Lisbon

  

  - darkometer rating:  2 -

   

The capital of Portugal is not only a great city to visit in its own right (it is in fact one of my favourites!), it also offers a few comparatively hidden gems for people interested in dark tourism.

    

More background info: Lisbon is a grand old city that was once the nerve centre of an entire colonialist empire. And there are references to this to be found in the city too (not least the rather pompous “Explorers’ Monument” in Belém – see below).

 

For more general historical background see also this stand-alone chapter on Portuguese History!

 

A particularly dark chapter in Lisbon’s history was the devastating earthquake of 1755, one of the worst to ever hit anywhere in Europe! The ruins of the Carmo Church that have been preserved still stand as a stark reminder of this catastrophe.
  
The city had suffered severe earthquakes before, but this was a disastrous event that shocked the rest of Europe. It remains one of the historically most significant such disasters in human history.

 
The rebuilding of the city created the entirely new district of Baixa, with its right-angled street grid pattern and representative monumental buildings on the waterfront around Praça do Comércio.

 
More recently, Lisbon, as the country's capital, was also the seat of the right-wing dictatorship regime that ruled the country for over 40 years. But it was also the place where this era was ended in the so-called Carnation Revolution of 1974 – see under history.

 
A major event for the city in modern times was the EXPO 1998 held in Lisbon, for which a whole new complex of ultra-modern architecture was built someway upriver on the banks of the Tagus River ("Tejo" in Portuguese).

 
Lisbon is not as big a metropolis as some other European capitals, with a bit over half a million inhabitants within the city area proper, and around three million in the whole metropolitan region. Some of the central districts are quite quaint and small, and characterized by narrow passages, unsuitable for vehicles, especially in the exotically atmospheric Alfama district.

 
The densely built-up nature of the Chiado district on the edge of the Bairro Alto, on the other hand, certainly exacerbated the destruction caused by the fires of 1988, which killed two firemen and made hundreds of people homeless. The Chiado fires are often regarded as Lisbon's worst disaster since the great earthquake of 1755. And again, some of the reconstruction afterwards has met with a fair amount of controversy, including from a commemoration and dark-tourism perspective (see below).

 

 
What there is to see: Lisbon is one my favourite cities in the world (see top-10 list) – for its very distinctive character, the cuisine (see under Portugal) and it also offers a few sites of interest from a dark-tourism perspective. The following are those sites given their own separate entry chapters here:

 

- Aljube ex-prison and resistance museum

 

- Cacilhas with abandoned shipyards

 

- S164 Barracuda

  

  
One further chance for adding something dark to Lisbon's tourism portfolio has simply been missed, namely with regard to the former HQ of the PIDE secret service of the Salazar regime, which used to be in Rua António Maria Cardoso in the Bairro Alto/Chiado district. Old-timers can recall hearing the screams of those tortured in the interrogation cells in the basement of the building during those dark days. It was also here that the old guard had their last stand, as it were, during the 1974 Carnation Revolution of 25 April, when protesters surrounded the building and PIDE agents opened fire. Doing so they claimed the last few victims of the dictatorship, killing four and wounding several others. It was, however, the last such murderous event … the dictatorship could not be saved any longer. After the Carnation Revolution, the PIDE was disbanded and the building abandoned. It was damaged during the Chiado fires of 1988 and stood derelict for years. Then a refurbishment and conversion plan was undertaken – but not conversion into an adequate memorial museum, as some campaigners had demanded, but into upmarket flats. You can still find an old memorial plaque on the wall dedicated to the four victims shot dead on 25 April 1974 (their names are given). It was put up on the sixth anniversary of the event in 1980. A much newer bilingual metal plaque outside the northern end of the building provides some brief background info in Portuguese and English. But that's it – the building as such is not accessible to the public and contains no commodification of its historic role.

   

A kind of secondary (maybe tertiary?) site from a dark tourism perspective, but a major landmark of modern Lisbon by any account, is the large suspension bridge across the Tagus River (it is often compared to the somewhat similar Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, USA). This iconic Lisbon bridge is now called the "Ponte 25 de Abril" – after the date of the Carnation Revolution that ended Portugal's 40-year dictatorship in 1974. Before the revolution, it used to be called "Ponte Salazar", after the dictator himself, under whose reign this technological marvel had been commissioned.

  
A similar such "secondary" dark site, and a well-known icon of Lisbon and Portugal at large, is the Explorers' Monument, or Padrao dos Descobrimentos, in Belém, which was inaugurated by Salazar in 1960. Its odd shape is supposed to be reminiscent of the bow of a ship. For that, however, it is a bit ungainly crowded with statues/reliefs of all sorts of kings, saints, captains and what have you.

 
It's not far from yet another iconic building (and prime guidebook cover page image material), the famous UNESCO World Heritage site of the  Torre de Belém – an exuberantly ornate fortified tower looking out over the river estuary and into the Atlantic. Not really a dark site as such, except perhaps for the former dungeon part in the vaulted bottom level of the tower with its cannons … (Tue-Sun 9:30-17:30h, 15€).

 
The Military Museum (Tue-Fri, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sat/Sun 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 to 5 p.m., last admission 4 p.m.; 3 EUR, no photography) may be of vaguely dark interest too. It features  some coverage of the Colonial Wars in the 1960s and 70s, but mostly it's the usual celebratory display of uniforms, paintings and weapons, in particular ancient artillery and insignia. The best bit is the building itself and its truly elaborate tiles adorning large parts of the interior. Many of these depict various war scenes, of course, and there are also a few telling images of the colonies (with inherent racism more than just a vague hint). The most "modern" parts of the artefact collections are those covering World War One (Portugal stayed out of WWII). The Colonial Wars are otherwise rather under-represented. So unless you are a true militaria buff (especially with a predilection for all things mediaeval), the museum's contents are hardly all that thrilling. It's really just a rather old-fashioned, stuffy, and frankly quite boring old museum. Another serious drawback for the foreign visitor is the fact that all labels and texts are in Portuguese only, so without knowledge of the language you won't get much in the way of information/education out of this museum at all. Being located near the Santa Apolónia station (the current western terminus of the blue metro line), however, it combines well explorating of the atmospheric Alfama district (see below).

 
Although somewhat out of the usual time frame for dark tourism (see the concept of dark tourism), the ruins of the Igreja do Carmo, a large Gothic church which mostly collapsed in the 1755 earthquake, are a sobering sight, and thus also an aptly dark site of sorts. The site doubles up as an archaeological museum, featuring, amongst many other things, a model of the church before its destruction, various tombstones and even two mummies. Unfortunately, however, it means that these days an admission fee is charged, which you have to pay even if you only want to see the roofless ruins from the inside of the ex-church (7 EUR, Mon-Sat 10 a.m. to 6 p.m./7 p.m. in summer).

 

When I was last in Lisbon in January 2025, I also noticed numerous references on plaques and buildings to the 50th anniversary of the 1974 Carnation Revolution, but how many of these will stay in place longer term remains to be seen.

 

All in all, Lisbon may not be a true top-notch dark-tourism destination, but what it does have to offer is pretty unusual and the city is very much worth a visit. I already want to definitely go back yet another time …

 

 
Location: near the mouth of the Tagus River (Tejo in Portuguese), a few miles upriver from where the estuary meets the Atlantic Ocean, and mostly occupying the river's northern side; in south-western Portugal.

 

Google maps locators:

    
Ex-PIDE HQ: [38.7084,-9.1426]

 
Military museum: [38.7132,-9.1242]

 
Explorers' monument in Belém: [38.6937,-9.2057]

  

Ponte 25 de Abril: [38.6906, -9.1776]

 

Igreja do Carmo: [38.71214, -9.1404]

 

Elevador de Santa Justa: [38.7122, -9.1394]

 

Castelo de Sao Jorge: [38.7140, -9.1335]

 

Praça do Comércio: [38.7076, -9.1365]

 

MAAT: [38.696, -9.194]

 

EXPO: [38.772, -9.093]

 

Santa Apolónia train station: [38.7139, -9.1229]

 

 
Access and costs: easy to get to (at least by plane, less so overland; still not quite as expensive as some other European capital cities.

 

Details: Unless you live in Spain, Portugal is rather far away from other European locations, so most people will get there by plane. Various airlines, including Portugal's national carrier TAP, connect Lisbon to a wide range of destinations/departure points. In theory it is also possible to travel to Lisbon by train, but that is naturally quite a lot more time-consuming. The same goes for driving, and once in Lisbon, a car would rather be a hindrance than an asset. If you do get to Lisbon by train you’ll most likely arrive at the Santa Apolónia station just east of the Alfama. It’s also from this station that you can get trains to Porto and the rest of the country.

 
Getting around: the core districts of Lisbon are pretty much walkable, although the funiculars and lifts that connect lower-lying parts of the city with the Bairro Alto are a welcome relief from climbing lots of steps, which exploring a hilly place like this naturally entails. The metro is more for connecting to the suburbs, used mainly by commuters. Although the "Oriente" line is useful for tourists too, since it goes all the way to the Expo '98 area/Parque das Nacoes.  

 
The cheap, efficient and safe metro of Lisbon had originally been more intended for connecting to the suburbs, i.e. to be used mainly by commuters. However, the red line in particular is eminently useful for tourists too, since it has been extended all the way to the airport. This makes the transfer to the city centre a breeze (and very cheap). The same line is also good for getting to the Expo '98 area/Parque das Nações. And the blue line is good for some city centre routes and for getting to the Santa Apolónia train station.

 

To use the metro you have to purchase an electronic card (50 euro cents, as such valid for a year) called "navegante occasional", which you have to top up at the ticketing machines, for a certain amount and/or ticket type. You can get either a single-ride ticket, a 24h travel pass or, most convenient, a pay-as-you-go “zapping” card that is valid not only on the metro but also on most trams and buses and some ferries (including the one across the river to Cacilhas!). When I was last in Lisbon I topped my card up for 10€, which was sufficient for four days of occasional journeys (averaging two a day). If you run out of credit it’s easy to top up the card at ticket machines or booths. The cards are not transferable, so everybody in a party of travellers will have to have their own card.

  

You need to tap your card on the electronic card readers on board buses and trams, or, in the case of the metro and ferries, at the stations' entrance and exit barriers. 

 
A particularly endearing way of getting around are the old-fashioned iconic trams, called Electricos, although there are also more modern contemporary trams, including ones that go along the Tagus all the way to Belém (see above). Electricos line No. 28 is popular as it famously connects most of Lisbon's tourist areas (even including access to the narrow and steep streets of the Alfama) and thus serves as a kind of easy sightseeing city tour. Unfortunately, this has made the 28 line so overly popular with tourists that the cars can get very full and may not have any space left when you want to board.

 

The best way of getting around the very centre, the Barrio Alto and especially the Alfama is walking, provided you are halfway mobile as in particular the Alfama involves lots of often steep sets of steps. But it’s part of the fun of exploring the district, including getting a bit lost occasionally (it’s easily done in fact).

 
Accommodation options range widely from cheap and cheerful pensions and hostels to upmarket hotels. There are some real good value lower mid-range options in very central locations. Some thorough advance research can pay off.

 

As for food and drink, Lisbon can be heavenly, especially if you like traditional Portuguese dishes – see under Portugal for some dishes to look out for in particular. Be aware, though, that there are plenty of overpriced tourist-trap establishments near the top attractions (such as Praça do Comércio). Better stay away from those. As a rule of thumb: if a restaurant has staff outside holding menus under your nose trying to lure you in – resist and move on! For some real gems of Portuguese speciality restaurants you may have to travel a bit out of the very heart of the city, e.g. to the Expo. If you’d like some more concrete eating-out tips for Lisbon, contact me.

 

As for drinks, you’re never far away from a coffee or a glass of wine or, of course, port in Lisbon; the city’s newer craft-beer scene, however, requires a bit more research in order to find the best places. In particular, I discovered a cluster of interesting taprooms in a former warehouse district that’s been converted into all sorts of modern businesses and galleries just south of the Palácio da Mitra in the Beato district north of Santa Apolónia and south of the EXPO – requiring a bus ride, but it’s well worth it.

 

 
Time required: To see just the places highlighted above, two or three days may just about suffice, but the city deserves more time, especially if you also want to venture out away from the touristy centre. I’ve been to Lisbon three times by now, always for only three or four days but feel that there’d be lots more to discover on future return trips.

 

 
Combinations with other dark destinations: Peniche, home to the main memorial museum about the Salazar dictatorship and the resistance against it (see history), is only about an hour’s drive (or bus ride) away to the north-west of Lisbon. The Capela dos Ossos in Evora can also be reached from Lisbon fairly easily, either by car (Evora is about 75 miles/120 km to the east just south of the main A6 / IP7 (E90) motorway) or by bus or train (ca. 2 hours).

 

Looking much further afield, Lisbon is also a good jumping-off point for flights to Africa (e.g. Senegal, Cape Verde or Ghana). Within Europe, Spain obviously makes for the easiest combination …

 

 
Combinations with non-dark destinations: The city is so full of sights and other attractions that it would be way beyond the scope of this chapter to attempt listing them all here. There are other websites and guidebooks that do that. Here I will only pick out a few options:

 
An extraordinary architectural/technological little marvel is the Elevador de Santa Justa, a richly decorated, neo-Gothic style, iron tower housing a lift (two actually) connecting the lower Baixa part of town with the Largo do Carmo in the hilltop Chaido district. A horizontal walkway leads from the top level of the lift straight to the ruins of the Igreja do Carmo (see above). I used the lift the first two times I was in Lisbon, but on my most recent return visit in January 2025, so still rather off-season, I found massive queues at the bottom of the lift, so I used the stairs instead. Anyway, in order to appreciate the structure as such you don’t need to use the lift – in fact you see it better from outside the lift.

   

For me one of the best things to do in Lisbon is just wandering about in the Alfama, the oldest and also most "olde worlde" district of Lisbon just east of the centre. It's almost a bit like time travel combined with teleportation into a North African medina quarter. Tiny narrow alleyways and stairs form a maze that is a delight to get lost in. Orange trees brighten up little squares, local traders go about their business in tiny shops, and it all feels quite "exotic" and un-European so that you might think you're much further away …

 

The Alfama is also the principal home to many an establishment specializing in Fado, by the way, is the traditional music style that is quintessentially Lisbon – characterized mostly by a mournful singing style, accompanied by classical guitar and sometimes other string instruments. There is even a Fado Museum at the bottom of the Alfama (Largo do Chafariz de Dentro 1, Tue-Sun 10-18h, 5€). I’ve never been to any of those, but it seems to be something that many other tourists are more than keen to experience, so I thought I had to mention it here in passing at least.

  

Towering over the entire city centre at the top of the hill that the Alfama occupies is the Castelo de Sao Jorge, which really is worth the climb just for the views. Some of the restoration of the battlements was apparently undertaken on the orders of dictator Salazar – but you wouldn't know that from just wandering about this peaceful spot and enjoying the views.

   
Back at the bottom of the hill, at 34 Rua dos Bacalhoeiros ('cod fishermen street'!) is  a tiny, wonderfully old-fashioned shop specializing exclusively in tinned fish. It's appropriately named Conserveira de Lisboa. Time stands still here – the shop was founded in 1930, and stepping inside is like time travel back to those days. The tins of fish stacked high on the dark-wooden shelves are in retro paper wrappers, and purchases aren't put in plastic bags but wrapped neatly in brown paper and string, unhurriedly and reverentially. The choice of tinned fish is enormous – if you happen to like tinned sardines (like I do) then this is Mecca. They also have tuna, mackerel, squid, etc. … I visited this little gem on my first two visits to Lisbon, when it was pretty much unique. On my most recent visit (in January 2025) I noticed that a whole host of new shops selling tinned sardines and the like as souvenirs specifically targeted at tourists had mushroomed everywhere (also in Porto). While it is nice that this type of product is clearly selling well, those flashy new shops do seem a bit artificial compared to their historic ancestor at 34 Rua dos Bacalhoeiros – I’d always give preference to that original one.

   

Most mainstream tourists hardly ever venture out of the touristy centre with the Beixa, Bairro Alto and Alfama districts – with one notable exception: Belém, a few miles out to the west closer to the estuary of the Tagus. A main reason to get out there is of course the iconic Torre de Belém (see above).

 
Also out in Belém, another UNESCO World Heritage Site is the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos ('Monastery of the Hieronymites') – for me the grandest of the many historical architectural gems in Lisbon. Mainstream cultural tourism at its very best. The OTT decorated facades especially on the portal and the cloisters are genuinely stunning. Historical gravitas is also added through the tomb of the great Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama. Next door the Jardim do Ultramar, tropical botanical gardens, offer some peaceful wandering about – and you can spot a replica of a pagoda and gate from Macao, as the most obvious link to Portugal's colonial heritage.

 
Yet another touristy thing well worth doing when in Belém is to pop into the Casa Pastéis de Belém, a huge cavernous, labyrinthine cafe serving (amongst other things) the eponymous little Pastel de Belém (also known as "pastel de nata") pastries. Even if you're not normally a cake person, it's worth going just for the place itself and the atmosphere.  

 

Not far from Belém is also one of the newer attractions of Lisbon, the MAAT (Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology, Wed-Mon 10-19h), housed partially in an ultra-modern new structure, and partially in an old decommissioned thermoelectric power station. They even do tours of the parts of the power plant not otherwise accessible. For someone like me who is also quite into industrial archaeology, this will be a must-do next time I’m in Lisbon.

 
Those really into modern architecture mustn't miss the Expo 98 area north-east of the centre in Beirolas. Apart from marvelling at the decidedly ultra-modern buildings (from the Oriente train station to the Parque das Nações and the Torre Vasco da Gama) you can also go on a ride in the cable car alongside the waterfront and look out to the modern Vasco da Gama suspension bridge (the second longest in Europe). To the south of the complex is Lisbon's Oceanário, one of the world's greatest aquariums. 

 

Finally, it sadly has to be mentioned that Lisbon, like Barcelona, Amsterdam and other tourism hotspots before it, has begun to suffer a bit from “overtourism”. I first visited Lisbon in the early 2000s and on my most recent revisit in January 2025 it became clear that a significant increase in tourism had left its mark and changed the city, e.g. in the ever increasing number of souvenir shops/stalls, guided tours and those peddled rickshaw “taxis” that seem to unavoidably come with mainstream tourism these days. In early January it wasn’t so bad yet, though there were particular spots that got seriously crowded (e.g. the Elevador de Santa Justa – see above). But I wonder what it must be like in peak season nowadays. I would advise avoiding those more popular times when contemplating a visit to Lisbon these days.