Lisbon's Most Overlooked Things to Do

Portugal's cosmopolitan capital of Lisbon offers its visitors no shortage of things to do. From its gorgeous examples of Manueline architecture, such as the Tower of Belem or the Jeronimos Monastery, to its fine food and vibrant nightlife, Lisbon really is the sort of place which has a little something for everyone. Yet in the midst of all its offerings, some of the best facets of Lisbon are often either overlooked or forgotten. These are some of the best, and yet also the most overlooked things to do in Lisbon.

1. Visit the National Tileworks Museum (Museu Nacional do Azulejo)

Azulejos, or decorative tiles, are a staple of Portuguese design, and the National Tileworks Museum offers an impressive collection of this decorative art form, covering all the major styles of tilework from the 15th century to the modern era. Among the collection is Portugal's largest surviving azulejo, a 118-foot long panorama of Lisbon from the 1730s. The building housing the collection, a convent dating to 1509 with a richly decorated Baroque church, is almost as impressive.

The reason the azulejos museum is so often overlooked is not because of its contents, but its location. Getting there requires either taking the #104 bus from Praca do Comercio, the #105 from Praca da Figueira, or walking a mile due east from Santa Apolonia train station.

2. Drink Ginja with the Immigrants
For a particularly Lisbonian treat in people watching, go to the Rossio between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. on a weekday and visit the northeast corner of the plaza. This is where many immigrants from Portugal's former African colonies congregate after work for a happy hour of ginja, a Portuguese cherry liquor. Enjoy a shot or two of ginja yourself and enjoy the atmosphere of this special bit of local color.

3. Take in a Thursday Night Bullfight
Bullfights are held at Lisbon's Campo Pequeno every Thursday night. Portuguese-style bullfighting differs from the Spanish model in that it is much less gory, as the bull is not killed on stage. Furthermore, fans of horses will find the equestrian display of the Cavaleiros and their Luistanos horses to be a magical experience. Even those who are utterly repelled by the idea of a spectator bloodsport can still participate, because every bullfight at Campo Pequeno is attended by its own demonstration by Lisbon's animal rights activists.

4. Visit the Gulbenkian Museum
The Gulbenkian is the city's most important cultural center, making it a wonder that it is not better known internationally and not visited by more tourists. Situated amid a shady, leafy green park in the newer part of downtown Lisbon, the main collection of this museum presents a dazzling sampling of every major phase of both Eastern and Western art. Across the park is the Centro de Arte Moderna, which focuses on modern Portuguese art. In addition to the works on display, the Gulbenkian houses three concert halls and is the base for a city orchestra, so some sort of performance is almost always going on there.

5. Stroll in Monsanto
Monsanto Park is the city's largest green space, a 2,470-acre forested area perched on a hill between the city proper and the suburbs. Getting there requires either riding the bus, renting a car or taking the taxi, but it is also the most visitor-friendly place in the city to stretch the legs and go for a walk in the woods. This is not only because of the plentiful tree shade, the quiet and the views of the Tagus, but also because the trails in Monsanto are well-marked. Unlike other nearby parks (Sintra, for example), it is very hard to get lost in Monsanto.