Lisbon, Portugal

Lisbon is the capital of Portugal and sits on the north bank of the Tagus estuary. The municipality has (545 796 inhabitants · 100 km²). Lisbon is traditionally described as a city built on seven hills.

Lisbon is divided into 24 parishes. Law 56/2012 of 8 November set this map and replaced the 53 parishes the city had before. The historic centre lies mainly in four of them: Santa Maria Maior, Misericórdia, São Vicente and Santo António.

The earthquake of 1 November 1755 destroyed much of the lower town. The Baixa was rebuilt afterwards on the orders of the Marquis of Pombal, chief minister of King Joseph I, in the style now called Pombaline.

Portugal ranked 7th of 163 countries in the Global Peace Index 2026, published by the Institute for Economics and Peace.

Lisbon neighbourhoods

Alfama is the oldest neighbourhood of Lisbon and spreads down the slope between São Jorge Castle and the river. Its name comes from the Arabic al-hamma, meaning hot springs. The Baixa is the grid of Pombaline streets between Rossio and Praça do Comércio. Chiado and Bairro Alto sit on the hill to the west of the Baixa.

Belém lies on the river to the west of the centre and holds the city's main group of monuments from the Age of Discovery. Parque das Nações lies to the east, on the site of the 1998 World Exposition.

Alfama, Lisbon

Avenida da Liberdade, Lisbon

Bairro Alto, Lisbon

Baixa, (Downtown) Lisbon

Cais do Sodré, Lisbon

Castelo, Lisbon

Chiado, Lisbon

Graça, Lisbon

Lapa, Lisbon

Madragoa, Lisbon

Mouraria, Lisbon

Príncipe Real, Lisbon

Santos-o-Velho, Lisbon

Santos-o-Velho, Lisbon

Sete Rios, Lisbon

São Bento, Lisbon

Beaches

Lisbon municipality has no sea beach. The nearest beaches are on the coast of Oeiras and Cascais to the west, and at Costa da Caparica in Almada, across the river. The full list is on the beaches of Portugal page.

Monuments

São Jorge Castle stands on the hill above Alfama, in the parish of Santa Maria Maior. Lisbon Cathedral, Rossio and Praça do Comércio are in the same parish. The Jerónimos Monastery and the Tower of Belém are in Belém and were inscribed together on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1983.

Museums and culture

Belém holds the National Coach Museum, the Navy Museum, the National Archaeology Museum and MAAT, the Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology. Each is described in the Belém guide. The Calouste Gulbenkian Museum is in Avenidas Novas.

Nature

Monsanto Forest Park covers the high ground on the western side of the city. The riverfront between Cais do Sodré and Belém is open to walkers and cyclists along most of its length.

Golf

The golf entries inside the municipality are listed below. Most of the courses near Lisbon are in the neighbouring municipalities of Cascais, Oeiras and Sintra, all listed on the golf courses of Portugal page.

Marinas

Lisbon's marinas and docks line the north bank of the Tagus from Belém in the west to Parque das Nações in the east.

Leisure

Parque das Nações holds the Oceanário and the MEO Arena. The arena opened in 1998 as the Pavilhão Atlântico and has carried the name MEO Arena since February 2024. Fado houses are concentrated in Alfama and Mouraria, and Bairro Alto holds the densest group of bars in the centre.

Parishes

The four parishes of the historic centre:

• Santa Maria Maior: . Baixa, Alfama, Castelo, Mouraria and most of Chiado.
• Misericórdia: (9 658 inhabitants · 2 km²). Bairro Alto, Cais do Sodré and Príncipe Real.
• São Vicente: (13 956 inhabitants · 2 km²). Graça and the São Vicente de Fora monastery.
• Santo António: . Avenida da Liberdade.

All 24 parishes, with population and area, are listed at the end of this page.

Healthcare

Lisbon has public hospitals of the national health service and private hospitals run by the CUF, Luz and Lusíadas groups.

Places to visit in Lisbon

You're reading Lisbon, Portugal article

Lisbon, Portugal

Misericórdia

Belém, Lisbon

Parque das Nações, Lisbon

Alfama, Lisbon

Baixa, (Downtown) Lisbon

Chiado, Lisbon

Bairro Alto, Lisbon

São Jorge Castle

São Jorge Castle

Águas Livres Aqueduct

Águas Livres Aqueduct