The impressive city of Lisbon

Lisbon is the capital of Portugal and also the largest city in the country. The exponential growing population of 600.000 in the city centre only and 3.000.000 within the Greater Lisbon metropole,  makes it mainland Europe's biggest capital city.

Lisbon is also one of the oldest cities in the world and besides Athens and Rome the third-oldest European capital city, leaving other modern European capitals behind in terms of historical culture.

After the fall of the Roman Empire, Lisbon was ruled by Germanic tribes from the 5th century, most notably the Visigoths. Later Lisbon was conquered by the Moors in the 8th century, who started their raides in the Southern part of the Iberian Peninsula.

In 1147 Afonso Henriques conquered the city back from the Moores and in 1255 it became Portugal's capital, replacing Coimbra. It has since been the political, economic, and cultural centre of Portugal ever since.

As the political centre of the country, Lisbon hosts the government, National Assembly, Supreme Court of Justice, Armed Forces and residence of the head of state. It is also the centre of Portuguese diplomacy, with ambassadors from 86 countries residing in the city.

Lisbon represents approximately 27.83% of the total Portuguese population.

Lisbon and Porto are the two Portuguese cities to be recognised as a global city. Besides the rich history and culture, Lisbon is one of the major economic centres in modern Europe. With a growing financial sector,  PSI-20 being part of Euronext Stockmarket, the largest center for debt and funds listings in the world. The Lisbon Greater metropolitan area has a higher GDP PPP per capita than any other region in Portugal.

Economic facts about Lisbon:

• Lisbons GDP PP amounts to US$179 billion and $61,713 per capita.
• Lisbon is on the 40th place of highest gross earnings in the world.
• A number of 21,000 millionaires are living in Lissabon.
• Lisbon is the 11th European city by number of millionaires and the 14th by number of billionaires.
• Most of the headquarters of multinational corporations in Portugal are located in the Lisbon area.

Weather and climate

Lisbon has a Mediterranean climate with mild, rainy winters and warm to hot, dry summers. The overall average annual temperature is 63.3 °F, 70.3 °F during the day and 56.3 °F at night.

In the coldest month – January – the highest temperature during the day typically ranges from 52 to 66 °F, the lowest temperature at night ranges from 37 to 55 °F. 

Among European capitals, Lisbon ranks among those with the warmest winters and has the mildest winter nights out of any major European city, with an average of 46.9 °F in the coldest month, and 65.5 °F in the warmest month.

Lisbon has around 2,806 hours of sunshine per year, averaging 4.6 hours of sunshine per day in December and 11.4 hours of sunshine per day in July, though when disregarding the duration of the day August is actually the sunniest, with over 80% chance of direct sunlight hitting the ground.^[

Lisbon has around 750 mm (30 in) of precipitation per year. November and December are the wettest months, accounting for a third of the total annual precipitation. July and August are the driest.

Best areas to visit

Alfama is the oldest district of Lisbon and appeals to many foreign visitors each year being the place where the Fado music is been born. It spreads down the southern slope from the Castle of São Jorge to the River Tagus.  During the Islamic invasion by The Moors, the Alfama constituted the largest part of the city, extending west to the Baixa neighbourhood. Increasingly, the Alfama became inhabited by fishermen and the poor: its fame as a poor neighbourhood continues to this day. While the 1755 Lisbon earthquake caused considerable damage throughout the capital, the Alfama survived with little damage, thanks to its compact labyrinth of narrow streets and small squares.

Bairro Alto is an area of central Lisbon that functions as a residential, shopping and entertainment district; it is the center of the Portuguese capital's nightlife, attracting hipster youth and members of various music subcultures. Lisbon's punk, gay, metal, goth, hip hop and reggae scenes all find a home in the Bairro with its many clubs and bars that cater to them. The crowds in the Bairro Alto are a multicultural mix of people representing a broad cross-section of modern Portuguese society. The best place to go for eclectic lovers.

Baixa is the heart of Lisbon, primarily constructed after the 1755 Lisbon earthquake, taking its name from its benefactor, Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, 1st Marquis of Pombal, who was the minister of Joseph I of Portugal (1750–1777) and a key figure during the Portuguese Enlightenment. Following the 1755 disaster, Pombal took the lead in rebuilding Lisbon, imposing strict conditions and guidelines on the construction of the city, and transforming the organic street plan that characterised the district before the earthquake into its current grid pattern. As a result, the Pombaline Baixa is one of the first examples of earthquake-resistant construction. Architectural models were tested by having troops march around them to simulate an earthquake. Notable features of Pombaline structures include the Pombaline cage, a symmetrical wood-lattice framework aimed at distributing earthquake forces, and inter-terrace walls that were built higher than roof timbers to inhibit the spread of fires.

Belém is famous as the place from where Vasco de Gama set off on his voyages of discovery. In particular where de departed for India in 1497 and Pedro Álvares Cabral departed for Brazil in 1499. It is also a former royal residence and features the 17th – 18th-century Belém Palace, a former royal residence now occupied by the President of Portugal, and the Ajuda Palace, begun in 1802 but never completed.

Perhaps Belém's most famous feature is its tower, Torre de Belém, whose image is much used by Lisbon's tourist board. The tower was built as a fortified lighthouse late in the reign of Dom Manuel l (1515–1520) to guard the entrance to the port. It stood on a little island on the right side of the Tagus, surrounded by water. Also read our blog about the famous Pastel de Nata which found his origin here in Belém.