lisbon, sitting on the western hills surrounding the city. It is a complicated grid of narrow alleys based on four parallel-running avenues, hiking up to the top of the hill. Because of its peculiar topography it is quite easy to lose your way when walking around, but this incident just contributes to amplify its mysterious charm. Despite a surreal calm aura hangs upon it during the day – old people just dwell around to have a chat while the kids are playing football in the streets – the barrio suddenly lights up with life at night.

At sunset, a rainbow of colours makes the azulejos shine with a magnetic light. The smell of the Portoguese, Italian, Spanish and Japanese delicatessen roasting on the grills tickles the noses of the youngsters drifting around looking for the best time of their lives. The nightclubs become adventurous experiences.

The all-year-long pleasant weather encourages the movida: hanging out literally means grabbing a beer, get out of the place and meet new people on the streets, moving from bar to bar. 

Live music pumps out of the speakers every day, with cultural associations offering entertainment on the esplanadas (terraces) and nearby the fantastic Miradouro de São Pedro d'Alcantara. Visiting the Bairro Alto is like a treasure hunt: the gold is hidden everywhere, you just have to look for it.