Lisbon: Why Portugal's capital is suddenly so in demand
Who plans a city break in Europe, is spoiled for choice. London, Paris, Berlin, Barcelona, Rome - to name only a few of the most popular destinations - have been attracting tourists for decades. Lisbon is more likely to be a newcomer in this regard. Nevertheless, or maybe because of that, the "City of the Seven Hills" seems to outdo the top dogs a bit. Portugal is in. And Lisbon is in particular! Last year alone, the city counted six million tourists. This is especially remarkable because only 500,000 people live here.
Tourists instead of sadness
This also quickly reveals the disadvantages of the immense upswing. Especially in the old town districts of Alfama, Mouraria and Graça it is almost impossible even in the off-season not to meet German or at least English-speaking people on every corner. The locals respond to it with stoic serenity on the outside, but behind this facade seething huge.
For a long time there have been citizens' representatives who are working to limit the number of tourists. But the administration alone seems to have no interest in it. Lisbon is expected to show Portugal's recovery after the Great Recession. And this role is really good for the city.
It goes up and down
This has to do primarily with the unmistakable street scene. Many of the facades in the old town are still decorated with tiles. In addition, "City of the seven hills" to take literally: Similar to San Francisco, it is almost always uphill or downhill. Who needs a break, can get carried away by an electric tram of the famous line 28E or the ring line 12E. A ride is one of the must-sees for tourists, which has the side-effect of forming long lines of snakes in the early morning hours at the Praça Martim Moniz - the starting point.
However, there are simply too many arguments in favor of Portugal's capital: relaxing walks along the Tejo waterfront, surprisingly cheap coffee in one of the countless small cafes, the Miradouros (viewpoints overlooking large parts of the city), Sights such as the bridge Ponte 25 de Abril, the Cristo Rei statue, the fortress Castelo de São Jorge or the many historic buildings in the city center. The Lisbon hype is likely to continue for quite some time.
