Lisbon is an enchanting city, full of history, monuments and amazing attractions, that brings tourists from all the corners of the world. And yet, the Portuguese capital still has places that are little-known by the majority of tourists visiting it, contributing to increasing all the mystique that surrounds this city that exudes tradition.
Today we shall share some of Lisbon’s secrets, acquainting you with some attractions that aren’t normally included in tourist guides about the city. Ready? Let’s go!
The Moorish court of the Casa do Alentejo
Once known as the Alverca Palace, the Casa do Alentejo house is located close to Praça dos Restauradores square, on no. 58 Rua das Portas de Santo Antão street, and it contains a neo-Moorish court that takes you into the whimsical atmosphere of a voyage through the typical architecture of North African cities. Don’t be fooled by its exterior appearance—this late 17th century building holds many stories. It belonged to the Paes do Amaral family, Viscounts of Alverca, and between 1920 and 1930 it housed the city’s first casino, the Majestic Club. The building currently houses a restaurant that serves Alentejo cuisine on the upper floor, and a café on the lower floor.
The Doll Hospital
Right on Praça da Figueira square lies what is very likely one of the last doll hospitals in the world. Founded in 1830, the Hospital de Bonecas includes a small shop that sells old and contemporary dolls. The Hospital itself, where they can be repaired, is located on the first floor of the building, together with a museum. The complex consists of seven rooms where you can find very old items and dolls that depict the history of toys in Portugal and across the world.
The world’s smallest bookshop
That’s right. In Lisbon, you can find the world’s smallest bookshop. The Livraria do Simão bookshop is located on no. 18 Escadinhas de São Cristóvão (one of Lisbon’s stepped alleys). Despite its size (just 4 square metres), this bookshop holds a collection of over 3,000 books, most of which are about Lisbon’s and Portugal’s history and heritage, Jewish influence and the old Portuguese colonies. But here you can also find limited editions of works by great Portuguese authors that spread the Portuguese language around the world, such as Luís de Camões, Fernando Pessoa, José Saramago and Eça de Queiroz.
Tapada das Necessidades park
This is certainly one of Lisbon’s most special parks. It owes a big part of its charm to its abandoned buildings and worn footpaths, which single it out among urban parks. Even so, the area conveys a feeling of infinite serenity, with cats wandering around the spacious gardens while birds cross the skies from tree to tree imperviously in this park surrounded by a city. Its grounds are a perfect place to take picnics in the shade when temperatures climb, or to read, meditate, relax with your friends or just take a stroll. Find directions here.
Mãe d’Água reservoir
The Reservatório da Mãe d’Água is a water reservoir that collects the waters from the Águas Livres aqueduct, built on the Jardim das Amoreiras park in 1834. It has a capacity of 5,500 m3 and a depth of 7.5 metres. This is a beautiful vaulted space, whose roof terrace offers a breathtaking view over Lisbon. Together with the Águas Livres aqueduct, the Reservatório da Patriarcal reservoir and the Barbadinhos steam pumping station, it is part of the Museu da Água (Water Museum), which manages these monuments that are scattered around the city to memorialise the history of water supply to the city of Lisbon.
Lisbon is, no doubt, a fantastic city! These are just some suggestions of places to visit that most tourists don’t know about. The Portuguese capital holds many more secrets! And we are here to help you uncover them, hence our slogan: “Come as a tourist, leave as a local!” Discover our tours around the City of Seven Hills here!
