A City Where History Is Around Every Corner

You can’t spit without hitting a historic landmark in Lisbon (so please don’t). Phoenicians, Romans, Moors, and many more have left their stamp here.

African Lisbon Tour: A Conversation We Need to Have

February 25, 2020

The African Lisbon Tour is more than just a tour — it’s part of a movement started by a West African immigrant to Portugal to show the other side of the Times of the Explorers and Portugal’s colonial past, right here in the capital.

Bullfighting in Portugal

January 28, 2020

Bullfighting still has a central place in Portuguese culture, despite many activist groups’ repeated demands for its abolition. Despite our reservations, we decided to explore this Iberian tradition after being invited to a show at Lisbon’s last remaining bullring.

Tap Water in Portugal

August 12, 2019

Of all the must-haves on your vacation checklist, drinking water should probably come pretty close to the top (especially in the summer heat). And, like much of the rest of the city, Lisbon has a winding and fun relationship with the elixir of life.

TimeOut and Ribeira: The Lisbon Market With a Split Personality

August 8, 2019

Mercado da Ribeira and TimeOut Market — exploring the great divide under one roof.

Why do Lisbon Bars Play Elevator Music?

June 25, 2019

This is not elevator music, this is Bossa Nova, which is being played in the bars and restaurants of Lisboa ever more frequently.

When the Saints Go Marching: Santo António Day Explained

May 29, 2019

First of all, I’ll just let it out there: Santo António is an impostor. Yes, because the official patron saint of Lisbon is actually São Vicente. This is the one whose statue stands at Portas do Sol in Alfama, where he holds the symbol of the city in one hand – the ship crewed by […]

The Carnation Revolution: Five Dead Men

April 24, 2019

The Carnation Revolution was relatively bloodless, but there were, in fact, several people killed and many more wounded. But who were they? How did it happen? And why does it seem that these deaths have slipped through the cracks of history?