Over the weekend we had the chance to explore two cities in the south east of England that have a fair amount in common. Both are a short train ride from London; both have enough olde worlde buildings to be regularly used as a filming location for period dramas; and of particular relevance to this post, both can lay claim to being home to a famous name whose legacy is known throughout the world.

Yet the contrast in how these two cities promote their star attractions could not be sharper. Rochester, a 40 minute trip along the high speed line from St Pancras, makes much of its Charles Dickens connections. Wander along the high street and you’ll see a plaque on every other building. On one building is the nun’s house from Edwin Drood; on the next is Satis House from Great Expectations; here is Mr Sapsea’s home; wonder into the Guildhall and you’ll learn about Pip and his apprenticeship. Every link to a story is clearly marked while the Visitor Centre and Guildhall make a big show of every possible aspect of the life of Dickens as well as that of his many well-known characters.

The next day we took the opportunity to explore St Albans during the annual Residents First weekend. I was keen to see the old house of Samuel Ryder, a name known around the sporting world for his sporting legacy. In 1927 he set up the first golf match between Great Britain and the United States. The Ryder Cup has since become the most important event in the golfing calendar and one of the world’s most prestigious sporting events.

As well as setting up this golf tournament he made his fortune by creating penny seed packets, enabling people with small homes and modest wages to add colour to their gardens and windows. He was the mayor of St Albans and a dedicated philanthropist, making contribution to many of the city’s institution and leaving a legacy that covers many of the historic buildings.

It would be generous of me to describe my visit to the Samuel Ryder Room as underwhelming. Now an upper room in the Comfort Inn, his office resembles a typical bland corporate meeting room with nothing to tell a visitor of the history of the site. There are a few golf-related photos on the wall but no clues as to why they are there or what the link is between this building and one of the world’s premier sporting events.

Wonder around the city and it’s the same story at the other sites associated with Samuel Ryder. No plaques, no boards, no directions; not a hint to the passing visitor or even the curious resident about the history of a man whose name is known around the sporting world.

It’s hard to understand why St Albans, a city that is desperately keen to attract day-trippers from London, has completely failed to make a noise about one of its most famous residents. He may not be a household name on the scale of Rochester’s Dickens but to millions of golf players and supporters around the world his name will forever be associated with many of the sport’s most famous moments.

Surely there is scope for a museum that celebrates the great moments of the Ryder Cup as well as the life of the man himself (his seed business went on to become part of Holland and Barrett). Of the many millions of American and European visitors who come to London, how many are keen golfers who would jump on a train for 20 minutes to visit the home of the Ryder Cup if the right facilities were provided?

Samuel Ryder doesn’t even manage a mention in the St Albans tourism website although a leaflet has recently been produced that at least allows interested visitors to follow a short trail around the town to see the sites linked to the Ryder story. You can find it in an easy-to-miss corner of the Tourist Information Centre (or here).  Hopefully the local tourism folks will find a way to use the city’s links to the Ryder Cup to promote St Albans to a global market. So far their efforts have been distinctly below par.

St Albans and Samuel Ryder: A Tale of Two Cities is a post from: 501 Places

It is one of the most common traps for anyone writing a blog: I’ve been to a place so I must write about it. As if the act of merely being somewhere is a story worthy of telling to the world. Let’s face it; sometimes we visit a place and while it may be nice and we might have a lovely time, nothing happens that provides us with a reason to write about it.

Our recent day in Bratislava is a great example of this. The small capital of Slovakia is pleasant enough to stroll around for a day. And stroll we did. We found the much-photographed public statues:

We crossed the bridge over the Danube and took a few pictures of the UFO Tower. The €6.50 for the lift to the restaurant and viewpoint at the top didn’t strike me as good way to spend our money so we moved on.

We wandered up to the castle area. Most of the buildings were shut but they did look very impressive from the outside.

The Christmas market was in full swing and made for a lively festive atmosphere, although the cold December rain didn’t encourage us to linger after our evening meal.

And the colourful houses on both sides of the cobbled streets in the old town make for a very enjoyable wander with a camera, providing plenty of photo opportunities.

I’d happily recommend an overnight stop in Bratislava and there are probably enough places to visit nearby to make it a good base for a weekend break. Prices are reasonable: for under £70 we stayed in an excellent 4 star hotel (Art Hotel William) with one of the best hotel breakfasts I’ve enjoyed, while the bus fare from the airport into the city was €0.90.

But what would I write about it? Nothing newsworthy happened to us while we were there. We didn’t strike up a deep and meaningful conversation with a local person. Neither did we get stranded on a deserted motorway or have to negotiate our way out of a hostage situation. Even our 2.5 hour train journey to Budapest the next day (€14.50) was uneventful.

In short we spent a pleasant but very ordinary 24 hours as tourists in a European city. Nothing less, nothing more. On reflection I don’t think I’ll bother with a Bratislava post after all.

Bratislava: very nice but nothing to write home about is a post from: 501 Places

Budapest has long been an important European capital, sitting as it does pretty much in the centre of the continent and straddling the mighty Danube. A succession of invaders have left their mark on the skyline of Budapest and evidence of 20th century European battles is easy to uncover.

Budapest is home to dozens of high profile museums and galleries, and those who are keen to explore this side of the city’s attractions could easily keep themselves busy for a week. For those looking for a brief taste of Budapest on the other hand, a 48 hour visit should still allow ample time to enjoy many of the city’s most prominent highlights.

Széchenyi Baths

A Budapest institution, the Széchenyi baths are worth visiting even if the thought of spending an hour or two wallowing alongside some of Europe’s most impressive muffin-tops doesn’t appeal. The 100 year old building housing the baths is simply stunning, while the sheer size of the complex makes this spa experience different from any other. Entrance prices vary on time of day and whether you need towels or private cabins but expect to pay around 3600 forint (£10) for your visit.

Take the time to explore the City Park that surrounds the baths. In the winter months the park boasts the largest outdoor ice-skating rink in Europe.

Buda Castle

Dominating the Buda side of the Danube, the castle is worth exploring not only for the fine views over the city but also for the museums that the impressive buildings house, including the National Gallery and the Budapest History Museum. Visit on a Monday (as we did) and you’ll spend your time enjoying the outside of the many buildings on the hill top as the museums observe the Monday closing tradition.

Matthias Church

Built in the 14th century and restored fully in the 1800s, Matthias Church is a beautiful example of the late Gothic style of church construction. With painted walls, ornate balconies and an exterior dotted with many gargoyles, Matthias Church is one of the most popular stops on the Budapest circuit. Catch it between the tour groups that shuffle through and you can enjoy it at its silent best. Particularly interesting is the exhibition detailing the work currently being done to preserve and restore the building. Entrance to the church costs 1000 forint (£2.75).

Parliament Building

This impressive neo-Gothic structure was built at the turn of the 19th/20th century and remains Hungary’s largest building. Perhaps best seen from the Danube and reason enough to take a boat trip along the river. Guided tours of the Parliament are free of charge to EU citizens (bring your passport) although only operate on certain days and are liable to be cancelled at short notice.

Margaret Island

This parkland to the north of the city is a popular place to walk, cycle and take a picnic to enjoy a pleasant green space in the heart of the city. Wander around the ruins of the old convent and you’ll soon stumble upon the tomb of St Margaret, after whom the island is named.

St Stephen’s Basilica

One of the most ornate church interiors you’re likely to see, St Stephen’s Basilica is also pretty impressive on the outside, with a neo-classical facade facing straight towards the river. Wander around the aisles and gaze at the gold-dominated artwork. Views across the city are also available from the top of the bell tower (open in the summer months)

Memento Park

Locals may roll their eyes (and they do) at tourists wanting to see their old communist statues but a visit to Memento Park provides a fascinating insight into life under communist rule. The statues built to glorify Soviet heroes and ideals were shipped to this park in the outskirts of town and now form an odd collection.

Also in the park is a small museum showing old training videos for the secret police. Watch carefully and you’ll learn how to observe people in a park, listen in on your neighbour’s activities and even how to exchange documents discreetly in a public place.

Synagogue

The Dohany Street Synagogue is Europe’s largest and the second largest in the world. The exterior is Moorish in style and covers several street blocks. By all accounts it is well worth a visit, although bear in mind that you can only enter by buying a combination ticket that includes other nearby sites relating to the city’s Jewish past. Tickets start from 2600 forint (£7), so don’t make our mistake in allowing only enough time for a quick look before heading to the airport.

Cave Church

Start at the Hotel Gellert (well worth a look inside for its grand lobby) and climb a short distance up the path to the Cave Church. Created as the result of a painstaking attempt to remodel a hermit’s cave based on the Lourdes Grotto, the resulting church was blocked up during communist times and re-opened in the 1990s. Entry is 500 forint (£1.40) and includes an audio-guide.

Citadel

From the cave church another 20 minutes of serious cardio-vascular exercise brings you to the Citadel, one of the highest points in Budapest. From here you can enjoy splendid city views while you puff and pant loudly enough to let all the lazy hop-on hop-off bus people how hard you worked to get there. When you have your breath back take a look at the old Russian military hardware on display on the outside of the citadel before heading back down to the city.

Practicalities

You’ll hear a lot about the Budapest Card and the fantastic value it offers. We chose not to get one and saved enough as a result to cover a very nice meal. It might pay if you want to visit half a dozen museums a day, eat at the same restaurants as the other card holders and use public transport for journeys that most people can easily cover on foot. If these don’t apply to you, save yourself the money and pay as you go.

Budapest is not an expensive city and you can eat good hearty meals for less than 2000 forint (£5.50) a head. The prices around the main tourist areas are significantly higher so it’s worth venturing away from the crowds. Transport is very reasonable with a bus/subway ticket between the city and the airport costing 480 forint (£1.30) and a day pass on all public transport 1550 forint (£4.30).

We stayed at the Hotel Victoria on the banks of the Danube. The view from our room of the river and the Parliament building was one of the best we’ve had and the room itself was spacious and comfortable. I wouldn’t recommend the hotel for those who have a strong aversion to smoke. There are a few non-smoking rooms but even the common areas have a tobacco stained aroma, although this is not unusual in Hungary. We paid £61 a night, inclusive of taxes and breakfast.

10 Highlights of Budapest is a post from: 501 Places

Have you ever stood and watched people fixed in a spiritual trance (however you define one) and wondered just who it is who is missing something? Is it they who are feeling something magical about the place you’re visiting, a mysterious power, an energy; and you just haven’t got what it takes to feel it too? Or is it you who is sane and the people around you who are caught in a world of fantasy?

I felt a little of that strange discomfort recently when visiting the standing stones at Avebury in Wiltshire. For those who are unfamiliar with this very impressive sight I would highly recommend a visit. It’s a slight detour on a trip to Stonehenge but many would argue that it’s a more satisfying experience. While visitors at its more illustrious pre-historic cousin are forced to pay a hefty fee for the privilege of looking at the stones but not getting too close to them, at Avebury you can touch, feel and hug the many rocks that are dotted around the village.

Yes, I did say hug. The UK has its new age hotspots but none compare with this tiny village and its collection of megalithic monuments. On our walk through the stone circles we encountered several people who took it upon themselves to embrace one of these rocks and rest their head against it in much the same way as a child would hug their mother. Some were clearly doing it as a picture pose, while others had a look that suggested they were in the midst of a very powerful experience. Ok, the clothes may have been a clue as well but there was no mistaking that expression of being temporarily transported to another world into which I could not see or hope to enter.

It’s fascinating to observe people lost in such a state of concentration. They will doubtless describe the intense energy that is centred on this little village and its special stones. They might use dowsers to identify the water and minerals under the Avebury land, where for many centuries magnetic lines have been said to pass.

To me it’s just a field. With rocks. I loved wandering around this landscape and was captivated by the striking backdrop created by these stone circles. Between us we asked the same questions that most visitors no doubt ask: ‘how did they get these rocks here?’ and the more fundamental ‘why?’  But try as I might I just can’t get past the feeling that it’s still a field of rocks.

The elusive energy around the standing stones of Avebury is a post from: 501 Places

I recently spent four days in Austria as part of a wider project for Austrian National Tourist Office (ANTO) to explore the country’s ‘Hidden Treasures’. It was a pleasure to return to somewhere I hadn’t visited for 16 years, especially as the memories of my previous visits were happy ones.

I was left to find my own ‘hidden treasures’, with only the overnight stops and rental car pre-arranged by ANTO. My four ports of call were Graz, Eisreisenwelt (just outside Salzburg), Innsbruck and a day hiking on the Eagle Walk. You’ll find detailed posts on each of these on the ANTO website, but I’ve listed a few of the highlights here.

Eagle Walk

I could have spent my whole four days here in the Tyrolean mountains. Soaring, snow-capped peaks, pristine streams running through unspoilt never-ending valleys, wooden huts where you can enjoy sausage and sauerkraut washed down with a cold beer; it may be a classic Alpine caricature but few would disagree that it is a very appealing one.

A well-marked route carefully designed to take in the best of Tirol’s stunning scenery, the Eagle Walk deserves to be as big a draw in the summer for outdoor enthusiasts as the slopes are for winter sports fans in the colder months. And it’s not just snow-capped mountains all the way: the 23 stages of the 280km cover a surprising diversity of landscapes.

Be aware that there is no portering service in place for the full hike. On the upside however, the huts along the route will provide warm showers and hot dinners after a long day’s hiking.

Innsbruck

I really liked Innsbruck. The setting is spectacular and there is a relaxed vibe about a city that accommodates both tourist crowds and a lively student population. There are spectacular viewing points on both sides of the city – to the north via the excellent Nordkettenbahn railway/cable car and to the south at the Bergisel Olympic ski jump stadium and the Zaha Hadid futuristic creation. The city itself has many beautiful buildings. The Golden Roof gets all the attention, but walk down almost any street and you’ll find yourself stopping to appreciate another fine example of Austrian construction.

Top tip: Buy a 24 hour Innsbruck Card and you’ll make it pay with one return trip on the Nordkettenbahn.

Even better tip: Buy the Card as soon as you arrive. In my haste to get up the mountain I didn’t stop to discover its value until later in the day when I’d already spent more than the €29 price of the card.

Odd tip: Heading out of town towards Bergisel, pop into the Friends bar. A locals’ bar if ever there was one, it’s a wonder they haven’t put the names of the regulars on the bar stools. I’d bumped into a couple of guys at the ski-jump and we wondered into this strange drinking den.

Of note is the collection of over 150 witches, hanging on the walls, from the ceiling and most striking of all, the one in human form serving beer from the pump.

A warm welcome is assured but take note:  returning foreign visitors should bring a witch from home to leave as a gift. Or else…

Graz

I knew nothing about Graz before my arrival. Luckily for me, Andreas Susana (aka @travelwriticus) offered to show me around his home city. Graz is a pleasant and attractive place that doesn’t feel big enough to be Austria’s second city. It is the capital of the province of Styria and a visit to its armoury provides ample evidence of the many battles fought over the course of previous centuries. It looks more like the warehouse for a battle reenactment society, such is the quantity of daggers, pikes, guns and armoured suits.

The castle overlooking the city provides plenty more evidence of the rich and often embattled history of the city of Graz. The city is only 40 km from Slovenia in a part of the world where borders once constantly shifted. The castle itself was the scene of a successful defence against Napoleon’s forces.

The modern side of Graz is revealed best in two buildings close to the river Mur; or to be precise, one next to it and one in the middle of it. Murinsel is a restaurant/venue that doubles as an island on a fast flowing river and makes for an unusual backdrop for a cup of coffee. The Kunsthaus on the other hand is perhaps more dramatic in its external appearance, especially at night, than for its collection of modern art within its lumpy bumpy walls.

When it was time for dinner Andreas led me to the excellent Altsteirische Schmankerlstubln restaurant, serving traditional Styrian food. A delicious bowl of steaming garlic soup soon confirmed my initial good feelings about this place.

Eisriesenwelt

This popular day trip from Salzburg takes you deep inside an ice cave high up in the mountains. Entry is by guided tour only and while it’s a little regimented the beauty of the ice formations and natural sculptures speak for themselves. The tour takes around 75 minutes inside the cave and around 3 hours in total at the Eisreisenwelt site.

Getting to the mouth of the cave involves two steep 1km uphill hikes and a cable car ride so it’s not for the unfit. Worthy of a half-day tour if you have spare time in Salzburg, but come prepared (I didn’t) and wear hiking boots and a warm coat.

Salzburg

I wasn’t meant to review Salzburg as I merely spent the night in the city before moving on, but I did take an early morning hike above the city’s roofs along the path that skirts the cliff tops towering overhead. A highly recommended workout before a hearty breakfast and there is even an elevator at the Museum of Modern Art that deposits you straight back to ground level when you’ve had enough.

My verdict on Austria

The single thing I remember most about Austria from my previous visits is the breathtaking landscapes. They of course are just as they always were. What does appear to have changed is the variety of good food on offer and the number of activities and attractions that make a holiday in the mountains an appealing choice.

There’s plenty to do for the adventurous types and I have promised to return here with my wife to explore a little more of the Eagle Walk. But even for those that like enjoying their scenery without the effort, the new cable cars and lifts in every place I visited have made many of Austria’s highlights easily accessible.

Related posts by me on ANTO website:

Innsbruck http://treasures.austria.info/2011/07/11/three-cities-three-stories-to-tell-innsbruck

Graz http://treasures.austria.info/2011/07/11/three-cities-three-stories-to-tell-graz/

5 highlights of a short trip to Austria is a post from: 501 Places

We decided to make a stop here and had absolutely no preconceptions of what to expect. It turned out to be a very pleasant surprise.

Zaragoza is the centre of the Aragon region of Spain and has been an important city for many centuries. Its rich history is found in the easily accessible Roman and Moorish remains that lie within the city. The historic centre of Zaragoza is a maze of narrow winding lanes, all of which eventually will lead out on the vast open space of the Plaza del Pilar. On one flank of the plaza is perhaps the most beautiful church in the whole of Spain.

The Basilica de Nuestra Senora del Pilar is dedicated to a 1st century apparition of the Virgin Mary on this site. We were struck by the intricate carvings, the lavish paintings and the vast, perfectly proportioned interior. Even to us veterans of too many Latin American and European cathedrals and churches, this one stood out as something special.

An annual festival celebrates this historic event: Las Fiestas del Pilar take place in October and culminate in a giant firework display over the adjacent river Ebro.

At the far end of the Plaza del Pilar is the city’s cathedral, somewhat overshadowed by its neighbour yet still impressive in its own right. Unlike the Basilica which is free to enter, you’ll have to pay 4.50 Euros to enter the Catedral de San Salvador, although this does include entry to the tapestry museum if that swings the decision for you. A large building from the outside, the cathedral has so many side chapels that the central nave appears quite modest in size.

Away from the Plaza del Pilar there is plenty to admire in the heart of the old part of the city. Several impressive churches are open and free to admire both inside and out, while the excavated ruins of a Roman theatre can be viewed for free from a panoramic cafe. An audio guide provides more detail for those who wish to wander freely around the covered site, and a ticket includes entry to the nearby Roman thermal baths.

Not part of the historic city but perhaps Zaragoza’s great treasure is the Aljaferia. Originally a Moorish palace and over a thousand years old, it has undergone many reconstructions and reinventions, none more so than its Christianisation in the 12th century. Now a blend of styles, much of the interior remains unmistakably Arabic and rivals the Alhambra in its splendour.

The Aljaferia is around 1km from the Plaza del Pilar. We arrived at 7.15pm and were warned at the entrance that we would have to rush to see the site before the 8pm close. Admittedly we would have liked to have had another half hour at least to enjoy the rooms of the palace and the beautiful courtyard, but we saw enough to appreciate the beauty of the architecture in this UNESCO World Heritage site.

Zaragoza does not feature on many visitors’ must-see lists of Spain. Having spent only a few hours here it’s puzzling to see why it’s so frequently overlooked. Good food (I had a three course lunch for 10 euros that included a full bottle of wine!), plenty to see and do and some of Spain’s finest architecture should make Zaragoza a worthy city on the main tourist trail.

Why Zaragoza should be part of any trip to Spain is a post from: 501 Places

8 Euros buys admission to the amphitheatre and theatre complex. An audioguide is available for an additional 3 Euros. I highly recommend the audio guide as there are no interpretation boards around the site and without the guide it is very difficult to appreciate the rich history of Merida, its importance in the Iberia of Roman days and of the events that took place in these ruins.
Merida’s construction began around 20BC under the instruction of the consul Agrippa Vipsanio. In its day it was the most important city in the region, and the shows that took place in the theatre and amphitheatre would have attracted crowds of thousands from many miles around and from every class of Roman society. A strict system of social apartheid meant that everyone knew where they could and could not sit. Music, tragedy, parody and ritual slaughter were commonplace in these giant open air structures.

Using the audio guide in its entirety a wander through the site will take around 90 minutes and will introduce the visitor to some of the characters who may have called Merida home and offer a little insight into their lives. I always find these bits of the guides the most interesting, and it is the personal anecdotes that I take away from such a visit.

As we made our way around the site we noticed the sky slowly growing blacker and the wind starting to pick up. Before long the distant rumbles of thunder grew nearer, echoing menacingly around the Roman theatre. We didn’t make it back to the entrance in time, and as we discovered finding shelter from a storm when surrounded by Roman ruins is not easy!

There are other Roman treasures to be found within the city of Merida, and while we only managed a brief look at the Temple of Diana before hunger drove us indoors, we would gladly have stayed another day to get to know the city a little better.

Merida: a Roman marvel in western Spain is a post from: 501 Places

We were safe in the knowledge that Evora’s coffee shops and churches provided the emergency cover for us when the sky would inevitably empty its cargo of water on the city. I was struck by the contrast between the city’s white buildings reflecting the final rays of the sun before it was consumed by the growing blackness, and the sky itself, which was taking on an unmistakably ominous appearance. It was almost as if I was viewing the world in negative.

The storm did arrive around sunset and gave the town a thorough soaking.

A couple of days later on Easter Sunday just across the border in the Spanish city of Merida, an even bigger storm arrived with us to disturb the evening sunshine. The picture below is around 5 minutes before impact. More on Merida in an upcoming post.

Storm warning: black clouds over Evora, Portugal is a post from: 501 Places

It took us around 10 minutes of walking around to work out that this was not the place we had expected. The splendid looking buildings around the plaza were in fact mainly constructions from the 1960s and more reminiscent of Milton Keynes than Madrid. A small building with a clock occupied the corner of the spacious square, but it was all quite unremarkable.

The streets of any Spanish city at 3pm are likely to be quiet and it was certainly true here. Within an hour we’d found the old Toledo Gate, the statue of the region’s most famous son Don Quixote and the firmly locked cathedral. Our train out wasn’t until lunchtime the next day. What to do?

As any good tourist will advise you, we did what the locals do and took a nap. Venturing out again at 6pm the town had thankfully come to life. Shops were busy, the streets were buzzing with people and the cafes were doing brisk business. We took a look inside the impressive cathedral, having arrived just as the gates were being swung open. Things were at last looking up. The plain looking clock in the plaza turned out to be a very elaborate animated clock (as good as the one in Prague in my opinion), with three life size figures coming out to do their thing for a full five minutes in front of a tiny group of local children with their disinterested parents. There was something to Ciudad Real after all!

Finding somewhere in Spain to have dinner before 9pm can be difficult, but we stepped into an inviting bar that appeared to have been converted from an old music venue. It was lively, pleasant and the food was very good. A stroll through the centre again after dinner and the plaza now looked a little better in its illuminated glory.

Ciudad Real is not cut out to be a tourist town. That doesn’t make it unpleasant in any way; on the contrary it appeared to be a highly agreeable place to live, with its ample shops and its strategic position on the high speed line between Madrid and Seville. Does it deserve a place on the main Spanish tourist trail? It would be a stretch for even the city’s most ardent supporters to make this claim.

I found out later that Ciudad Real doesn’t manage the briefest of mentions in the Lonely Planet Spain book. But if, like us, you find yourself stranded there for a day, don’t despair; take it easy, buy yourself a drink and settle down to enjoy the Don Quixote clock. You could even go one better and look for windmills…

Crap Travel Diaries: stranded in Ciudad Real is a post from: 501 Places

Portugal was a country that in my world had long stood alone. For many years it had been the only gap on my western European travel map. It may be because it’s out on a limb; you don’t go through Portugal to get to anywhere. So it was a long overdue moment when we touched down in Lisbon and we were able to explore this country that brought us Vasco da Gama, Christiano Ronaldo and piri-piri chicken.

We spent two and a half days in Lisbon and got to see a few of the main sights in that time. How much time do you need? That depends on how much you want to see, but what is not in doubt is the need to bring with you the right shoes to handle the city’s treacherous cobbles. I didn’t, and found myself nursing an impressive selection of blisters by the end of day 2. Self-inflicted but no less unpleasant as a result: be warned.

Lisbon is easy to negotiate and the main tourist sights of the city can be divided into three areas. On a weekend trip allow each of these at least a half day.

Belem

It is here that Lisbon’s most photographed building is found. The Belem tower stands on the shoreline, around 5km west of the centre of the city. The park and promenade in front of this chunky 16th century fortification are a popular spot for Lisbon families to enjoy the afternoon sunshine, and to watch the crowds of tourists presumably. The tower has been designated World Heritage Site status along with the nearby Jeronimo Monastery, and both are well worth the tram ride out of the city.

A relatively new addition to the Belem district is the Padrao dos Descobrimentos, or the Discoveries Monument. This pays homage to the legions of Portuguese explorers of the 15th and 16th centuries, many of whom probably set sail from somewhere close to this spot. You can climb to the top of the monument to see wider views of the Tagus estuary, although the views from ground level are very good on a sunny day.

Downtown Area

Lisbon’s central area is easy to get around by foot, and trams run around much of the city if your feet tire of walking. It’s a surprisingly hilly city so take the opportunity to make use of the funicular Elevadores. These bright yellow cars have shuffled up and down the hills of Lisbon for over 100 years; as well as providing an easy ascent to the best viewpoints in town, they are an attraction in themselves. The careful counterbalancing requires that a maximum of 20 people can go up the hill while only 15 can come down.

Other attractions include the impressive cathedral and the Castelo de Sao Jorge that overlooks every part of the city from its prominent spot high to the east of the central area. Although the castle is open until 9pm in the summer, be sure to get there before 5pm to see the Camera Obscura in action. As a big fan of these clever devices I was disappointed to miss out on this unusual view of Lisbon.

An obscure sight is the statue to Dr Jose Tomas de Sousa Martins above the centre of the city. He is a 19th physician who spent his life working with the poor of the city in the treatment of TB, eventually succumbing to the disease himself. Since his death he has been credited for many miracle cures and a legion of devoted followers come to the statue to give thanks, in the form of stone slabs carved with their personal messages.

The central area is packed with restaurants, most of which have touts cajolling passing tourists to sit in their chairs and eat from their plates. I have a strict rule about never eating at a place with a tout outside, and after a brief search we found the excellent Casa Da Mo, serving good Portuguese food in an unhurried and pleasant environment. We even went back there for our second night; something I rarely like to do.

Parque das Nações

A new district that was developed on the east of the city to house the World Expo 98 event, it gleams in the shadow of the 17km long Vasco da Gama bridge. While the bridge dominates the waterfront, it is Calatrava’s Oriente station building that is king of the shoreline. A bus, train and metro transport hub, it is linked to the swanky Vasco da Gama shopping mall. I’m not a shopper but I did appreciate the well stocked food court.

Most visitors come to this district to visit the Oceanarium, said to be the second largest in the world. Be prepared to stand in line during busy periods as it is a very popular attraction; we queued for 20 minutes to get our entry tickets. Well worth a look, the central tank is home to a wide range of species, many of which presumably would never meet in the natural world. I was left wandering why many of the exhibits hadn’t eaten each other, and I concluded that they had become so deeply institutionalised that the killing instinct had left them for ever. Our personal highlight was the mystical sea dragon, which looked for all the world like a piece of plant life until it floated gracefully across its circular tank.

The Parque das Nações is full of weird and wonderful sights and you can easy pass a couple of hours here. Don’t miss the flags of every nation in the world here, along with a musical playground, volcano fountains and some very weird interactive sculpture.

Sintra

We took the chance to visit Sintra, around 30 km out of Lisbon and home to the magnificent Pena Palace. It’s well worth a visit but try to get there earlier than 10am – we didn’t and had to negotiate our way around in between several very large tour groups. There is a direct train service to Sintra from the city centre.

Lisbon Card

I was grateful to the Lisbon Tourism folks for offering me a complimentary Lisbon Card (ok, I did request it). With one free card we purchased another 48 hour pass for the normal rate of €29.50. This allows free entry to some city attractions, discounts for others and free public transport anywhere in the city.

Having a card is very convenient, especially if you end up using public transport extensively. However, I think it would be hard work to visit enough attractions to make the cards worthwhile financially. We did a lot in two days, and as our cards started at lunchtime we even took the chance to use the card in nearby Sintra on the third morning, yet we made savings of €42 between the two of us; good as we got a complimentary card, but not worthwhile if we had paid full price for two. The thing is that Lisbon’s attractions are very reasonably priced, meaning that even a busy itinerary of sightseeing, and there is much to see, will not break the bank.

7 highlights of Lisbon: a 48 hour itinerary is a post from: 501 Places