Lisbon travel guide — where to stay, what to do, and where to eat in Lisbon, Portugal.
Historical timeline
Key moments that shaped Lisbon.
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1
Phoenician settlement 'Alis Ubbo' established on the Tagus estuary
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2
Romans capture Olisipo (Lisbon); it becomes the capital of Lusitania province
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3
Moorish (Arab and Berber) conquest; city known as Al-Ushbuna; Alfama's maze of lanes dates to this era
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4
King Afonso Henriques of Portugal recaptures Lisbon with Crusader help; São Jorge Castle is taken after a four-month siege
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5
Lisbon becomes the capital of the Kingdom of Portugal
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6
Portugal captures Ceuta — the start of the Age of Discovery
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7
Vasco da Gama reaches India, opening the spice trade route; Lisbon becomes Europe's wealthiest city
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8
Manueline architecture flourishes; Jerónimos Monastery (1501) and Tower of Belém (1519) built
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9
Iberian Union — Portugal ruled by Spanish Habsburgs
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10
Great Lisbon Earthquake (All Saints' Day, November 1) destroys 85% of the city; tsunami and fire kill 30,000–40,000 people
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11
Marquis of Pombal rebuilds Baixa on a rational grid — the first earthquake-resistant urban plan in the world
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12
Napoleonic invasions; royal family flees to Brazil
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13
Portuguese First Republic proclaimed; monarchy abolished
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14
Estado Novo authoritarian regime under António de Oliveira Salazar, later Marcelo Caetano
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15
Carnation Revolution — peaceful military coup ends the Estado Novo; democracy restored
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16
Portugal joins the European Community (now EU)
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17
Lisbon hosts Expo '98; Parque das Nações district built on industrial wasteland
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18
Treaty of Lisbon signed at the Jerónimos Monastery, reforming the EU
Historical sites
Places where Lisbon's past comes alive.
Historic
Jerónimos Monastery
Where: Belém, Lisbon
Admission: Adult: €10 (~$11) | Child: Free under 12
Historic
Tower of Belém
Where: Belém, Lisbon
Admission: Adult: €6 (~$7) | Child: Free under 12
Historic
São Jorge Castle (Castelo de São Jorge)
Where: Alfama, Lisbon
Admission: Adult: €15 (~$16.50) | Child: Free under 10
Historic
Museu Nacional do Azulejo
Where: Xabregas, Lisbon
Admission: Adult: €5 (~$5.50) | Child: Free under 12
Historic
Museu Nacional de Arqueologia
Where: Belém, Lisbon
Admission: Adult: €5 (~$5.50) | Child: Free under 12
Museums
Curated collections that tell Lisbon's story.
Museum
Museu Calouste Gulbenkian
Admission: €10 (~$11)
Museum
Museu do Fado
Admission: €5 (~$5.50)
Museum
Convento do Carmo / Museu Arqueológico
Admission: €4 (~$4.40)
Museum
Museu de Lisboa — Palácio Pimenta
Admission: €3 (~$3.30)
Museum
Casa dos Bicos (Fundação Saramago)
Admission: €3 (~$3.30)