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48 hours in Lisbon

Doused in sun, steeped in history and flaunting its fun and modern side, the Portuguese capital is perfect for a long weekend break, as Chloë Greenbank discovers

Inspiring, fun and full of unexpected pleasures – where else could you see a piano concert in your local pharmacy? – Lisbon always makes an impression. Draped over seven hills and splashed with candy-coloured, neo-classical façades it’s impossible not to be seduced by Portugal’s enigmatic capital with its rich seafaring history.

So lose yourself in Alfama’s maze of cobbled streets, check out edgy boutiques in Bairro Alto and tuck into sublime seafood in Santos, before rattling along the streets on the city’s iconic trams and dancing the night away with reckless abandon in its swish waterfront clubs. Just be prepared to leave this city with a longing to return.

Day one

10:00 Kick-start the day in Chiado with a late breakfast of crêpes at Café Fábulas (14 Calçada Nova de São Francisco, tel. ), which is filled with an eclectic mix of furnishings and old periodicals.

10:30 Make a beeline for Rua Augusta in Baixa. This pedestrianised shopping thoroughfare is also home to Museu do Design e da Moda (24 Rua Augusta), which features designs by the likes of Walter Van Beirendonck, Christian Dior and John Galliano.

11:30 Continue along Rua Augusta to Praça da Figueira, where you’ll find the weird but wonderful Hospital de Bonecas (7 Praça da Figueira), or dolls’ hospital. Ask nicely and the owner, Manuela Cutileiro, will take you upstairs to the ‘hospital ward’, where dolls are repaired. It has to be seen to be believed.

12:00 Bearing west, head to Praça Dom Pedro IV (known by locals as Rossio). Pass Teatro Nacional Dona Maria II at the north end of the square and join the bevy of people mingling outside the Ginjinha hole-in-the-wall-bar for a glass of ginjinha (cherry brandy).

13:00 Back in Chiado, stop for lunch at Kaffeehaus (3 Rua Anchieta, tel. ). Try the Serbian soup with bacon and beans, or a tasty Austrian salad.

14:00 Take the Elevador de Santa Justa (Rua de Santa Justa) to Bairro Alto. Built in 1902 by Raoul Mesnier du Ponsard – an apprentice of Gustave Eiffel – the lift links the highest and lowest points of the city.

14:15 Mooch around the quirky shops and galleries in Bairro Alto and Príncipe Real. Fashionistas can go to the swanky boutiques of two Portuguese designers – Filipe Faísca (99 Calçada do Combro) and Fátima Lopes (36 Rua da Atalaia).

16:00 Hop on the no.28 tram (but keep an eye on your wallet) to Alfama – Lisbon’s most emblematic quarter – for tea amid the peacocks at Café do Castelo (in the grounds of Castelo de São Jorge). Stroll around the castle’s ramparts for panoramic views over the city and the River Tagus to the outstretched arms of the Christo-Rei statue.

18:00 If you’re staying at the divine Palácio Belmonte (14 Páteo Dom Fradique), head there – wine and appetisers will be served to your room. Alternatively, the rooftop Entretanto bar at Hotel do Chiado (114 Rua Nova do Almada) is the perfect spot to nurse a glass of white port before dinner.

20:30 As dusk falls, feast on local fish and meat dishes at the hip Tasca do Manel (24 Rua da Barroca, tel. ).

22:00 A Tasca do Chico (39 Rua do Diário de Notícias) is the preferred spot of local fado singer Mariza. If listening to a passionate brew of melancholic nostalgia isn’t your idea of a rip-roaring night out, a more decadent alternative is to sip exotic cocktails at Pavilhão Chinês (89 Rua Dom Pedro V).

Day two

10:00 Get to grips with Lisbon’s seafaring history and hop on the metro to Oriente for Parque das Nações (the former Expo’98 site). Take the waterfront cable car to enjoy commanding views of the area’s striking architecture and the 17km Ponte Vasco da Gama that slinks across the River Tagus. Another highlight is the brilliant Oceanário de Lisboa, one of the largest aquariums in the world.

12:00 Jump back on the metro to Cais do Sodré and enjoy a fish curry at Ibo Restaurante (Armazém A, Compartimento 2, tel. ), in an old salt warehouse.

13:00 A short tram ride (no.15) to Santos will allow you to catch an impromptu piano concert at Farmácia Açoriana (1-3 Largo do Conde-Barão). It’s an unusual venue for a concert, but then this is a city full of surprises.

13:30 Flex your plastic in the design shops and fashion boutiques in the area. Purpurina (10 Rua da Esperança) is a delightful, dinky shop selling beautiful dresses and accessories.

15:00 Hop back on the no.15 tram to Belém to see the huge pavement compass charting the routes of the discoverers. Here you’ll also find Padrão dos Descobrimentos (Monument to the Discoveries) rising over the water’s edge, and the 16th-century Torre de Belém.

15:30 Throughout August, seek refuge from the soaring heat at the art deco exhibition in the sleek and modern Centro Cultural de Belém (opposite the Monument to the Discoveries).

16:30 Walk past the lavish exterior of the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos and adjacent church, which houses the ornate tomb of Vasco da Gama. Bypass the queues at Pastéis de Belém (84 Rua de Belém) and join the locals getting their custard tart fix at A Chique de Belém (524 Rua de Junqueira).

20:00 Frock up and head back to Santos for a sumptuous dinner at A Travessa (12 Travessa do Convento das Bernardas, tel. ), housed next to a puppet museum in a restored convent. The utterly charming Belgian owner, Viviane, personally recommends the John Dory dish as the house special.

22:00 Get the night started by heading to the city’s south-western docks under Ponte 25 de Abril, where the tin-roofed warehouses are taken over with bars and clubs.

02:00 Still going? Join Lisbon’s party set at the achingly cool Lux (Avenida Infante Dom Henrique).

Where to stay

Alfama Staying at the sumptuous Palácio Belmonte (14 Páteo Dom Fradique, tel , palaciobelmonte.com, rooms from €351), just below Castelo de São Jorge, is a bit like staying in the plush abode of some well-heeled friends. The eminently friendly staff and divine rooms decorated with antique furnishings combine to make this hideaway a truly special place to stay.

Chiado Hotel do Chiado (114 Rua Nova do Almada, tel. , hoteldochiado.com, rooms from €116) is a chic establishment slap bang in the city centre. It occupies the top two floors of the famous Armazéns do Chiado building, so the views are awe-inspiring.

Cascais Escape the bustle of the capital by opting for the idyllic seaside resort of Cascais, which is a simple 30-minute train ride from the centre of Lisbon. Here, the boutique and beautiful Hotel Albatroz (100 Rua Frederico Arouca, tel. , www.albatrozhotels.com, rooms from €170), just two minutes’ walk from the train station, is situated on the water’s edge and was originally built for the Portuguese royal family in the 19th century.

FR 48 heures à Lisbonne

Baignée de soleil et enracinée dans l’histoire, la capitale portugaise se profile comme une destination parfaite pour un break de long week-end, comme le découvre Chloë Greenbank

Jour 1 10:00 Savourez un petit-déjeuner composé de crêpes au Café Fábulas (14 Calçada Nova de São Francisco).

10:30 Immergez-vous dans le Museu do Design e da Moda (24, Rua Augusta).

11:30 Continuez en direction de Praça da Figueira, qui abrite l’étrange et magnifique Hospital de Bonecas.

12:00 Allez jusqu’à Praça Dom Pedro IV et au bar Ginjinha.

13:00 Reprenez des forces au Kaffeehaus (3 Rua Anchieta).

14:00 Prenez l’Elevador de Santa Justa (Rua de Santa Justa) jusqu’au Bairro Alto.

14:15 Les fashionistas peuvent faire le plein de robes chez Fatima Lopes (36 Rua da Atalaia).

16:00 Prenez un thé au Café do Castelo en contrebas du Castelo de São Jorge.

20:30 Dînez alfresco au restaurant Tasca do Manel (24 Rua da Barroca).

22:00 Allez écouter du fado chez A Tasca do Chico (39 Rua do Diário de Notícias).

Jour 2 10:00 Prenez la direction du Parque das Nações et montez dans le funiculaire pour apprécier les vues fantastiques du Ponte Vasco da Gama.

12:00 Régalez-vous d’un curry de poisson au Restaurante Ibo (Armazém A, Compartimento 2).

13:00 Assistez à un concert impromptu à Farmácia Açoriana (1-3 Largo do Conde-Barão).

14:30 Brûlez les calories de votre lunch en faisant un tour des boutiques comme Purpurina (10 Rua da Esperança).

15:00 Prenez le tram vers Belém pour admirer la boussole sur le dallage, le Padrão dos Descobrimentos (Monument des Découvertes) et la Torre de Belém.

15:30 Abritez-vous de la chaleur au Centro Cultural de Belém (Praça do Império).

16:30 Déambulez le long des Jardins botaniques tropicaux, ensuite dopez-vous avec un morceau de tarte à la crème chez A Chique de Belém (524, Rua de Junqueira).

20:00 Réservez-vous un somptueux dîner au restaurant A Travessa (12 Travessa do Convento das Bernardas).

22:00 Démarrez la nuit dans les bars situés sous le Ponte 25 de Abril.

02:00 Terminez la nuit dans le super cool Lux (Avenida Infante Dom Henrique).

NL 48 uren in Lissabon

De Portugese hoofdstad baadt in het zonlicht en ligt diepgeworteld in geschiedenis. Het is de perfecte bestemming voor een lekker lang weekendje uit. Chloë Greenbank gaat voor ons op ontdekking:

Dag één 10:00 Begin de dag goed met pannenkoeken als ontbijt in Café Fábulas (14 Calçada Nova de São Francisco).

10:30 Snuif een vleugje cultuur op in het Museu do Design e da Moda (24, Rua Augusta).

11:30 Zet je weg verder naar Praça da Figueira, de thuis van het vreemde maar prachtige Hospital de Bonecas.

12:00 Zet koers naar Praça Dom Pedro IV en de Ginjinha bar.

13:00 Duik het Kaffeehaus (3 Rua Anchieta) binnen voor een geurige kop koffie.

14:00 Neem de Elevador de Santa Justa (Rua de Santa Justa) naar Bairro Alto.

14:15 Neus lekker rond in de winkeltjes met allerlei snuisterijen in Bairro Alto. Voor fashionista’s die dol zijn op jurken is Fatima Lopes (36 Rua da Atalaia) de hemel op aarde.

16:00 Geniet van een kop thee in Café do Castelo op het domein van het Castelo de São Jorge.

20:30 Dineer in de openlucht bij Tasca do Manel (24 Rua da Barroca).

22:00 Geniet van wat fado bij A Tasca do Chico (39 Rua do Diário de Notícias).

Dag twee 10:00 Trek naar Parque das Nações en neem de kabelbaan voor prachtige vergezichten van Ponte Vasco da Gama.

12:00 Smul van een portie vis met curry bij Ibo Restaurante (Armazém A, Compartimento 2).

13:00 Pik een improvisatieconcert mee bij Farmácia Açoriana (1-3 Largo do Conde-Barão).

14:30 Kuier na de lunch wat rond in boetieks als Purpurina (10 Rua da Esperança).

15:00 Neem de tram naar Belém om er het reusachtige kompas op het trottoir, maar ook Padrão dos Descobrimentos (een monument ter ere van de ontdekkingsreizen) en Torre de Belém te bewonderen.

15:30 Vlucht voor de hitte in het Centro Cultural de Belém (Praça do Império).

16:30 Kies voor een wandeling in de tropische plantentuinen en trakteer jezelf nadien op stukje lekkere vla bij A Chique de Belém (524, Rua de Junqueira).

20:00 Geniet van een uitgebreid diner in A Travessa (12 Travessa do Convento das Bernardas).

22:00 Start de avond goed in de bars onder de Ponte 25 de Abril.

02:00 Sluit je nachtelijke escapades af in het coole Lux (Avenida Infante Dom Henrique).

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