Chiado, Bairro Alto and Viewpoints Guided Walking Tour Lisbon

Bairro Alto and the São Pedro de Alcântara viewpoint

Bairro Alto, the Upper Quarter, was laid out in the early sixteenth century on a hill west of the centre, with straight streets that were modern for their time. Printers and newspapers settled here, and after the 1755 earthquake families from the ruined lower town moved in, starting its renewal. By day it is quiet and full of tiled facades and laundry lines; after dark it becomes the liveliest quarter of the city.

At its edge lies the São Pedro de Alcântara garden, a terrace with fountains, busts and a tiled map of the city. From here the view sweeps over Baixa to the castle walls, Graça and the river beyond. It is the first of the Lisbon viewpoints on this walk and a perfect place to understand the shape of the city before you walk through it.

São Roque Church

Built by the Jesuits in the sixteenth century, São Roque was one of the first Jesuit churches in the world. Its plain façade hides an interior covered in gilded woodwork, painted ceilings and blue and white tiles, a showcase of Mannerist and Baroque art that survived the 1755 earthquake almost intact.

The guide leads you to the most precious corner, the Chapel of St John the Baptist, assembled in Rome from marble, lapis lazuli, gilt bronze and mosaics and shipped to Lisbon in the eighteenth century. Entry to the church is free, and the visit takes a short while before you continue downhill. São Roque is easy to miss from the street, which is one more reason this walking tour of Lisbon history is worth joining.

Carmo Convent and Chiado

The Carmo Convent was founded in the fourteenth century and became the largest Gothic church in Lisbon. When the earthquake struck on the morning of 1 November 1755, its roof collapsed during Mass, and the tall arches have stood open to the sky ever since. Today the nave is a haunting ruin and the old apse houses a small archaeological museum.

The square outside, Largo do Carmo, played a central role on 25 April 1974, when the peaceful Carnation Revolution ended nearly fifty years of dictatorship. A few steps away begins Chiado, the elegant district of historic cafés, bookshops and theatres, rebuilt with care after a fire in 1988. The Chiado and Bairro Alto walking tour section ends here before the route descends to the lower town.

Santa Justa Lift and Baixa

The Santa Justa Lift, opened in 1902, is a tower of wrought iron in Gothic Revival style that links Baixa with Largo do Carmo. Its lattice of arches and spiral stairs makes it one of the most unusual landmarks of Lisbon, and the walkway at the top offers a fine view of the castle and the river.

Below lies Baixa, the lower town rebuilt after 1755 on a regular grid of streets with buildings designed to resist future earthquakes, among the first in Europe. The guide shows you its main squares and the pedestrian Rua Augusta. Here the group stops for a short break with coffee and cake, a welcome pause before the second half of the walk.

The tram ride to Portas do Sol

Rather than climbing the steepest hill on foot, you board one of Lisbon's historic yellow trams, which rattle up narrow streets past the cathedral towards the castle hill. The ride itself is a small adventure, with the tram squeezing between houses and around tight corners.

You step off at Portas do Sol, named after one of the gates of the old Moorish walls. The terrace looks over the jumbled roofs of Alfama to the Tagus, with the white façade of the São Vicente de Fora Monastery and the great dome of the National Pantheon on the skyline. The Pantheon took so long to finish, until 1966, that its name became a local saying for any never-ending job.

Alfama and Lisbon Cathedral

Alfama is the oldest neighbourhood of Lisbon, a maze of stairways, arches and tiny squares that keeps the layout of the Moorish town. Built on solid rock, it largely survived the 1755 earthquake. It is the cradle of fado, the soulful Portuguese song, and every June its streets fill with decorations and the scent of grilled sardines for the festival of St Anthony.

The guide leads you downhill through its lanes to the end of the tour at Lisbon Cathedral, the Sé. Begun in the mid-twelfth century, soon after the city was taken by Portuguese forces, it looks like a fortress with two crenellated towers. For many visitors the Alfama walking tour section is the best part of the afternoon, and you can stay on to explore afterwards.