We were keen to go on a quick spring city trip. Last time we went to Lisbon, we left with a few things on our list still to do. So that was a good reason to go back!

We arrived in the middle of the night, which was the perfect excuse not to travel by public transport, but to try an Uber for the first time ever. After some searching for the correct pick-up location, we were very happy to be dropped off at our hotel safely and at a very low cost in comparison with regular taxis.

After a short night, we got up early to explore the city. First goal of this trip: the Expo site Parque das Naçoes and the longest bridge in Europe: the Ponte Vasco da Gama. We took a metro to Moscavide, and got in a neighbourhood where we seemed to be the only tourists. Just a walk away, we found the bridge. As far as the eye reached, we could only see the bridge without an other side … Amazing! The Tagus river is very large here, and has a tidal system which is essential for the sapal, a very rich marine reserve.

We walked along the boardwalk towards Parque das Naçoes. This former world exhibition site (1998) has been turned into a public space with a mall, cinema and exhibition halls. The walkway is sparkled with art works, but not that interesting. The cable lift was far more interesting and a fun way to see the Tagus and the bridge behind us.

Lisbon has a thing with street art. So do we. Perfect match! After our long walk along the river we headed back to the city center to find some great walls, old and newer. One of the pieces is a bit hidden in a public car park near the castle of Sao Jorge. On the roof of that same car park you have a beautiful view over Lisbon (Lisbon has several lookouts spread over the city). Another great wall we found across the regional parliament house, where we also had a late lunch at Il Matriciano. From there we walked towards another great street art area nearby, Rato.

And since we were just around the corner, we also had a look at the street art wall (literally) opposite the Amoreiras shopping centre. Tip: walk around the block to see all of it 🙂 Our last stop of the day was amazing: the Amoreiras 360 degree panoramic view (5 euro per person). Lisbon at our feet from every angle! We ended this beautiful day at PSI, a great vegetarian restaurant just a minutes walk from our hotel.

The second day of our short trip we spent mostly across the river. From our hotel we walked towards the ferry (which is included in the public transport ticket) from where it was about 10 minutes to the other side of Lisbon. The goal of the day was the Santuario do Cristo Rei (Christ the King) in Almada. Along the way we – off course – found some nice street art. Unfortunately the weather was a bit adverse, and we even had some rain when we finally got to the giant statue. But clouds are fotogenic as well  🙂 We waited for a while to get up (5 euro per person) and got Lisbon at our feet once again basking in the sun!

There was one more thing on our list: LX Factory. Since the ferry back to the city center didn’t go at the moment we wanted to use it, we arranged an Uber and so had the chance to actually drive over the Ponte 25 de Abril. The LX Factory is an urban space for creative souls. There is some street art, small shops of local (I guess) entrepeneurs and lots of stuff to eat. It has a really cool vibe, nestled between the old tram museum and the Ponte de 25 Abril.

After a small late lunch, we head to the new MAAT museum. We aren’t really interested on what’s inside, by the way, it is really overpriced. We came here for the amazing architecture of this new museum. You can even walk on the roof of it! Ideally located along the waterfront, close to Belém is sure is an eye-catcher!
We take an Uber back to the hotel, and after our dinner we have a final walk to the river. Along the shopping streets we end up on top of the Arco da Rua Augusta (costs 2,5 euro per person) and have a lovely view over the Praca do Comércio beneath us.

The sun sets over Lisbon, a nice way to end a small city trip!

We used a public transport pass to get to most places, costs 50 eurocent and then we charged it in total with 8 euro (including one trip to the airport at no extra cost).

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