text:
Lira

Lira is a city in Northern Uganda.

Understand
Lira is the main municipal, administrative and commercial centre of Lira District. Lira was the main metropolitan center of the now defunct Lango District (which corresponds geographically with the current Lango sub-region).

Lira District is part of Lango sub-region, which consists of the following districts: Alebtong District, Amolatar District, Apac District, Dokolo District, Lira District, Kole District, Otuke District and Oyam District. The city of Lira remains the principle commercial centre of the sub-region.

Get in
Lira lies 60 km off the Kampala - Gulu road. There are buses from Kampala, Soroti, Gulu. The Post bus goes to and from Kampala for USh 25,000.

Go next

 * Soroti 99 km
 * Kampala
 * Gulu
 * Masindi
 * Pakwach

title: Lira


text:
Lisbon

Lisbon (Portuguese: Lisboa) is the capital of Portugal situated on seven hills at the wide mouth of the river Tagus (Tejo) where it meets the Atlantic Ocean. With 545,000 residents in the city and 2.9 million in the Lisbon Region (2021) and a thriving mix of Portugal's rich history and vivid contemporary culture, Lisbon enchants travellers with its white bleached limestone buildings, intimate alleyways, and an easy going charm that makes it a popular year round destination.

Greater Lisbon comprises many other splendid tourist destinations such as the of Sintra, the seaside resorts of Estoril, Cascais, the world class museums, or Almada famous for its hilltop Cristo Rei statue, all of which are connected with Lisbon by excellent public transportation links.

Understand
Lisbon is built on seven hills, so getting around Lisbon can be a workout. Many slopes and few really flat areas is one of Lisbon's trademarks. This is also a city of enchanting contrasts: The elegant squares, broad avenues, monumental buildings and rectangular layout of the lower areas quickly gives way to the hilly, narrow, winding, unpredictable and cramped streets of districts such as Alfama and Bairro Alto. The elegant dining rooms and smart rooftop bars of expensive hotels seems like a different world compared to the excellent restaurants disguised behind an inconspicuous façade in a modest Bairro Alto street. Quality patisseries and restaurants thrive side by side with late night bars and noisy discos. The old, tiny squeaky trams (one of the city's trademarks) are no less of a contrast to the efficient metro network.

The Portuguese capital is often perceived as less frantic than other million cities, and traffic and barkers are less aggressive than in many other tourist destinations.

History

According to legend, Lisbon was founded by the mythical Greek hero Odysseus, during his travels home from Troy. However, most historians believe that the city was founded around 1200 BC by Phoenician settlers, utilizing the calm and fresh waters of Tagus river and the proximity to the sea. The Phoenician name of the city is Alis-Ubo, meaning "safe harbour". Eventually it became part of the Carthaginian Empire. After the Punic Wars, it became the main trading hub of the Roman province Lusitania, under the name Felicitas Julia Olisipo, later Olisipona. During the decline and fall of the western Roman Empire, the Iberian peninsula was invaded by Vandal and Visigothic tribes.

In 711, Lisbon was captured by Muslim forces. During this period, the Castle of São Jorge was expanded. Much of the Moorish heritage is preserved in the nearby Alfama, the oldest standing district of the city. In 1147, a Crusader army en route to the Holy Land helped King Afonso I conquer Lisbon and return it to Christian rule. After the completion of the Portuguese Reconquista some hundred years later, Lisbon was made the capital of Portugal.

Golden Age
The Golden Age of Portugal, and consequently Lisbon's history, started in the 15th century. In 1415, the young prince Henry "the Navigator" conquered Ceuta, thereby establishing the first European overseas colony. He later founded the Sagres school of navigation in the Algarve region and thereby sparked the age of discovery. During the reign of King Manuel I "the Fortunate" (1495–1521), Portuguese navigators found a way around the Cape of Good Hope, and Vasco da Gama eventually found the Cape Route to India, thereby ending the Venetian monopoly over European-Far Eastern trade. King Manuel gave his name to the "Manueline" architectural style, of which the Tower of Belém in western Lisbon is probably the most well-known example. On marrying princess Isabella of Aragon, Manuel I ordered the conversion or expulsion of the Jewish and Muslim populations. The Portuguese colonial empire grew steadily through the centuries, and eventually came to include the Azores and Madeira in the Atlantic; Brazil in South America; Angola, Cape Verde, Ceuta, Guinea Bissau, Ivory Coast, Mombasa, Mozambique, São Tomé e Príncipe and Zanzibar in Africa; Ceylon, East Timor, Flores, Formosa, Goa, Hormuz, Macau, Malacca and Moluccas in Asia. The Portuguese Oriental trade led to the establishment of the Japanese port city of Nagasaki in 1571.

Decline
With the loss of heirless young King Sebastião in 1578, Portugal entered into a period of succession crisis. By 1580 the Portuguese nobility, keen to avoid a civil war that would disrupt the empire, agreed to enter into an Iberian Union under king Philip II of Spain, cousin of Dom Sebastião which becomes Philip I of Portugal. Due to the Spanish disinterest in Portuguese empire matters and belligerence against the English, the union brings deep discontent within Portugal while the Windsor Treaty with England was suspended due to the Spanish Crown's commissioning of Portuguese maritime assets and resources towards the Great Armada's failed invasion of England. The aftermath caused serious setbacks to Portugal's capacity of maintaining such a vast empire. By 1640 the restoration of Portuguese sovereignty is re-established and the marriage of king Charles II of England with Princess Catherine of Braganza was celebrated as a means of reasserting independence and surety.

The darkest known natural catastrophe in the history of Lisbon occurred on All Saints Day (1 November) 1755, when one of the most powerful earthquakes in history destroyed two thirds of the city. The earthquake was powerful enough to break windows as far away as London, and may have killed as many as 100,000 people in the Lisbon area. The catastrophe led to disillusion with the optimism in contemporary enlightenment thought, inspiring the French philosopher Voltaire to write "Poem on the Lisbon Disaster" and Candide. However, the reconstruction of the city, organised by the Prime Minister Marquis of Pombal, became an expression of the enlightenment architectural ideal, with broad streets in rectangular street patterns. The reconstructed areas in Baixa are therefore sometimes called "Baixa Pombalina" and the new buildings were designed with an innovative built-in earthquake resistance framework system. Alfama, in the eastern part of the city, was the only part of the city centre which survived the destruction, and is consequently the only area which has preserved its medieval irregular street pattern.

In the early 19th century after being invaded by France, Portugal fought in the Napoleonic Wars on the anti-Napoleonic coalition side. Although on the winning side of the war, the exiled king João VI and his government decided to set up permanent court in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1808. In 1822, Brazil declared independence from Portugal. A few years later, the sons of João VI vied to rule Portugal by hook or by crook, eventually going into a civil war between the two brothers, autocratic prince Miguel and his more liberal brother Pedro IV. Pedro IV won the war, but died only a few months after the victory, thereby leaving the throne to his teenage daughter Maria da Glória. During her reign, the nearby palaces in Sintra were constructed. During this era, fado music was developed in the Lisbon region.

1900 to today
In 1908 King Carlos I of Portugal and his heir, Luís Filipe, were assassinated by republicans on Praça do Comércio. The young prince Manuel was also wounded, but survived and assumed the throne. However, only two years later, in 1910, he was dethroned and exiled in a republican coup. In 1916 the Portuguese republic entered World War I on the Allied side. The Portuguese democracy didn't last long. In 1926 General Óscar Carmona seized power and imposed a dictatorship. He appointed Prof. António de Oliveira Salazar as finance minister who later became prime minister; he then implemented a corporatist governing style known as Estado Novo (New State), under which the state reorganized all aspects of life from an economic perspective while ignoring civil liberties. During World War II Portugal asserted a neutral position, but ceded the Azores to the Allied cause. After WWII Portugal, becomes a NATO founding member. During the Cold War, Portugal enjoys record levels of economic growth. In 1961 the Indian Union unilaterally annexes Goa and by 1960 the African colonies want independence but Salazar refuses their demands and plunges Portugal into lengthy anti-independence wars while in metropolitan Portugal, civil discontent rises due to the suppression of democracy and civil liberties. State security apparatus PIDE/DGS, arrest, torture, exile and sometimes kill dissents and pro democracy activists. In the early hours of April 25th 1974, a military coup led by leftist junior army officers followed by massive civilian support on the streets of Lisbon, ousted the dictatorship government. Soon after the revolutionary period, Portugal became a democracy and independence was hastily and haphazardly granted to their overseas colonies. Approximately one million overseas, mostly destitute Portuguese, returned to Portugal and become known as retornados. Economically, the country faced ruin but international loans kept it afloat. The new "Constituição" enshrines democracy and everyone's human rights. By 1986 Portugal is accepted into the EEC now EU and gradually begins recovering. In 1998 Lisbon hosted the International World Fair, Expo 98. As part of the fair, the new "Parque das Nações" neighborhood in eastern Lisbon was built, while in the same year the Vasco da Gama Bridge across the Tagus, was inaugurated as the longest bridge in Europe and Lisbon native José Saramago wins the Nobel prize in literature.

Climate
Lisbon enjoys a Subtropical-Mediterranean climate, with mild winters and very warm summers. Strongly influenced by the Gulf Stream it is one of the mildest climates in Europe. Among all the metropolises in Europe, here are amongst the warmest winters on the continent, with average temperatures above 15.2°C (59.4°F) during the day and 8.9°C (48.0°F) at night in the period from December to February. Snow and frost are nearly unknown. The typical summer's season lasts about 6 months, from May to October, with an average temperature of 25°C (77°F) during the day and 16.2°C (61.2°F) at night, although also in November, March and April sometimes there are temperature above 20°C (68.0°F) with an average temperature of 18.5°C (65°F) during the day and 11.2°C (52.2°F) at night. Rain occurs mainly in winter, the summer is very dry.

Lisbon is very close to the ocean and that brings windy and fast-changing weather, so you'd better bring a jacket or an umbrella with you, at least in winter, spring and autumn.

Orientation
The city stretches along the northern bank of the river Tejo as it flows into the Atlantic Ocean. As the terrain rises north away from the water, steep streets and stairways form the old tangled neighbourhoods or give way to green parks in the western suburbs. Basic navigation is easy by learning the main axis from the Praça do Comércio (the waterfront) through Rossio (main square) and Avenida da Liberdade (main street) to Praça de Marquês de Pombal and Parque Eduardo VII on the top. Each neighbourhood (such as Alfama or Bairro Alto) is distinct and easy to recognize. The hilltop castle and the waterfront are clear reference points, and landmarks such as the Santa Justa elevator, the Rossio station façade, the massive Cathedral (Sé de Lisboa), the white dome of Santa Engrácia and Augusta street arch (Arco da rua Augusta) also add to the sense of direction. Also look out for the two huge bridges across the Tejo. Navigating the winding, hilly and narrow streets can be challenging however, only the most detailed map give the precise location.

It's often said that Lisbon lacks a defined "downtown", but tourists will find most of their points of interest in the relatively compact area centered around the vast Praça do Comércio, facing the river. This is the starting point of the pedestrianized grid of Baixa (lower town), which immediately borders other historic quarters of Alfama, Chiado and Bairro Alto. Further northwest from Baixa stretches Avenida da Liberdade (Liberty Avenue), a broad boulevard resplendent in leafy trees, chic hotels and upmarket shops, terminating at the circular Praça de Marquês de Pombal. The financial centre, however, is further removed (hence the notion of "no downtown") up north towards the hills, and not directly connected to the historic districts.

Other districts of interest to the tourists are generally those by the riverside - the historic Belém in the southwest, the modern Parque de Nações in the northeast and the gentrifying Alcântara by the Bridge of April 25.

Tourist information
The Lisboa Card, which can be purchased from tourist information outlets, offers free use of all public transport in the city and free or reduced price tickets to many museums, galleries and tourist attractions. They can be purchased in 24-hour (€17), 48-hour (€27) and 72-hour (€33) denominations. They are not very good value unless you plan to visit a lot of museums, especially so if you are a holder of a student identification card (international or national) since the student discounts to these attractions are often the same as for the Lisboa Card.

By plane
The Lisbon Airport serves the city. If no flight fits, you can take a plane to Porto or Faro. Both cities have direct trains and buses to Lisbon.

Connections
The airport is a major European hub connection for South America (especially Brazil) and is dominated by Portuguese national carrier TAP Portugal, a Star Alliance member airline that covers an extensive network throughout Europe, Africa and the Americas, usually in codeshare with local Star Alliance partners. This is complemented by SATA International, the airline of the Azores, who connect Lisbon not only to the archipelago but also the East Coast of North America. Canadian and US-based carriers also offer seasonal and year-round direct flights to Lisbon.

Other European flag carriers, especially those allied in SkyTeam and Oneworld, as well as independent, also operate direct flights from major European cities to Lisbon. Portela airport is well served by low-fare European carriers EasyJet and Ryanair, for whom Lisbon is a base, and by others such as Norwegian, Transavia and Vueling.

On balance, TAP has no Asian destinations and Lisbon Airport has few direct connections to Asia. That said, getting in from major Asian and Oceanian destinations requires just one stop in Dubai, Beijing or a major European airport.

Landing approach
The approach to the airport most often used for landings takes the plane on a majestic sweep over the city. If you come in from North America, grab a window seat on the right side for a free show as you float over the Tagus and both bridges, the statue of Cristo Rei in Almada, the old aqueduct and the football stadium of Benfica; further out you'll easily be able to discern the castle, the streets of Baixa, the old quarters of Alfama and Mouraria, and right before touchdown - the Oriente train station and Parque das Nações.

Getting from/to the airport
Lisbon's efficient and dense public transportation network provides links form the Portela airport to almost every point in the city, so unless you have heavy luggage or some other reason not to, do take advantage of the public transit options. They're not only cheaper, but taxi drivers in Lisbon also have a somewhat tarnished reputation for poor service and frequent overcharging attempts, even among the locals.

 * Metro - Lisbon Airport metro station is the final destination of the red line of the metro. The journey to the central Saldanha station takes about 16 minutes and less than 25 minutes are enough to get from the Airport to Baixa-Chiado with a change to the green  or blue  lines. A single journey can cost as little as €1.75 using the zapping functionality of the navegante card (see below).

 * Bus lines 22, 44, 83, 705, 708, 744, 745, or night bus line 208. Bus 44 takes you to the Oriente railway station in about 10 minutes, where you can change for metro and continue to the city centre. Board fare is €2. 7 Colinas transport card (see "Get around" section) can be used which can be bought at the airport post office. You are not allowed to take large pieces of luggage on these buses.
 * Taxis cost about €16.00 from the airport to the city centre (Feb 2024). Charge is according to the meter, adding €1.20 per item of luggage. Taxis are required to have working meters (it is illegal to drive without one) and fares posted to the window in the rear seat. Be sure to ask the taxi driver if he has a working meter before getting into the taxi, and be careful of drivers trying to grab your bags and usher you into the taxi before you can make these inquiries. As with many cities, watch out for dishonesty and if you think you are being charged significantly more ask for their number and a receipt, and make it clear you plan to complain.
 * Ride-hailing: Uber and Bolt serve the airport for about €13 to the city centre (Feb 2024). There is a designated area for "pre-reserved rides". You can hail a ride when you get there. All ride-hailing services must have a visible sign on the outside of the vehicle with the acronym "TVDE" and the request must be made via the mobile application. Unlicensed cars won't be cheaper.
 * Bike - It is quite easy to cycle from the airport to the centre, and could be recommended if you arrive for a cycling trip. After leaving the airport and negotiating a roundabout, merge onto the long and straight dual-carriageway Av. Almirante Gago Coutinho (you should be able to follow the "Centro" signs.) After merging, the route to Baixa is simple and straight. This street later turns into Av. Almirante Reis, and then Rua de Palma, at the end of which you will be right in Baixa.

By train
There are two main stations, in the city centre and the, a bit further out and used by the high-speed trains. However, if you are entering Lisbon from the south, you may want to get off at the smaller stations of Entrecampos or Sete Rios. Their metro stations are closer to the historic centre than Oriente (you need to change metro lines to get to the centre from there).

The domestic high-speed line Alfa Pendular connects Braga, Porto, Aveiro and Coimbra with Lisbon from the north and Faro from the south. Prices between the major cities starts at €40 in second class. All trains call at Oriente, only some in Apolonia. The travel times on Alfa Pendular from Lisbon are around 1 hr 45 min to Coimbra, 2 hr 45 min to Porto, 3 hr 25 min to Braga and 3 hr sharp to Faro. Regular Intercidade trains are also available, and by stopping at intermediate stations they add 20 to 40 minutes to each route. Train tickets may be booked directly with the train company, Comboios de Portugal.

Portugal in general has notoriously poor international train services. The overnight Sud Express from Irun/Hendaye on the French-Spanish border to Lisbon was cancelled during the COVID-19 pandemic and never restored. The only current train options are a three or four train journey (only two possibilities per day) from Madrid via Badajoz, or a more comfortable and frequent but more circuitous journey via Vigo and Porto.

By car
Lisbon can be accessed from six main highways. Coming from the south (A2) or east (A6 - the main route from Madrid), there are the two bridges:

From/to south: The A2 goes all the way to the (Ponte 25 de Abril), which usually has lots of traffic getting into Lisbon, especially on weekday mornings. This is the best option if you want to go to the centre of Lisbon or to the west (A5 - Estoril, Cascais, Sintra).

To north / to east: If you branch from the A2 into the A12, you'll get to the (Ponte Vasco da Gama), the longest bridge in Europe, it usually has less traffic than the older 25 de Abril Bridge (but a more expensive toll). This is the best option to go to the eastern/northern section of Lisbon (to the airport and to the Parque das Nações - the former Expo 98 site), and also to take the A1 or A8 going north.

From/to north and the airport: Coming from the north, there is the A1, that connects Lisbon to Santarém, Fátima, Leiria, Coimbra, Aveiro, Porto. The A1 ends near the airport. There's also the A8, which goes to Torres Vedras, Caldas da Rainha, Alcobaça, Leiria.

From the west, there is the A5, which connects to Estoril, Cascais, and the IC19 that crosses all the suburbs and ends near Sintra.

Lisbon has three ring roads: The 2ª circular, which connects the A1 to the IC19; the CRIL IC17 (still incomplete), which connects the Vasco da Gama Bridge with the A1 and A8; and the CREL A9, which connects the A1 with the A8, IC19, A5, and goes all the way to the Estoril coast.

By bus
All nearby cities and most major cities in Portugal have direct buses to Lisbon. The main bus terminal is at (Metro: Jardim Zoológico). The main operator for long-haul buses is Rede Nacional de Expressos.

By boat
Lisbon is a major port on the Atlantic coast both for cargo and cruise traffic. Most major cruise ship operators include Lisbon in their itineraries, so it should be reasonably easy to find a cruise route that would take you there. That said, regular shuttle ferry traffic is limited to joining the banks of the Tagus river, i.e. there are no ferries to Lisbon other than the small ones from neighbouring municipalities.

The cruise terminals are at:

For those coming in by smaller boats, the Port of Lisbon operates four marinas - Alcantara, Belem, Bom Successo and Santo Amaro. You can find all the details at the Port of Lisbon website. Alternatively, you may moor at, which is operated as a separate entity.

By bicycle
Cycling outside Lisbon can be a challenge, as Lisbon offers far easier cycling than what you may find outside of the city. The further you get from Lisbon however, the easier the cycling gets. You may wish to take advantage of certain regional trains that take bicycles in a separate luggage carriage, allowing you to start your cycling some 50 or 100 km outside of the city.

Read more below under 'Getting around by bicycle'.

By public transport
Lisbon has a very efficient public transport network that covers the entire city in addition to the surrounding areas. It consists of a bus and tram network operated by Carris, the separately-run Lisbon Metro underground rail, as well as commuter trains and ferries which connect Lisbon to its neighbouring suburbs. Additionally, Carris operates three unique funiculars and one public elevator that function as parts of the public transportation system.

Fares and tickets
The best and, in many cases, the sole way to pay for city transport is by buying the rechargeable yellow "Navegante" smartcard. It's valid on the metro, trams (electricos), urban trains, most buses and ferries. The exception is buses not run by Carris—other bus companies have their own tickets. The card can be purchased for €0.50 (this price doesn't include any trips), and remains valid for a year.

The Navegante card can be charged in two different modes.
 * Day pass costs €6.80 for metro, buses and trams within 24 hours from the time of purchase (Feb 2024). A pass for €10.80 also includes the suburban rail service to Ajambuda, Estoril, Sintra, and Sado, while a pass for €9.80 includes the ferry service from Cais do Sodré to Cacilhas.
 * Zapping or top up. You fill up the card as you need at the ticket office or machine and every journey will be deducted from your balance. A ride with the bus, metro, and tram costs €1.61 (Feb 2024).

There are ticketing machines at the train or metro stations, which also provide instructions in English. You can also buy the ticket from the driver or machines on board (the latter only available in some new trams). Tickets purchased from a driver will not include a Navegante card, and will cost more (€1.80 for bus and €2.90 for trams), so it makes more sense to buy the ticket before starting the trip.

When using suburban trains, your tickets are charged onto the same kind of Navegante cards. You cannot have more than one kind of ticket on one card, however, so you will probably need at least two of them, one for zapping (regular bus and metro use), one for suburban travel. The TransTejo (TT) ferries can make you buy yet another Viva card with white stripe in the bottom. You can however use "zapping" for all transit and then get away with a single Navegante card.

If you plan to be in Lisbon for an extended time (1 week and more), you can purchase an unlimited pass, called Navegante Municipal, that covers buses, metro, and funiculars. It takes 10 days, or if you need it quicker you can pay an extra €5 for next-day delivery at the Carris station in Santo Amaro or at the subway stations in Marques de Pombal, Alameda and Campo Grande. The base price is €7 (Jan 2021) for a hard plastic Lisboa Viva card, plus €30 (Oct 2022) for a one-month unlimited pass in the limits of the city of Lisbon. For $40 (Oct 2022) you can buy a one-month unlimited pass that also includes buses, trains, and other means of transportation across the entire greater Lisbon area, including Setúbal, Cascais, Estoril, Sintra, and Mafra. To obtain either of the mentioned passes, bring a photo ID (passport), passport photos (the stations also have photo vending machines that take passport photos), and cash.

Tram
While numbering may suggest otherwise, Lisbon retains only six of the 28 tram lines it became famous for.
 * – the shortest line does a loop between Praça de Comércio in Baixa and Alfama
 * – the longest line connects the Centro Histórico to Belém and beyond
 * – follows the route of line 15 along the coast until Santo Amaro, where it goes uphill to Ajuda
 * – connects Chiado to Campolide via Príncipe Real and Rato
 * – goes from Praça de Comércio through Chiado, along the foot of the Bairro Alto hill and then to Estrela
 * – takes you on a veritable tour of the hills of Lisbon, starting at Campo Ourique, then going through Estrela, Bairro Alto, Chiado, Rua da Conceição in Baixa, then all the way around the hills of Alfama up north to Graça while ending in Praça Martim Moniz.

At stops and on timetables, the six tram lines are marked with an "E" for elétrico (which stands for "tram" in Portuguese) i.e. 12E, 15E, 18E, 24E, 25E, and 28E to distinguish them from bus services. Buses and trams generally use the same stops.

The "Remodelado" tram cars, built in the 1930s and extensively modernised in the 90s, are used on all lines. The modern low-floor trams are only used on line 15.

Instead of paying for a ride on one of the costly tourist buses, try line 28, which winds its way through the "Old Town" of Lisbon beginning in Graça then down to the Alfama and to the Baixa then up through Chiado to Bairro Alto, and then down to Campo Ourique, taking you by many of Lisbon's most famous and interesting sites including monuments, churches and gardens. The trip is hilly, noisy and hectic but it affords many beautiful glimpses of the city. And, although the tram can sometimes be overrun with tourists, you will definitely get a flavour of the locals, as many Lisboetas commute daily on these historical trams. Tickets cost €1.30 if paid by "Navegante" card and €2.90 if purchased on-board or at a vending machine (these machines do not accept bills, and are sometime even out of change, so make sure you have the correct change!). From start to finish the ride takes around 30 minutes. Beware of pickpockets!

Funiculars and a lift
Or ascensores e elevador as they call them. The Navegante card is accepted on these routes as well. In 2002 all three funiculars and the lift were classified as National Monuments. Time tables for the lifts in pdf format can be downloaded from the website.

Metro
Lisbon's metro system (Portuguese: Metropolitano de Lisboa) is clean, quick, and efficient. While metro announcements are made only in Portuguese, signs and ticketing machines are generally bilingual in Portuguese and English. Every line shares at least one station with each of the other lines, so once you are in the system, you can go pretty much everywhere the system reaches to, which is most of the important locations in Lisbon.
 * The blue line has perhaps the most tourist-friendly route, starting at the Santa Apólonia train station and stopping at Terreiro do Paço, Baixa/Chiado, (Praça dos) Restauradores, Avenida (da Liberdade), (Praça do) Marquês de Pombal, Parque (Eduardo VII) and Jardim Zoológico.
 * The green line stops at Baixa/Chiado as well, and goes to Cais do Sodré, from where you can take trains to Belém, Cascais and Estoril or the ferry to Almada, as well as at Rossio, from where you can take a train to Sintra
 * The red line starts directly at Lisbon Airport and stops at Oriente (for long-distance trains and the Parque das Nações). That said, one needs to change to another metro line to get to the historic centre.
 * The yellow line is of perhaps least use to tourists as it mostly connects the northern residential districts with the city.

No metro line goes to Belém. You need to take a train from Cais do Sodré, tram line 15E or a bus to get there.

Most of the metro system is a free art gallery. You'll find art by contemporary artists inspired by the stations' surrounding area. Check the subway webpage for more details on this curiosity. The red line is the newest one and has the best pieces of art.

The first metro of each line leaves the terminal stations at 06:30 daily, the last metro leaves the terminal stations at 01:00 daily. Some secondary station halls close earlier, some are closed completely on weekends.

Bus
Carris operates a dense network of buses. Bus lines operating in the day start with a "7" (save for the "400" line that runs within the Parque das Nações), and those starting with "2" operate at night (00:01-05:00) when no daytime lines operate.

On the maps and in publications, bus and tram lines are colour-coded with reference to the directions they go to. Orange lines stay within the central area, pink go to the east (Belém and Ajuda), red to the north (Parque das Nações and Portela), while blue and green to the northeast. This is more or less where each of the corresponding metro lines (red, green and blue) go. Grey-coded buses move between the outer districts and do not stop in the historic centre. The buses are all in standard yellow Carris livery and do not carry such indications.

Two of the popular bus lines now offer complimentary NetBus Wi-Fi service - line 736 from Cais do Sodré via Avenida da Liberdade and Avenida da República (stops at Campo Grande, Campo Pequeno and Entrecampos), and line 783 from Portela Airport to Amoreiras shopping and office centre via Avenida da República and Praça Marquês de Pombal. Using those two bus lines you can get to most of the important tourist attractions while enjoying Wi-Fi – simply log in to the "CARRIS-TMN" network while on the bus.

Hop-On, Hop-Off Tours are also a good option to get to know Lisbon. Carristur is operating with the brand Yellow Bus Sightseeing Tours and have tours in double-decker buses and old tramcars.

Ferries
Ferries connect Lisbon to the suburbs across the Tejo river in the south. Taking a ferry to Cacilhas is a good opportunity to see Lisbon from the water. A ferry is paid for just like a metro trip; you can even use your zapping (using this system will give you a €0.05 to €0.10 discount on the single ticket) Navegante card.

The ferry boat takes you to Cacilhas (€1.20) (the journey takes 10 minutes) or Trafaria (Almada) (€1.15), Seixal (€2.30), Montijo (€2.70) or Barreiro (this journey takes half an hour) (€2.30). The boats are operated by Transtejo.

By bicycle
Cycling within the city is now much easier because of the work the municipality has been putting in with bike lanes, slowing car traffic, changing car traffic patterns and adding speed bumps. Parts of the town will always be surprisingly hilly, however. Some of these streets have tram lines, potholes and an absence of designated bicycle lanes, so if you plan to cycle, you should be used to urban riding. Car drivers are now more often weekend cyclists and careful with cyclists, more than before. Riding on the footpaths is not recommended. Get advice at local bike shops.

There are nice and safe stretches from Baixa to Belem along the beautiful river Tejo water front known as the Poetry Bike Lane. Good spots for anyone to cycle safe are along the flat riverfront area stretching from Parque das Nações, to the central area of Cais Sodre, where you can rent bikes. There is a scenic and safe bike ride on bike lane from Baixa along waterfront to the historical area of Descobertas-Belem-Jerónimos.

Lisbon has a bike sharing program called Gira. Bicycles can be rented using the Gira app for €2 for 45 minutes, or cheaper if with a membership. Electric bicycles are also available.

Just outside of Lisbon, you can take a free bike (but often in poor condition and limited offer) on trains or ferries along the coast from Estoril towards the beautiful beach of Guincho, reach Sintra, Cascais or Costa da Caparica. If travelling from Lisbon (and back) you should consider renting a bike there as there are no restrictions, nor additional charges, on travelling with bicycles on commuting trains.

If you take a bicycle in public transportation:
 * Metro: During working days you are allowed to carry bicycles in the metro only after 20:00. On weekends, it's allowed and it's free of charge.
 * Commuting trains: You are allowed to carry bicycles in the trains for free, everyday of the week just be reasonable and avoid rush hour passenger patterns.
 * Ferries: Bicycles travel for free, you are allowed but there are strict limitations on the number of bikes allowed depending on ferry lines and ferry boat type, arrive early and you shall avoid disappointment.
 * Bike Buses: There are 6 lines of the public bus company "Carris" in which you can put your bike inside.

Bike shops in Lisbon town center are rare. You can find a SportZone or Decathlon in major shopping malls. Ask there for specialist shops, shop assistants are usually very helpful.

By car
Think twice before using a car in the city unless you are prepared to spend hours in traffic jams and looking for parking space. The busy traffic and narrow streets with blind corners can be overwhelming to tourists. Also, due to lack of space and overcrowding, parking is difficult and annoying, as well as potentially dangerous - check the "Stay Safe" section below, regarding potential problems with criminals and homeless people who stand near parking spaces to "help" you park your car and then attempt to extort money from you.

In case you decide to travel around Portugal by car, it makes life easier to obtain a prepaid via verde vehicle transponder device, to avoid the hassle and delays of paying for toll charges every time. The procedure to become a via verde "utilizador" is straight forward if one speaks Portuguese; if not, get a local friend to tag along. You need to bring the vehicle's papers, drivers licence and ID. Via Verde offices are in the Loja do Cidadão (Citizen Shop). Local people should be able to direct you to the nearest one; if not, try the internet. On entering the Citizen Shop, be sure to get, from the machines by the doors, a numbered next-in-line ticket for the correct service provider. Without it, you'll not be attended to. When inside with ticket in hand, find out where the Via Verde help desk is, and keep your eye on the TV monitors to see where you are in the queue. Once you are given a device, it must be attached to the interior of the windscreen. Easy-to-follow instructions and a special double sided tape are provided in the kit.

By foot
If your accommodation is in the center of the city, walking is a great alternative. Many of the attractions of the city, such as the Castelo and the Alfama and Bairro Alto districts, are within easy walking distance of the Baixa. Central Lisbon is very intimate and walking is very nice way to get around. However, the city is very hilly, a constant up and down everywhere, and streets and sidewalks are largely covered in cobblestone (some slippery when wet). For visitors with mobility issues, central Lisbon can be challenging.

If you become lost or cannot find the location you are looking for, try to locate the nearest Carris bus or tram stop. Most of these stops (not all) have a very good map of the city with your current location clearly marked on the map. All the prominent tourist sites in Lisbon are also shown along with an index at the bottom of the map. A quick consultation with one of these Carris maps should point you back in the right direction.

You may also use the funiculars and elevadores. Day passes for public transportation are also valid for those.

Private tour operator
If it is raining or you looking to explore the city with a guide in a more confort and secure way there are several local certified tour operators that will handle you door2door solution, driving you to the places that the internet doesn't show you and offering some packages for day trips from Lisbon, for example Vipdrive and many others.

Other
Tuk tuks are becoming a popular alternative to visit Lisbon. The hills and the narrow streets make them a good option to explore the city. They're easy to find near the points of interest but booking is advisable. Some of the operators are: Tuk Tuk Lisboa, Tuk On Me and Tejo Tourism (which also provides segway tours).

See

Lisbon is a city on the water—the River Tagus (Rio Tejo)—built on seven hills that are traversed by trams. This has led to comparisons with San Francisco. To provide access from the southern suburbs, Lisbon has two spectacular bridges. The 25th of April Bridge (Ponte 25 de Abril) combines the design of the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge with the color of the Golden Gate Bridge, and it's often mistaken for the latter. The Vasco da Gama Bridge (Ponte Vasco da Gama), Europe's longest, was built in the 1990s for Expo '98. One of Lisbon's great landmarks, Cristo Rei, a statue of Christ the King on an  pedestal, isn't even in Lisbon itself, but across the river in Almada, big enough to be easily seen from the capital.

Alfama
Built on the hills east of the Baixa, Alfama survived the Great 1755 Earthquake largely intact. Climbing the narrow ancient lanes provides an excellent workout. You can spare your legs by taking the little historic yellow trams that serve the neighborhood. Major sights include Lisbon Cathedral and St. George's Castle.

Bairro Alto
The Bairro Alto, or "Upper District" (dare we say "High Neighbourhood"), has become Lisbon's youthful, trendy quarter. The district includes the Chiado neighbourhood, known for its numerous historic landmarks and theatres. Among the district's many sights are the São Bento Palace (where the Portuguese parliament meets), the Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga (a museum of antique art), and the Lisbon Botanical Gardens.

Baixa
Lisbon's "downtown" was rebuilt in a grid street pattern following the destruction of a 1755 earthquake. The magnificent Praça do Comércio lies on the river, has a tall equestrian statue and is surrounded by lovely yellow buildings. The Baixa has several other noteworthy squares: Praça dos Restauradores, Praça Dom Pedro IV, and Praça da Figueira. The Santa Justa Lift connects the Baixa with Chiado.

Belém
Lisbon's western district is packed with famous monuments, especially along the riverbank. These include the Torre de Belém, the Monument to the Discoveries, and Jerónimos Monastery. Museums include the Navy Museum, the Museu Colecção Berardo, and the National Coach Museum.

Northern Lisbon
This large expanse of Lisbon has a few sights of interest, including Parque Eduardo VII, the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum, and the zoo.

Parque das Nações
The Expo '98 site and its surroundings are now modern residential and commercial areas, maintaining many of the sights from the World Exposition. The Oceanarium is a huge aquarium popular with both kids and adults. The Pavilion of Knowledge features many fun and educational exhibits. The riverside esplanade makes for a lovely stroll, or hop on the aerial cable cars for magnificent views.

Do
Go out at night to the central Bairro Alto, or 'High Neighbourhood'. Just up the hill from Chiado, this is the place to go out in town. In the early evening, go to a fado-themed restaurant near the Praca Camoes, and head upwards as the evening goes on. If you're in Lisbon on the night preceding a Feriado or public holiday, you have to check this out. Tiny little streets which are empty in the daytime become crammed walkways which are difficult to get through. For more of a clubbing or disco experience, try the Docas district along the marina overlooking the Ponte 25 de Abril.

Stages
The Lisbon stage events calendar is a full one all year round. The city presents good quality productions in ballet, modern dance, chamber music, opera and theatre. The Teatro Nacional de São Carlos is a magnificent opera house in the La Scala tradition.

On a light note, there's also "Teatro de Revista", a kind of social/political satire theatre that was born in Lisbon. English-language productions are staged. It's one of the local culture favourite live entertainment shows to see when you visit the city but you can only find it in the Parque Mayer. Due to high demand, you should buy tickets in advance. To do so for any of the shows, ABEP "Agência de Bilhetes para Espétaculos Públicos" (Ticket Agency) is the place to contact.

Sport
Lisbon is home to some famous sport clubs. Scheduled sporting events take place throughout the year with football dominating proceedings, however indoor sports like, basketball, futsal, roller hockey, and handball, also take place, as well as most Olympic codes.

Football: three city teams play soccer in Primeira Liga, the top tier:
 * SL Benfica play in Estádio da Luz, capacity 64,600, 3 km north of the centre, metro Luz.
 * Sporting CP play in Estádio José Alvalade, capacity 50,000, 4 km north of the centre towards the airport, metro Campo Grande.
 * Casa Pia play at Estádio Pina Manique, capacity 2500, to the northwest.

Autódromo do Estoril hosts motor racing. For details contact the ACP Automóvel Clube de Portugal (Portugal Auto Club).

Estoril Open is an ATP sanctioned tennis event played every April/May.

Buy

Shops are open a little later than other places in Europe, usually around 09:30-22:00, and the lunch breaks can be quite long, usually from 13:00 to 15:00.

You can buy a Lisbon Shopping Card, which gives you 5% to 20% discounts at about 200 major stores in Baixa, Chiado and Av. Liberdade for a period of 24 hours (card costs €3.70) or 72 hours (card costs €5.70).

Shopping streets

 * Baixa: From Praça do Comércio (aka Terreiro do Paço) to the Restauradores, the Baixa is the old shopping district in the city. It includes pedestrian Rua Augusta which has the most boring and mass-visitor tourist stores, and several European chain clothing stores like Zara, H&M, Campers.
 * Chiado: a number of independent shops and services and well known brands such as Hugo Boss, Vista Alegre, Tony & Guy, Benetton, Sisley, Pepe Jeans, Levi's and Colcci, which makes Chiado, together with Avenida da Liberdade, one of the Top 10 places to shop in the world. Some informal brands like Crumpler are also there. The Portuguese perfume and beauty products house Claus Porto has a shop in Rua da Misericórdia, well worth it dropping by.
 * Avenida da Liberdade: Louis Vuitton, Calvin Klein, Timberland, Massimo Dutti, Armani, Burberrys and Adolfo Dominguez are just some of the shops you'll find across this avenue, which is not just one of the most beautiful and wide in the city, but also one of the fanciest with splurge hotels and restaurants.

Malls and markets

While most stores are closed on Sundays, many malls are open 7 days a week. They usually open around 09:30 and close by 23:00 or 24:00, although the film theaters within them usually run a late session starting after 24:00. Grocery stores are closed on Sundays after 13:00, except (a) those smaller than 2000 m2 or (b) from November 1 to December 31.

Souvenirs and notable stores
Portugal is the largest producer of cork in the world, and there is a vast range of souvenir cork items for sale in Lisbon. Another typical Lisbon item is the "Azulejo" glazed tile, which dresses many local buildings to protect them from fires.

Locals advise against buying old azulejo tiles at flea markets, as they may have been stolen from buildings across the city.

Eat

Portuguese dining rituals tend to follow the Mediterranean siesta body clock. Most restaurants are very small, family-run and generally cheap. Some of them have a sheet on the door with the pratos do dia (dishes of the day) written on it – these dishes are usually cheaper and fresher than the rest of menu there, and unless you're looking for something specific, they're the right choice. During the dinner the waiter will probably bring you some unrequested starter dishes (called couvert); as those are not free, don't feel obliged to touch them and they will not be charged on your bill (but check it!).

Traditional Portuguese restaurants are in Bairro Alto, scattered abundantly through its quirky narrow streets, and for Portuguese traditional cuisine at its finest, head to the area of Chiado. Tour groups primarily feel at home in Alfama. Tourist traps with laminated menus and meal deals are mostly concentrated in the Baixa area; one exception to this is the Rua das Portas de Santo Antão, a 'seafood strip' northeast from and parallel to Praça dos Restauradores. If you feel like eating with the local people, try the Castelo neighborhood, the smaller family run places serve a fixed daily menu and are not expensive, getting up there by foot will open an appetite, or else go in the elétrico. For a familiar taste at one of the many chain eateries, head to Doca de Santo Amaro (train/tram 15 station Alcantara-Mar) and Parque das Nações (metro Oriental). All the culinary and clubbing kudos is right now concentrated in Doca de Jardim de Tabaco (piece of river waterfront right under Castelo de Sao Jorge). Quality dishes for a high price are in well-to-do Lapa. The Pastel De Nata is one of Portugal's most well known foods, with this delightful custard egg tart best found in Belem.

Try the magnificent pastéis de nata at any pastry shop.

Never ask a taxi driver about which restaurant you should go to – they will take you to an expensive tourist-oriented restaurant, where they will receive a commission.

You will find traditional meals served in small coffee shops and restaurants, especially in the old parts of town. Some will be better than others, just check if there are a lot of locals eating there! They will be very cheap (as little as €5 for a full meal) and home-style cooking. The owners probably won't speak English and the menu will probably be in Portuguese only!

Drink

Lisbon is known for its lively nightlife. For going out, stroll around the old neighborhood of Bairro Alto for an after-dinner caipirinha or ginjinha and people-watching. Its small streets, full of people, are packed with a high variety of bars. On weeknights bars close at 02:00, weekends at 03:00. The party continues in a night-club after that. Just follow the hordes of people down the hill - people have been doing that for hundreds of years.

Alcântara, Santos, Parque das Nações, and the castle area are all neighborhoods with a thriving nightlife. The whole area near the river/Atlantic, known as the docas, is a huge hub for nightlife, as Lisbon has never lost its ties to the sea.

Fado (fate) is a type of folk music which developed in Lisbon during the 19th century. The music is often melancholic, capturing the nostalgic feeling of "Saudade". In 2011 fado was added to UNESCO's list of Intangible Cultural Heritages. It's usually sung by a woman in a black dress, accompanied by mandolin and guitar. However, it is not uncommon with male singers or additional instruments. There are plenty of fado bars around Lisbon, offering foods and drinks. They are especially common in the Bairro Alto and Alfama districts, and in Alfama you can also find a Fado museum. Beware that you'll pay more than in normal restaurants, and the food and drink quality may not be up to the price, you're paying for the music experience.

Sleep

Finding a decent sleeping place in the centre should not be a big problem. There is a tourist service centre in the airport, where a room can be booked for you. Expect to pay between at least €55 for a double room. If you are in Lisbon for sightseeing (especially for your first visit), the best location is along the route of tram #28 (see official map of the route). This especially works if you are with a baby stroller, as it will save from huge part of hill-climbing.

Lisbon sets high standards for budget accommodation, with numerous clean and active hostels around the city. Prices in the historical center start around €30, and can get cheaper farther out.

Stay safe
Lisbon is generally safe, but use common sense precautions, especially at train stations and on public transport.

Some areas are best avoided late at night because of the risk of mugging: Bairro Alto, the alleys, Cais do Sodre. Some night clubs in Lisboa have a poor reputation.

Crime
The most common crime against tourists is pickpocketing and theft from rental cars or on public transport. The metro carriages can become crowded and opportune for pickpockets but simple precautions are enough to maintain your safety while travelling on them.

Violent crimes
There are some instances of violent crimes (e.g. robberies) and some drug related crimes in places such as Bairro Alto and Santos, especially at night. Chances are you'll be approached at least a few times by certain types offering 'hash' or 'chocolate', especially in the downtown area on and around Rua Augusta. If you are of fair complexion or obviously a tourist you are more likely to be approached. Also, due to soaring house prices, the Baixa area is not inhabited by a lot of people - as soon as the shops and offices close at night, the area sometimes becomes fair ground for muggers - caution is needed in back streets, and walking alone is not advised unless you know the area well.

It's also encouraged to be wary of the Intendente-Martim Moniz area. Intendente is a well known area for prostitution and drug trafficking, and even though the situation has changed in the past couple of years (police now regularly patrol the area), it is still problematic. Martim Moniz is also notorious, at night the area occupied by shifty crowds that more often than not will cause some trouble. During the day, however, Martim-Moniz is quite safe and pleasant.

Also be careful with bank machines in the city center. Groups of adolescents occasionally stay close to the multibanco and wait until you have entered your pin. They then force you away from the machine and withdraw the maximum amount from the machine (€200 maximum per withdrawal; however, two withdrawals of €200 per day per bank card are allowed). Try to withdraw money earlier in the day and try to avoid some of the train stations late at night, especially Cais do Sodre station.

Scams
Criminals in Lisbon are very quick and witty and think of scams about how to get money from you (like pretending that they need to "borrow" money from you promising to pay you back in a few hours). In cases they might work in pairs, one offers drugs, while a second approaches you and the first pretending to be a cop, and asking you to pay a "fine" if you don't want to go to jail. Just walk away and avoid any interaction from the first moment, if you are approached. Young tourists will likely be approached by many people especially near the Chiado Plaza. A firm 'no thank-you' ("não, obrigado" - if you're a male, "não, obrigada", if you're female) should be enough to deter them.

Arrumadores
Also, if you are driving a car, you should be on the lookout for one of Lisbon's greatest plagues: "arrumadores" ("ushers"). These are drug addicts, petty thieves or homeless people who stand near vacant car parking spaces and "help" you to park your car even though no help is obviously needed. As soon as you step out of the vehicle, the "arrumador" will try to extort money from you as payment for the "service". They might also pretend to be "official" parking space guards or security and promise to keep an eye on your car - obviously they will leave as soon as you give them money and walk away. If you ignore them or don't pay them, there is a slight risk of having your car robbed or damaged (scratched, windows broken, etc.).

Although "arrumadores" are not excessively dangerous, caution is always needed: many have been known to use this scam to attack or rob people, and instances of carjacking have been reported, specially when unescorted female drivers are concerned. Generally, you should always avoid "arrumadores" and simply look for another parking space (preferably in an area where more people are around) or just park in a private parking lot, which is a bit more expensive but a sure way to avoid this hassle.

Walking and driving
Lisbon has one of the highest rates of car accidents in the European Union, so be extra careful when crossing the streets. Drivers don't usually respect pedestrian crossings unless there is a red light for them to stop.

Driving can be tricky without a GPS system as there is poor signalling in the streets. Drivers overall are not too aggressive compared to other European capitals, although this is disputed by (mostly Spanish) tourists.

In case of emergency
Ambulance, fire brigade, police: call 112.

Same number is used with both landline and mobile phone. The number works on any mobile phone, whether it is key locked or not and with or without SIM card.

Portugal has two main police forces - the Republican National Guard (GNR) and the Public Security Police (PSP). Both can be contacted, but the PSP is the main urban police force.

Connect
All of Lisbon has 4G from all Portuguese carriers. As of Jan 2023, 5G coverage is quite broad in most popular areas. Deep inside some older buildings, or underground you might find coverage to be spotty.

Private international call centres and public telephone booths are common throughout Lisbon. Be warned, however, public phones can be less generous than slot machines: many times they'll swallow your change and give you no credit. You're better off purchasing a Portugal Telecom pre-paid card you can insert into the phone, or even a discount calling card which connects you via a toll-free number. These can be purchased from street kiosks and convenience stores. Most payphones also allow you to pay by credit card, although support for this feature is somewhat expensive.

Internet cafes are also abundant in the Rossio and Restauradores districts as well as in the Bairro Alto (opening late there). Expect to pay between €2-3 per hour.

Many of the municipal libraries of Lisbon offer free wifi.

Embassies

 * 🇦🇺 Australia
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 * 🇨🇦 Canada
 * 🇨🇳 China
 * 🇪🇬 Egypt
 * 🇫🇮 Finland
 * 🇫🇷 France
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 * 🇻🇦 Vatican City
 * 🇮🇳 India
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 * 🇮🇹 Italy
 * 🇯🇵 Japan
 * Kosovo
 * Macau
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 * 🇳🇱 Netherlands
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 * Palestine
 * 🇷🇴 Romania
 * 🇷🇺 Russia
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 * 🇿🇦 South Africa
 * 🇰🇷 South Korea
 * 🇸🇪 Sweden
 * 🇹🇼 Taiwan
 * 🇹🇭 Thailand
 * East Timor
 * 🇹🇷 Turkey
 * 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates
 * 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
 * 🇺🇸 United States

North

 * Fátima — the city and the Marian shrine of the worldwide famous apparitions of the Virgin Mary
 * Nazaré — a lovely village that became an international surf spot and entered the Guinness Book of Records for its gigantic sea waves
 * Tomar — the city of the Knights Templar: it is highly recommended to visit the medieval castle and the Convent of Christ
 * Óbidos — a beautiful village dominated by an old medieval castle

North-west

 * Mafra — A charming town with a monastery.
 * Ericeira — A gorgeous seaside resort near Mafra, well known to surfers worldwide.
 * Sintra — A beautiful UNESCO World Heritage site town 40 minutes by car/train from Lisbon.
 * Praia das Maçãs — A small and surprisingly calm seaside resort about to the west of Lisbon, near the towns of Colares & Sintra.

West

 * Paço de Arcos — A fishing village, where you can find also the Marquis of Pombal Palace and Estate.
 * Cascais — A pretty town on the bay of the same name, on the Estoril coast, 40 minutes by train from Lisbon (Cais do Sodre Station).

South

 * Almada — A city connected to/from Lisbon via ferry boats at Cacilhas and connected by train at Pragal and roadway via 25 Abril bridge/ponte 25 de Abril. The monument of Christ-King (Cristo-Rei) is in Pragal, Almada.
 * Costa da Caparica — beautiful beaches, easily reachable by bus
 * Setúbal — Capital of the district, and starting point for visits to Arrábida Nature Park, Troia, and the Sado river. Dolphins can be spotted on the bay.
 * Palmela — A hill town with a castle, with amazing views, near the city of Setúbal.
 * Sesimbra — A fisherman's village near the Arrábida mountain, good for scuba diving and fresh seafood, and starting point to visit the Espichel cape and sanctuary.
 * Azeitão — near Setubal, some south of Lisbon, this small region consists of a series of lovely villages, of which Vila Nogueira de Azeitão and Vila Fresca de Azeitão are the most well known. Azeitão stands between the Arrábida Nature Park and the coast. In the park you'll meet the last remains of the original Mediterranean flora. Also, there is the famous Convent of Arrábida to visit and the stunning views from its hills and at its peak.
 * Vila Nogueira de Azeitão — Visit the beautiful Winery and palace "Quinta da Bacalhoa". Also check out the grand estate and winery of "José Maria da Fonseca". Igreja de São Lourenço with hand painted tile panels, gilded wood chapels and a Lucca Della Robbia medallion. Convent of S. Domingos.
 * Tróia — A lovely peninsula gifted with kilometres of wild unexplored beaches, and with a tourist resort being developed on one of its edges.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Lisbon


text:
Lisbon (disambiguation)

There is more than one place called Lisbon:

Portugal

 * Lisbon - The capital city of Portugal
 * Greater Lisbon

United States of America

 * Lisbon (Connecticut) - A town in the state of Connecticut.
 * Lisbon (Iowa) - A town in the state of Iowa.
 * Lisbon (Maine) - A town in the state of Maine.
 * Lisbon (Maryland) - A town in the state of Maryland.
 * Lisbon (New Hampshire) - A town in the state of New Hampshire.
 * Lisbon (New York) - A town in the state of New York.
 * Lisbon (North Dakota) - A town in the state of North Dakota.
 * Lisbon (Ohio) - A town in the state of Ohio.
 * Lisbon (Wisconsin) - A town in the state of Wisconsin.
 * Lisbon Falls - A township in Maine.

title: Lisbon (disambiguation)


text:
Lisbon (Maine)

Lisbon  is in Androscoggin County, in the Lakes and Mountains region of Maine. It is a small mill town that is largely a bedroom community for companies like Bath Iron Works and L.L.Bean and increasingly for people working in the Portland area.

title: Lisbon (Maine)


text:
Lisbon (North Dakota)

Lisbon is a town in the Coteaus and Plains area of North Dakota. It has a population of about 2,292 people. Elevation: 1,091 feet.

Understand
The original owners of the town site came to North Dakota from Lisbon, NY and Lisbon, IL. The farming and ranching community sits on the banks of the Sheyenne River.

Get in

 * By car: Lisbon is sited at the junction of state highways 32 and 27. From I-94, take exit 302 south for about 39 miles. Or from Fargo, take I-29 south for 17 miles to state highway 46 west for 41 miles to SH-32 south. From Wahpeton, west on ND-13 for 50 miles to ND-32 north.
 * By air, Lisbon Municipal Airport

Go next
Lisbon is at the south end of the Sheyenne Valley Scenic Byway which runs north through Valley City to Cooperstown in Griggs County.

title: Lisbon (North Dakota)


text:
Lisbon (Ohio)

Lisbon is a village in Columbiana County, Ohio. Lisbon is the county seat for Columbiana County.

title: Lisbon (Ohio)


text:
Greater Lisbon

The Greater Lisbon (Portuguese: Grande Lisboa) is the region surrounding Lisbon, the capital of Portugal. It consists of municipalities located on the northern bank of the wide mouth of the Tagus (Tejo) river where it meets the Atlantic Ocean. The region includes a variety of localities—from historic towns and cities, to ports, industrial areas, beach resorts, and natural reserves. It offers a varied mixture of holiday opportunities to visitors, as they can engage in beach activities, various active sports, and do a fair share of sightseeing.

Cities

 * — the country's capital enchants travellers with its bleached limestone buildings, intimate alleyways, and an easy going charm; includes a
 * — bedroom community with sizeable shopping mall and annual comic book festival
 * — one of Europe's oldest holiday resorts with as much sunshine as heritage
 * — populous Lisbon suburb with urban, industrial, and rural areas
 * — its sumptuous palace is a . The municipality includes:
 * — an adorable seaside resort and fishing village with narrow streets and splendid Atlantic landscapes
 * — quiet but populous bedroom community at the end of the Lisbon Metro's Yellow Line
 * — coastal suburb at the mouth of the River Tagus
 * — a famous for a number of palaces spread over its green hills. The municipality includes:
 * — its palace is one of the finest examples of Rococo architecture in Europe

Other destinations

 * – Europe's westernmost point, which can be accessed from Cascais or Sintra
 * — a seaside resort 13 km from Sintra

Understand

Grande Lisboa (GRUHN-d(ih) leezh-BOH-uh, /ˈgɾɐ̃.dɨ ɫɨʒ.ˈbo.ɐ/) is a former administrative and EU statistical region. It should not be confused with the Área Metropolitana de Lisboa (Lisbon Metropolitan Area), which includes the Setúbal Peninsula, nor with the Distrito de Lisboa (Lisbon district), which includes some municipalities to the north, nor with Lisboa e Vale do Tejo (Lisbon and Tagus Valley), a development region that corresponds with Wikivoyage's Tagus Valley region. Even the Portuguese are often confused by the frequent territorial reorganizations and overlapping regions.

By plane
There are two airports within Greater Lisbon: Lisbon Portela Airport, which handles scheduled and charter passenger flights, and Aeródromo Municipal de Cascais , which is a small airport for general aviation (private planes) in Cascais.

One alternative is to fly to the Francisco Sa Carneiro airport in Porto and then take the Porto Metro to the Campanha station and further take a long-distance train to Lisbon from there. The train alone takes 3 hours in each direction, but you can take advantage of the oftentimes cheaper connections to the Porto airport and include Porto in your trip this way.

By train
In general, long-distance trains calling in Greater Lisbon will stop in Lisbon only. There are trains from the north and south of Portugal, as well as international trains from Spain calling there. You will probably need to change stations from where your long-distance train arrives to your bus or train connection to your destination outside of Lisbon - please refer to our guide to Lisbon for more detailed information.

Get around

There is an efficient, if a bit complicated, transportation system within Greater Lisbon. At its backbone are the local railways, supported by the light rail systems and the ferries across the Tagus, complemented by bus connections, all of which have several operators.

The railway system consists of three separate suburban railway lines managed by the state-owned Portuguese railway operator, under the name of Serviços Urbanos da CP. The three lines start from different stations around Lisbon and connect to different destinations:
 * the Cascais line (yellow) starts at Cais do Sodre station in Lisbon and goes to Cascais, Estoril and Oeiras.
 * the Sintra line (green) has stops at Rossio in the historic centre of Lisbon and terminates in Sintra, with locations in the hills northwest of Lisbon, such as Amadora, on its way. Some trains on the green line go as far as the Oriente station in Lisbon, which is close to the Lisbon Airport
 * the Azambuja line (red) starts at Santa Apolonia station and goes through Oriente in Lisbon, taking you northeast along the Tagus to Azambuja and all the municipalities along the way, which are of minor touristic interest

In addition to the normal course of those lines, the red and green line also have trains traversing the railway arc through the north of Lisbon, which includes the Campolide, Sete Rios, Entrecampos and Oriente stations.

Complementing and binding together those railway connections are the underground rail systems - the Lisbon Metro, which connects the various Lisbon railway stations (as do the buses and trams operated by Carris, Lisbon's municipal transit company) and the Metro de Sul tramway system in Almada and surrounding municipalities. To close the gap the Tagus poses, a company called Transtejo operates a number of regular ferry connections between various quays in Lisbon and municipalities on the southern side of the river.

See
There is an obvious wealth of historic monuments, museums, galleries and other attractions in the grand old city of Lisbon, which is probably where more tourists will start their visit anyway. Do not miss the UNESCO World Heritage site of Sintra, with numerous royal palaces of fairytale qualities scattered across the lush green hills and magnificent gardens. Head for the beaches of Cascais and Estoril to experience the Atlantic Ocean and some high life of the famous resorts.

Itineraries

 * Sintra and Cascais
 * Go from Rossio Station in Lisbon to Sintra by train
 * Buy the rover ticket for the Greyhound bus that lets you travel in and beyond Sintra (there is a cheaper one for Sintra only)
 * Use the local bus to see the town and the National Palace, the Castelo dos Mouros and the extraordinary Pena Palace.
 * Take a bus from the station at Sintra to Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point of mainland Europe
 * Take a bus to Cascais (and very possibly eat there)
 * Return by train to the Cais do Sodre station in Lisbon.

You will need to check bus timetables carefully but both train lines are frequent and cheap. if you return from Cascais after dark (avoid the late-night train, for safety reasons), you will get wonderful views in Belem of the floodlit buildings.

Do
Given the natural conditions, it is obvious that Greater Lisbon is a great place to practice many sports activities, especially those related to the seaside.

Eat
The Portuguese cuisine is both simple and extremely rich, and there is quite a lot to enjoy year-round. That said, being at one of the largest ports of the Atlantic Ocean, you absolutely need to make sure you experience the fresh fish and other seafood, which come in ample supply.

Drink
The Portuguese way of life and typical organisation of the day places a big emphasis on the nightlife, so you will never be out of opportunities to enjoy yourself in the evenings (and oftentimes also well into the night - or morning!) Lisbon is obviously bustling with those, but it does not mean you will not find bustling nightlife in other towns as well.

Stay safe
The region is for the most part safe. Take common precautions, especially in Lisbon's public transportation. Cais do Sodre station should be avoided late at night as well some parts of Bairro Alto nightclubs. Also avoid dark alleys.

Go next

 * Coimbra
 * Evora
 * Tomar

title: Greater Lisbon


text:
Lisburn

Lisburn is a market town traditionally in County Antrim north of the River Lagan; a small part lies south of the river in County Down. The counties have been abolished in Northern Ireland so since 2015 it's been in the "super-district" of Lisburn and Castlereagh. It's best known as the seat of linen manufacture in Ireland; but it's also notorious as the site of the former Long Kesh or Maze prison. With a population of 45,370 in 2011, Lisburn was officially dubbed a "city" in 2002 but this is just ceremonial. Not only does it continue to feel like a town, but "city" hereabouts means the metropolis of Belfast 9 miles north; so a town is how it's described on this page.

Mystery cloaks Lisburn's Irish name of Lios na gCearrbhach, which means "ring-fort of the gamblers". Excavations have not revealed whether the gambling resembled Texas hold 'em, Craps, or a version of the Three Card Trick using megaliths.

The Visitor Information Centre is on The Square next to the bus station, open M-Sa 9AM-5:30PM.

Understand
Linen is a textile produced from flax. It was produced at least 30,000 years ago from wild flax, and since 9000 years ago from a domesticated species Linum usitatissimum, which became cultivated throughout the Old World. Linen is strong and absorbent, pleasantly cool to the touch, and can be given a lustrous shine. So it's made into garments and bedding, though it's tricky to work and production is laborious. By the Middle Ages flax was grown and processed in Ireland but the leading centres were along the lower Rhine, in what is now Germany, Netherlands and Belgium. In 1685 the Edict of Fontainebleau revoked religious tolerance of French Protestants, which they had enjoyed since the 1598 Edict of Nantes. This led to the flight of the Protestants (called Huguenots) to Britain and Ireland. They included many skilled weavers and brought with them improved methods of production. Notable among them was Louis Crommelin (1652-1727), who settled in Lisburn and built up the linen industry throughout Ireland; he's buried in the cathedral graveyard. Production scaled up from rural craft through cottage industry to large mills, and Victorian Lisburn was "Linenopolis" much as Manchester was "Cottonopolis" and Dundee was "Juteopolis." (See also Banbridge for early mill automation, which paved the way for computers and robots.) In the 20th century trade withered with cheap foreign imports and the development of artificial fibres. Linen lost its mass market but continued to be used for upmarket tailoring, and Irish linen nowadays uses imported flax.

Get in
Lisburn is just over 9 miles southwest of Belfast. There's a free Park & Ride at Sprucefield (M1 junction 8) though it's intended for commuters into Belfast.

Trains run every 30 min from Bangor via several Belfast stations to Lisburn (30 min), and continue to Lurgan and Portadown.

The Belfast-Dublin Enterprise trains don't stop here (except for one weekend train), change at Portadown.

is north side of town centre. Both platforms are wheelchair accessible. Trains also stop at the north edge of town at.

Ulsterbus 551 / 538 runs every 30 min from Belfast Europa bus station to Lisburn (40 min). Bus 538 continues to Hillsborough, Banbridge, and occasionally to Newry. Bus 551 continues to Moira, Lurgan and Craigavon, and occasionally to Portadown. You could also take Ulsterbus 22 / 23 / 24, which runs to Lisburn from Belfast every hour or two via Tullynacross and Drumbeg (40 min). Change at Portadown for buses from Cavan, Monaghan, Armagh and Omagh.

Ulsterbus 109A runs hourly M-Sa from Antrim town via Belfast International Airport (, aka Aldergrove) and Crumlin to Lisburn.

Bus 26 trundles three times M-F from Newcastle via Dundrum, Ballynahinch and Hillsborough to Lisburn, taking 1 hr 15 min.

Expressway Bus X1 runs every couple of hours from Dublin Busáras and Airport via Newry and Banbridge, halting at Sprucefield retail park at the south edge of Lisburn on its way into Belfast.

is south side of town centre.

Get around
The town is compact and walkable. You need wheels for outlying places such as the racetrack and various golf courses. See above for buses to Hillsborough.

National Cycleway 9 runs mostly on-road from Belfast to Lisburn, Craigavon and Portadown then off-road to Scarva and Newry, with other routes branching off across Armagh and Tyrone.

See

 * Christ Church Cathedral is on Castle St 100 yards east of the Linen Centre. It's Church of Ireland and completed in 1719 on the site of earlier churches that burned down.
 * Castle Gardens are a bosky green space on the north river bank. Nothing remains of the castle, a Plantation-era mansion.
 * Wallace Park is the larger, more open green space a couple of blocks north, 200 yards east of the railway station. The ring-fort (the one with the gamblers) was north side of the park, but the only sign of it now is the street name Fort Hill.
 * , 3 miles west of Lisburn, is a bizarre illustration of the best and worst of Northern Ireland. It's a former RAF base, in use 1940-47 mainly as an aircraft assembly plant. Long Kesh along with other wartime bases in this region enabled the RAF to operate out in the Atlantic beyond the range of planes based in Great Britain, to protect Allied convoys and attack U-boats.
 * - Ulster Aviation Society has an aviation museum with some 54 heritage aircraft and vehicles. Enter via Gate 3, east side off 94 Halftown Road.
 * - Maze Prison or "H-Blocks" began in 1971 as Long Kesh Detention Centre. In a dawn raid the British arrested 342 suspected paramilitary terrorists, and "interned" them - detained them without trial in Nissen huts on the disused airfield. The arrests were solely of supposed IRA members, with no action against loyalists; they let slip many republicans while incarcerating others with no IRA involvement; they practiced interrogation techniques little different from torture, and systematically abused the detainees. To official surprise, this didn't end terrorism in Ulster but sparked an escalation of violence. Internment without trial ended in 1975, and a permanent prison HMP Maze was built. It was named for the nearby village of Maze not for fiendish security, but it became known as H-blocks for the plan of its cells. Those held protested that they were political prisoners not criminals, and refused prison discipline. Protests included "the blanket" (refusing to wear prison garb), smearing the cells with excrement, and hunger strikes, with Bobby Sands and nine others starving themselves to death. In 1983 there was a mass escape of 38 prisoners, and 19 were never recaptured. But over the following years there was less paramilitary violence, the regime at the Maze stabilised, and it closed in 2000. Various grand plans for redevelopment of the site have so far come to little. So you can gaze through the fencing and the buddleia; that's close enough.
 * - Eikon is an exhibition centre on the east of the site, enter by Halftown Road. Balmoral Park showgrounds are also here.
 * - Eikon is an exhibition centre on the east of the site, enter by Halftown Road. Balmoral Park showgrounds are also here.

 * See for the attractive village and castle four miles southwest of Lisburn.
 * See Downpatrick for Rowallane Garden in Saintfield.

Do

 * Omniplex Cinema is on the leisure park southwest side of town.
 * Lagan towpath starts by The Island, which is created by a short canal cut and lock system off the river. The towpath follows the river downstream for 11 miles to central Belfast. It's a firm path throughout, on the south or east bank as far as Dixon Park at the edge of the city. Watch out for speeding cyclists. Upstream from Lisburn, the Lagan canal formerly connected to Lough Neagh, but that route is derelict.
 * Down Royal Golf Club is north of the racecourse on Dunygarten Road; Lisburn Golf Club is on A1 south of Sprucefield Retail Park.
 * Balmoral Agricultural Show is held on Balmoral Park, the former Long Kesh. It's normally in May.
 * Down Royal Golf Club is north of the racecourse on Dunygarten Road; Lisburn Golf Club is on A1 south of Sprucefield Retail Park.
 * Balmoral Agricultural Show is held on Balmoral Park, the former Long Kesh. It's normally in May.
 * Balmoral Agricultural Show is held on Balmoral Park, the former Long Kesh. It's normally in May.

Buy
Lisburn has lots of shopping to serve its own population, a large army base, and the outlying county.

Bow Street Mall is the main mall in town, northwest corner of the centre. Sprucefield is the edge-of-town retail park, south by M1 junctions 7 and 8.

Eat

 * There are budget food places west along Longstone St, south on the leisure park, and east on Bridge St and Seymour Rd.

Drink

 * Bar 15 is a welcoming place at the start of Bridge St, open Tu-Su noon-11PM, and there's a strip of others further along.
 * The Tap Room is within Hilden Brewery, see above.
 * Ruby Blue Spirits is a microdistillery and gastropub in Moira, midway between Lisburn and Lurgan. They distill potato vodka and fruit liqueurs; tours are available.
 * Distillery: Hinch Distillery five miles southeast towards Saintfield produces whiskey and gin and offers tours.
 * "Lisburn Distillery:" sorry, this is just the name of a local football team down in the minor leagues, who first scuffed a pudding-heavy ball along Belfast's Distillery Street in the days when Gladstone was Prime Minister.
 * "Lisburn Distillery:" sorry, this is just the name of a local football team down in the minor leagues, who first scuffed a pudding-heavy ball along Belfast's Distillery Street in the days when Gladstone was Prime Minister.

Connect
Lisburn has a good mobile and 4G signal from all UK carriers. As of Sept 2020, 5G has not reached this area.

Go next

 * Hillsborough 4 miles away is a scenic village, but the main draw is the Castle and gardens, the Royal residence in Northern Ireland.
 * Belfast needs several days to explore. You can easily day-trip from Lisburn by bus or train.
 * Dunmurry is a Small settlement and train stop beside Lisburn.
 * West is an industrial and commuter corridor through Lurgan, Craigavon and Portadown. Keep going west to Armagh, the ecclesiastic capital of Ireland, with two cathedrals and a prehistoric "fort" that was clearly a religious centre.

title: Lisburn


text:
Lishui

Lishui (丽水市) is a city in Zhejiang province.

Understand
The area now known as Lishui (丽水 Líshuǐ) has been populated since the Neolithic age. The current city of Lishui was founded in 589 AD during the reign of emperor Yang Jiang of the Sui dynasty as Chuzhou (处州). The name of Lishui is first attested in 621 as a county administered from Chuzhou. The name of the city finally got the name of Lishui during the Qing or Ming dynasty. During the Ming dynasty both pagodas by the city were built. During the Sino-Japanese war Lishui was the administrative capital of the non-occupied Zhejiang province after the fall of Hangzhou. The current administrative unit of Lishui City was created in 2000. The pronunciation of its first character is "lí" instead of the usual "lì".

By plane
Lishui has no airport of its own.

Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport  serves domestic and international flights. To transfer to Lishui, take a taxi or metro to Hangzhou East railway station and then travel by bullet train (approximately 1.5 hours). There are also 4 buses a day going straight from Lishui to Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport (around 3h 15min. Ticket ¥122).

Shanghai Hongqiao Airport. Serves domestic and some international destinations. Terminal 2 is attached to Hongqiao railway station, which is 3 hours by high-speed train from Lishui. From Terminal 1 there is a shuttle bus to Terminal 2, or take metro line two stops to the railway station.

Shanghai Pudong International Airport. The largest international airport in the vicinity of Lishui. Serves domestic and international flights from all over China and the world. To get to Lishui, first travel to Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station (about 1.5h subway ride from Pudong) and then take a bullet train to Lishui Station (3 hours).

Wenzhou Longwan International Airport serves domestic and international flights. There are services to airports throughout China. The airport is on the east side of the city. To travel to Lishui, first go to Wenzhou South station and then travel by bullet train for approximately 35 minutes.

By bus
Public buses run fairly often depending on the route. Single and double-digit buses cost ¥1.5 (or ¥1.2 with prepaid bus card) in coins or bills (no change given). Board the bus, drop the coins in the machine or beep your card and you're set. Longer distance buses (often with 3 digits) cost ¥3–4.

By taxi
Taxis are easy to find around most major sites. Fares start at ¥8. Within the city, you'll pay between ¥8-25. Taxi drivers are honest but very few speak English. To make it easy on your taxi driver, show them the name and address in Chinese.

Around Liandu

 * Kuocang Ancient Rd. (括苍古道) - old mountain path connecting two Lishui counties. Path leads through mountain tops, old villages and temples, from Jinyun (access by long-distance bus - you need to tell the driver to drop you at Kuocang Gudao) to the outskirts of Lishui, where you can board 305 bus to the city center. Hike takes 5-6h.
 * Kuocang Ancient Rd. (括苍古道) - old mountain path connecting two Lishui counties. Path leads through mountain tops, old villages and temples, from Jinyun (access by long-distance bus - you need to tell the driver to drop you at Kuocang Gudao) to the outskirts of Lishui, where you can board 305 bus to the city center. Hike takes 5-6h.

Hiking

 * Baiyun Shan (白云山 - Chinese 'the Mountain of the White Clouds'). Large mountain park in the Northern part of Lishui. Many paved hiking trails with occasional pavilions, providing shelter from rain. Large Buddhist temple at the top. At the foot of the mountain, there is a small museum about rock carving, a large pottery shop and a few stalls and restaurants. Nice place for morning coffee. Access by bus bus no 1. Just hop on the bus going North and get off at the last stop. You can't miss it. Free entry.
 * Nanming Shan (南明山 - Chinese 'the Mountain of the Southern Brightness'). Mountain south of the city that is popular with locals. There is an old temple, rock carvings, waterfalls, koi fish ponds and an outdoor gym on the top of the mountain with fantastic views of the city. You can reach it by taking bus number 1 South. The mountain is at the very last stop. Free entry.

Cope
Lishui has much better air quality than the rest of China. It is also cleaner and the people are very friendly. Traffic is much safer as people drive more carefully and have more respect for traffic rules than the rest of China. However, the tap water in Lishui is not potable. Most large places will have Western toilets and smaller places might have a Western toilet as the handicapped option. Bring your own toilet paper and hand soap and if there's a bin beside the toilet then use that as most toilets cannot handle paper. International credit cards are generally not accepted so carry plenty of cash. ICBC, CCB and Bank of China ATMs are best for international withdrawals.

title: Lishui


text:
Lisle

Lisle is a village in DuPage County, Illinois, with a 2010 population of 22,000.

By train
Lisle is served by one station on Metra's BNSF Line.

Get around
The best way to get around is by car.

title: Lisle


text:
Lismore

There is more than one place called Lismore:

Australia

 * Lismore (New South Wales) — a town in New South Wales

Ireland

 * Lismore (Ireland) — a town in County Waterford

United Kingdom

 * Isle of Lismore — an island in the Inner Hebrides, Scotland

title: Lismore


text:
Lismore (Ireland)

Lismore is a village in County Waterford in Ireland. It's on the banks of the River Blackwater in the northwest corner of the county, near the boundaries with Cork and Tipperary. It's a small place, with a population in 2016 of 1374, yet has a graceful castle, gardens and cathedral. Several mansions and gardens open to the public are dotted around the countryside between Lismore and the even smaller village of Cappoquin. There are also active monasteries and convents, though only one can be visited.

Understand
Lismore in Irish is Lios Mór, "great ringfort": this prehistoric settlement was on the hillside to the north but nothing remains of it. In the 7th century St Carthage (or Mochuda) founded a monastery. In 1171 Henry II of England stayed in the monastery and his son King John built a small castle on the site, which became the seat of the local bishop. The area was part of the huge territory held by the Earls of Desmond, but after the revolt of the 15th Earl, Queen Elizabeth I awarded it to Sir Walter Raleigh. He sold it (hurriedly, anticipating confiscation and execution) to Richard Boyle, First Earl of Cork. Boyle was an Elizabethan adventurer par excellence, who by marriage and property speculation amassed a substantial estate spanning east Cork and west Waterford. Lismore Castle was his principal seat and his son Robert Boyle, the physicist and chemist, was born here in 1627.

In 1753 the daughter of the 3rd Earl married the 4th Duke of Devonshire. The 19th century 6th Duke had the castle rebuilt in Gothic style, creating the version you see today. During this work, two remarkable medieval objects were found hidden in an old wall: the vellum Book of Lismore (now at Chatsworth House in Derbyshire) and a bishop's crozier (now in the National Museum in Dublin). The castle remains a private residence of the Dukes of Devonshire, though their main home is Chatsworth.

The Tourist Information Centre is Lismore Heritage Centre in the middle of the village. It's open M-F 09:00-17:30.

Get in
Public transport to Lismore is limited. There is no railway, and no direct bus from the cities. Bus 363 runs M-Sa hourly from Dungarvan via Cappoquin to Lismore and Tallow, with one bus a day (364) running west of Tallow to Fermoy. Dungarvan has hourly buses between Cork and Waterford; some continue to Wexford and Rosslare ferry port.

On timetables, the Lismore bus stop is called O'Dowds, which is Rosie O'Dowd's West End Bar.

By road from Dublin follow M8 towards Cork and branch off at Fermoy onto N72 east. Scenic alternatives over the hills from Cahir are described below.

Get around
The bus will get you between Lismore and Cappoquin. You need your own wheels to reach the mansions and gardens dotted around the countryside.

See

 * Castle Arts Centre main gallery is an outbuilding of the castle, included on the gardens ticket. There's a small permanent collection but mostly it's rotating exhibitions of modern art. Their second gallery is St Carthage Hall, by the church in village centre. This is open F-Su 12:00-17:00 and free.
 * St Carthage's Cathedral in village centre is Church of Ireland. Completed in 1679, it contains elaborate tombs, and Pre-Raphaelite stained glass windows by Edward Burne-Jones. The cathedral is named for the 7th century Saint Mo Chutu mac Fínaill or Carthach the Younger. Ejected from Rahan in County Offaly (perhaps in the dispute about calculation of the date of Easter), he travelled south and founded a monastery here.
 * St Carthage's Church just south is Roman Catholic, an attractive Italianate building.
 * is a scenic woodland 1 km east of Cappoquin.
 * is a crumbling medieval tower house overlooking the road through Tallow. That's close enough: it was owned in the 16th century by Sir Walter Raleigh but was already derelict by the 17th. A Georgian mansion next to it has taken the same name and is a private residence.
 * is a scenic woodland 1 km east of Cappoquin.
 * is a crumbling medieval tower house overlooking the road through Tallow. That's close enough: it was owned in the 16th century by Sir Walter Raleigh but was already derelict by the 17th. A Georgian mansion next to it has taken the same name and is a private residence.
 * is a crumbling medieval tower house overlooking the road through Tallow. That's close enough: it was owned in the 16th century by Sir Walter Raleigh but was already derelict by the 17th. A Georgian mansion next to it has taken the same name and is a private residence.
 * is a crumbling medieval tower house overlooking the road through Tallow. That's close enough: it was owned in the 16th century by Sir Walter Raleigh but was already derelict by the 17th. A Georgian mansion next to it has taken the same name and is a private residence.
 * is a crumbling medieval tower house overlooking the road through Tallow. That's close enough: it was owned in the 16th century by Sir Walter Raleigh but was already derelict by the 17th. A Georgian mansion next to it has taken the same name and is a private residence.
 * is a crumbling medieval tower house overlooking the road through Tallow. That's close enough: it was owned in the 16th century by Sir Walter Raleigh but was already derelict by the 17th. A Georgian mansion next to it has taken the same name and is a private residence.

Do

 * Lismore Golf Club is north of the river on the lane towards the Towers. White tees 5871 yards, par 69.
 * Knockmealdown Mountains are the range north of Lismore dividing County Waterford from County Tipperary. Knockmealdown itself, the highest, is 794 m. It's usually climbed from the Vee Gap, via Sugarloaf Hill at 663 m. None of the climbs are difficult, just wet and muddy.
 * The Vee Drive can be done as a scenic drive or cycle tour of 65 km from Lismore, or form a route to Cahir or Clonmel. For the best views make a clockwise circuit from Lismore, leaving northwards on the Clogheen road R668. The road climbs the wooded valley to the county boundary and the Vee Gap, with a great panorama of County Tipperary beyond. (Pity the horses: this was the old stagecoach route.) There are laybys for views, forest walks, and mountain trails. The road descends into Clogheen: for Cahir stay on R668, but the circuit turns east on R665 towards Clonmel - follow it to Ardfinnan. From there take either the direct lane southeast to Newcastle, or detour south to the attractive village of Goatenbridge then head east. From just west of Newcastle, take the lane south back over the hills into County Waterford, passing Mount Melleray monastery. Descend into Cappoquin and take the main road back to Lismore.
 * Angling: River Blackwater has salmon fishing 1 Feb - 30 Sept. There's also trout and various coarse freshwater fish. Ask at the Heritage Centre or your accommodation about permits and tackle.
 * Apply pressure while keeping temperature constant. Robert Boyle (1627-1691), born in Lismore Castle, made a huge contribution to the natural sciences, though he was just one of several behind what we now call Boyle's Law. Double the pressure on a fixed mass of gas, and you compress it into half its original volume; it re-expands as the pressure is released. Triple the pressure, you get a third of the volume, simple. That's at constant temperature, but under high pressure the gas becomes hot - what's going on? Boyle thought of matter as little particles covered in coiled springs - it took another 200 years for Boltzmann to understand both pressure and temperature as the kinetic energy of the gas molecules. And however much pressure Boyle's tutor applied, he couldn't get his head around Irish, though he quickly grasped French and Latin. And Ireland he found to be "a barbarous country where chemical spirits were so misunderstood and chemical instruments so unprocurable that it was hard to have any Hermetic thoughts in it." He left to conduct his best work in Oxford then London.

Buy

 * Lismore Farmers and Craft Market is on the avenue leading to the castle and gardens. It's held Apr-Oct on Sunday.
 * Centra store on Main St is open Su-Th 07:30-21:00, F Sa 07:30-22:00.

Eat

 * Foleys on the Mall is a restaurant and bar on East Main St, +353 58 72511. It's open Th-Tu 12:30-20:30.
 * Summerhouse Cafe is open W-Sa 10:00-16:00.
 * Richmond House in Cappoquin is an upmarket restaurant open W-Su 18:00-21:00, +353 58 54278. Built in 1704, it also has accommodation.
 * Barron's Bakery in Cappoquin is one of the few that still produces the "Waterford blaa" by the traditional method. It's a floury bread bun unique to this region - see County Waterford.

Drink

 * Rosie's West End Bar in Lismore serves food M-F 09:00-14:00.
 * Button's Bar is on Cappoquin Main St.
 * Blackwater Distillery is 5 km west of town on R666 past the Towers, producing gin, vodka and whiskey. Tours M W F at 11:00 and 14:00 cost €15 and must be pre-booked.

Sleep

 * B&B and glamping accommodation in and around town is closed until April 2021.
 * B&B and glamping accommodation in and around town is closed until April 2021.

Connect
As of Oct 2020, Three has the best signal and has 5G. Eir has a good mobile and 4G signal in town but there are dead spots in the surrounding countryside. Vodafone is poor and you'll be lucky to manage a mobile call.

Go next

 * Waterford is an old port with a rich Viking, medieval and Georgian heritage.
 * Cahir has an island castle and the playful Swiss Cottage.
 * Cashel is a remarkable religious complex teetering on a crag.

title: Lismore (Ireland)