The city
center of Lisbon is the main tourist area. The vivid atmosphere can be felt at
every corner.
One of our favorite places is Praça do Comércio. The huge square is situated
near the River Tagus. Initially here was the Royal Ribeira Palace but after the
Lisbon earthquake in 1755, the palace was completely destroyed and then
remodeled as a large rectangular square, opened towards the Tagus River and
surrounded by symmetrical buildings.
The square
is always very busy, this is the favorite tourist destination and a popular meeting
point for locals. We really enjoyed this part of Lisbon.
River Tagus
Lisbon has
many old neighborhoods and one of our favorite is Alfama. Alfama is so
unforgettable with its old streets and squares and its character. The steep
streets are easy to climb and the miradouros offer wonderful panoramic views
over the city.
The best way to enjoy the area is to take the famous Tram 28. Tram
28 is a classic old tram, exceptionally busy all the day.
But the trip is
authentic around the very steep narrow streets and the heart of Lisbon. However it is worth taking the tram. On the way uphill we enjoyed the lovely architecture
and plenty of beautiful churches.
Alfama is
the oldest part of Lisbon and is really an incredible place with its cozy
cafes, restaurants with Fado shows, which is a typical Portuguese melancholic
music. The small alleys and lovely views invite to aimessly walk around and
soak the atmosphere.
On the top
of the hill is the Moorish Castle- Castelo de San Joao, the main destination
for all tourists. The castle offers a lovely 360 degree panoramic view over the
city and relish history. The fortified citadel, includes a complex of several
buildings, included the castle itself, gardens and a terrace.
Miradouro
de Santa Luiza is one of the most famous viewing points in Lisbon with
magnificent views over the top roofs of Alfama and Tagus river.
There is a
splendid small park here, a wonderful place to admire Lisbon and enjoy many
relaxing, romantic moments.
On our way
back to the city center we could not miss to visit the oldest cathedral of
Lisbon, St. Mary Major.
The cathedral is unique mixture of several architecture
styles and a very modest facade.
Baixa is
the historical heart of Lisbon. The old buildings are so unique with their
colorful facades covered with tiles, because in the past this was the cheapest
building material.
We spent the rest of the day strolling around this lovely
neighborhood, the time is just stopped here.
Santa Justa
Lift is the highlight of the pedestrian area. The old lift brings you up to one
of the highest view points the place reveals amazing scenery and stunning views.
Here is
also the Rosario neighborhood with the lovely square and the statue of Pedro IV
I the middle.
Another
simply brilliant neighborhood is the Bairro Alto on the upper town part of
Lisbon.Cool neighborhood with many bars, cafes, restaurants.
Nice and
magic colorful streets. Here we admired the lovely 18th century
architecture.
This area is
definitely revealing the real spirit of Lisbon, so many sites to explore here
where every street offer a new adventure.
Lisbon is unforgettable, charming, interesting,
authentic and definitely worth to be seen. There are so many monument, museums,
buildings,a place that needs to be seen and experienced.Lisbon
combines different people and different cultures this variety creates a unique
impression which cannot be forgotten.
The capital of Portugal is such an impressive city, located on seven
hills, along the Atlantic coast and on the mouth of the River Tagus. Lisbon is
one of the oldest cities in Europe and is the political, cultural and industrial
center of Portugal.
Lisbon is so gorgeous with its flair, historical sightseeing and attractions.
One of the most popular tourist attractions are in Belem district.
Mosteiro dos Jeronimos is an excellent piece of history and renaissance
architecture. This is one of the most fantastic places to visit in Lisbon. The
complex is huge and includes museum, monastery and church. The monastery has been
built with money from the
Portuguese discoveries.
The monastery is just amazing from outside and inside. We also visited
the nice church, which is free of charge and saw the Royal burial tombs
including the tomb of Vasco da Gama.
Jardim da
Praca do Imperio is an amazing and beautiful park and a nice place to relax
after visiting the fascinating monastery. The fountains are just gorgeous and
flowers create a unique enjoyable and peaceful atmosphere.
Lovely place with
lots of great photo opportunities.
Close to
the monastery is the famous Torre de Belem, a Unesco World Heritage Site. The
tower was built in 16th century as a defense fortification and
prison.
The monumental tower is so splendid with its superb architecture.
Especially lovely is the location, far away from the busy city center.
We spent at
least an hour here, enjoying the stunning sights and the warm sunny day.
Very close
is also located the historical monument Padrao dos Descobrimentos, dedicated to
the Portuguese explorers and to the spirit of the Portuguese discoveries.
The
huge statue is just impressive. The shape is like a bow of a ship and Henry the
Navigator is in front, holding a ship model. The other 32 figures represent
important Portuguese adventures from the Age of Discovery.
The monument is
built close to the river banks and close to the area where in 15th
and 16th century ships departured to discover the New World or to
establish trade relationships with India and the Orient.
Great
monument close to Tagus River and the 25th April Bridge on the background.
The bridge
is long and can be seen from everywhere. It has been designed by the same architecture
who designed the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.The bridge connects Lisbon
to Almada where the statue of Cristo Rei is.
Our first day, in this spectacular city, was full of emotions, just a fascinating experience which cannot be forgotten.
Ludwigsburg is easy to get to by train from
Stuttgart.
The palace in Ludwigsburg is absolutely wonderful and was the basis
for the city which did not exist before. The royal Württemberg family used the
area as a favorite place for hunting and built here a lounge which later
was reconstructed.
Today the palace is one of the biggest in Germany and the
interior is also great and gives a nice view over the baroque art style and
reveals a view of King Ludwig’s life.
We went there in summer and enjoy very
much this fabulous fairy tale garden.
Courtyard.
The fabulous set of buildings with
beautiful decorations.
We combined our tour with an enjoyable and
relaxing tour around the gardens. This fairy tale garden is the main highlight of
the tour. The garden is sensational and well worth to
visit and stroll around.
The flowers are lovely and the settings
are great.
Ludwigsburg palace and Baroque garden.
