Quiosque Jardim da Parada
I am with SB, a journalist, who more than a decade ago succumbed to the particular beauty of Lisbon, halfway between perfection and decadence. “I have a rule: I never share with readers my most special secrets about Lisbon ”, SB tells me, with that chic French accent. My light bulb lights up, because that is precisely what I am looking for: the secrets that have never (or almost never) been told about Lisbon. I get down to work, shoot the agenda and contact anyone who claims to be a seasoned connoisseur of Lisbon. I'm sorry SB, I am going to reveal the secrets of this magical city (well, not all of them…).
**THE STREET THAT TOURISTS DON'T COME TO: VILA BERTA **
I admit it: after so many years of "courtship" with Lisbon (with its ups and downs, like all couples) only now do I find out about the existence of this true little gem, a street that is not like the others: Vila Berta .
After the last stop of tram 28 , already in the Graça neighborhood , hides this alley with two rows of houses lined up with characteristic railings, iron columns and precious colored tiles.
Built in the 20th century to house the incipient bourgeoisie that emerged from the industrial revolution, this tiny colony It has preserved its essence for more than 100 years. "It's like a stage stopped in time," he tells me. Ms. Maria, that she has lived here all her life and watches with some mistrust as some seasoned tourist “bear” enters the tunnel (a true time tunnel, we swear) that connects the other part of the city with the beautiful Vila Berta .
The alley that is a trip to the past
THE SECRET VIEWPOINTS
Lisbon has 16 official viewpoints , those described over and over again in the guides. But a city where the concept of “sublime views” it is almost a redundancy, it could not afford to “only” have 16 viewpoints. Thus arises ** LX UP ** an initiative to publicize all those hidden panoramas among the hills or perched on top of old buildings. So far, **they have found 108 spectacular views** that you can discover on their website.
Choose yours, and if it is in a private place, simply request a visit, such as the viewpoint fifth walk , located in a house shared by a group of friends.
A FOREST IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CITY
Who knows that there is a forest in Lisbon? No, we are not talking about a park with trees but about a true forest with more than 900 hectares and with an extraordinary diversity of reptiles, amphibians, birds and mammals. Monsanto is to Lisbon what the Bois de Bologne is to Paris: that still wild and unexplored; this one, refined and bucolic. Monsanto is the true lung of the city and a true oasis with splendid views of the Tagus. Run, bike, walk or have a picnic. The latter, highly recommended at sunset.
Monsanto, the city forest
A WONDERFUL UNKNOWN COFFEE
Imagine having lunch under a pergola adorned with jacarandas while you contemplate the blue contours of the Tagus. Imagine being surrounded by classical statues in an environment not yet invaded by tourists. Well, there we see two clueless Germans who join the quiet parish but, other than that, the usual ones The cafeteria of Museum of Ancient Art is one of the best kept secrets of SB (who will probably take the word from me after this article).
The Cafeteria of the Museum of Ancient Art
THE REVOLUTIONARY CAPTAINS: ASSOCIATION APRIL 25
It was the most romantic of revolutions , a handful of young captains who challenged the Salazarist dictatorship on April 25, 1974, putting an end to a cruel regime that had lasted since 1926. The Carnation Revolution (or the **April Revolution)** left the world with impressive images with soldiers carrying carnations in their rifles, the same ones that a people anxious for freedom placed in their weapons destined to liberate an entire people and that they never used.
The ** April 25 Association **, intended to preserve the values of the revolution, is located in the number 94 of Rua Misericórdia , in a building designed by the brilliant architect Álvaro Siza Vieira. On the top floor, in a restaurant very hesitant and open to the public, brings together some of the april captains , not so young anymore, but with the same desire to remember those moments that marked the recent history of Portugal. Among others, you can find the colonel Aprigio Ramalho, whom I have the privilege of knowing, who will be delighted to tell you about his personal adventure as a revolutionary and, above all, that moment when he heard the song on the radio Grandola Vila Morena , the lure that marked the beginning of the revolution.
revolution always
MYSTICIOUS VERY LISBOETA
Founded in the 17th century to house nuns of the Order of the Barefoot Camelitas, the ** Convento dos Cardaes **, is a true wonder, still unknown, despite being located a short distance from one of the hottest tourist spots of the city, Prince Royal. Its interior, pure mysticism; the one that those contemplative nuns were looking for. The church, entirely upholstered in Dutch tiles, is simply beautiful.
An interior of Dutch tiles
THE MAGICAL GARDEN
Feel transported to the fables of La Fontaine or to the story of Alice in Wonderland it is possible in the wonderful garden of the ** Museu da Cidade :** through a labyrinthine route we discover giant snails, cobras, monkeys and even mushrooms of impossible size that are discovered among lakes and bushes... Up to 1210 pieces make up this magical and unusual in the middle of the city, replicas of works by the famous Portuguese caricaturist and potter Rafael Bordallo Pinheiro . The garden was conceived by the Portuguese plastic artist, Joana Vasconcelos and is, without a doubt, one of the great secrets that Lisbon keeps.
City Museum Garden
THE MOST ROMANTIC DINNER IN THE WORLD
A small terrace with breathtaking views and half hidden in the hotel santiago de alfama . The owner Helen Rosa da Silva, A Dutch woman who has lived in the Portuguese capital for years, she did not know very well what to do with this space. “Perhaps a dinner in absolute privacy just for two?” someone suggested. "Sounds good, but first of all we don't want to publicize this" -said the concerned manager, I imagine why she could come at him, "only for acquaintances". And here, once again, I am breaking my word and revealing one of the most extraordinary experiences I have had in Lisbon.
The sunset, the candles and a magical place just for two, the perfect place to believe in romance again or simply reconcile with the world.
The most romantic dinner
A VERY LISBON NEIGHBORHOOD: CAMPO DE OURIQUE
Away from the hustle and bustle of Chiado and not so much from Principe Real we found this neighborhood where buildings with beautiful architecture are combined with less aesthetic ones from the 50s and 60s. It is one of the fashionable areas: here the people of Lisbon have found a lifelong neighborhood where people still greet each other on the street with the modernity that floods the city. It wasn't always like this. In the 1980s and 1990s, the new generations of the neighborhood decided to move to other areas of the city with more space and amenities. Only the "grandparents" remained in the dilapidated buildings.
Campo de Ourique neighborhood
The new century changed the course of events, and the "prodigal" sons of the neighborhood began to return, exchanging the impersonal life of the suburbs for the soul of an authentic Lisbon neighborhood. The result? A chameleonic neighborhood full of surprises : in the Parada Garden , with the branches of the trees decorated with crochet, we find the best hamburgers, they say, in the city, served in its lively kiosk.
Parada Garden
In the streets adjacent to the small garden, each door is a surprise: you will find the most stylish towels in the city in futha , the original furniture of ** Má Lenha ** made from old furniture, the fantastic selection of children's clothing and accessories of Coi-hui , wine shops, organic product shops…
The only tourists that come to this part of the city will be found in the Ourique Field Market converted into a gourmet market or the Fernando Pessoa Museum . The rest, pure authenticity.
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Here you will find the best burger in town