Lisbon Livin’
Martin Ciesielski | Article and Photographs
As Europe’s second oldest capital city, Lisbon’s array
of cultural destinations rivals any urban area in the
world. Presently, Lisbon — or Lisboa, as they call it in
Portuguese — is a cosmopolitan area of 2.8 million
people situated on the Rio Tagus only seventeen
kilometres from the Atlantic Ocean. Lisbon’s pulse
beats strongest in the downtown’s praças or plazas
of Rossio, Figueira, and Restauradores where the
majority of visitors stay. The city’s canvas is painted
by Roman, Moorish, and European brushes. However,
the broadest stroke was painted by the epic 1755
earthquake with its ensuing fi re and tsunami. Much
of Lisbon was destroyed and had to be rebuilt with
earthquake resistant buildings. The lower city centre
Baixa neighbourhood was laid out in a simple grid
pattern, which makes for leisurely navigation. The
other neighbourhoods are built on Lisbon’s ‘seven
hills’ and each has its own personality.
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Palace da Pena, Sintra
Lisbon’s Pink Street