PURE OF ENJOYMENT
THE BEAUTY OF LISBON CAN BE ENJOYED AT ANY TIME OF YEAR. EVEN IN THE HOT SUMMER, THE WIND FROM THE ATLANTIC COOLS YOU DOWN. IN APRIL OR OCTOBER, HOWEVER, YOU ARE NOT PART OF THE SUMMER TOURIST CROWDS AND CAN RELAX AND ENJOY YOURSELF.
The wonderful location of the city on the Mehr, magnificent old buildings and fantastic restaurants speak for Lisbon. But Lisbon is no longer an insider tip, so many European tourists have Lisbon on their itinerary in the summer months. Then countless tuk-tuks rattle through the city with tourists who think a plastic cup of beer is a culinary highlight and believe they would cut an ultra-cool highly individual figure on a Segway in their standard tourist uniform. At every known spot, they chime “awesome” and the waiters are constantly asked for green wine with a sly smile that clearly betrays an intimate connoisseurship of the Portuguese wine scene.
If you want to enjoy the beauty of the city, its many picturesque streets, well-kept parks and magnificent buildings, as well as its culinary highlights in a more stylish and peaceful way, go to Lisbon in April or October. But do it soon, before Lisbon’s charm succumbs to the success of tourism. Still on the upswing in Monocle Ranking of the most liveable cities, Lisbon even managed to rise from 16th place (2017 ranking) to 12th (current 2018 ranking). >>> Monocle Ranking
Start with excellent coffee and traditional Pasteis de Nata in Manteigaria while watching the bakers at work. Wander through Bairro Alto and stop for lunch at La Cevicheria for excellent raw fish dishes, and in the evening get a recommendation of one of the many excellent Portuguese wines at Graca da Vinho, a wine shop with cheese in a former drugstore.
Of course, there are a number of other excellent restaurants, bars, fish bars and wine shops. But these three addresses alone, and in between, pure city culture, by tram and on foot, discovering many other treasures along the way, are worth spending a weekend in Lisbon, avoiding the city in the summer months to enjoy the sea.
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