I’m back in Lisbon. It’s been far too long – you know, with the pandemic and all. But now I’m back, and as I take a good look around, I realize how beautiful this city is and how much I’ve missed it: The steep cobblestone alleys, the past glory of the palaces alongside the boulevards, and the shabby charm of the houses in the backstreets. The majestic views from countless outlooks, and of course the lovely ring of the rickety trams. Come on, follow me down memory lane, and let’s re-discover the best of Lisbon!
The contra-selfie culture: Asian tourist painting Lisbon’s Church and Monastery of São Vicente de Fora.This Way to the Whole Story ->
Somehow Portugal also seems to be one of the countries overpowered by centralism. Everyone is flocking to the capital Lisbon, which is groaning under the masses of tourists and has to be careful to remain livable for the locals. Hence, while others are stressed out, Porto pours herself a glass of amber-colored port wine and relaxes as she gazes down the Douro River. Instead of overwhelming her visitors with innumerable presumably must-see landmarks, Porto invites her guests to take a relaxed stroll down picturesque streets and alleys and offers them a creamy Galão in one of the many charming cafés. The city impresses with cool street art and delights the eye with gorgeous church façades covered in exquisite Azulejos and what is probably the most famous bookstore in the world. By now, you’ve probably noticed: Porto is one of my favorite cities in Europe and I’m excited to show you the best the city on the Atlantic coast has to offer – also if, just like me, you travel solo.
This is the third and last part of the murals I saw during my recent trip to Lisbon. Already in some of my past posts on urban art, I took you to some rather inhospitable neighborhoods. Whether the 13th Arrondissement of Paris, Copenhagen’s Nordvest neighborhood, or the satellite town of San Pablo in the northeast of Seville – hardly any sightseer makes his way to these places on the outskirts of Europe’s glittering metropoles. And in Lisbon, too, you have to leave the picturesque historic old town and roam through high-rise developments like Moscavide to see some of the best street art the city has to offer.
String Quintet by Juanjo Surace and a massive collage by Colectivo RUA are waiting for you in Moscavide.This Way to the Whole Story ->
For years, when I travel, I have made sure to find out whether there is any street art worth seeing at my destination. And in fact, it’s very rare that I don’t find what I’m looking for. During my stay in Lisbon I not only found what I was looking for, I felt like I was overwhelmed by a tsunami of outstanding street art. Now, for cities like London and Bristol, I have divided my street art posts by area into two parts. But when it comes to Lisbon, it is actually the first time that I have to present the murals of a city into three parts so that the posts don’t become endlessly long. Bravo, Lisbon, you’ve really made it to the top of the street art hotspots! Drum roll, after I’ve introduced the most impressive murals in the very center of the city, here comes the best that the suburb of Marvila has to offer in terms of street art in Lisbon.
Each time I write a post on the supposedly best street art in some place, I’m a bit hesitant. Can I rightfully claim to present the best pieces? Most of the time, I haven’t seen each and every mural a city has to offer. And even if I show a broad selection – who’s to judge what’s best, anyway? Now, when it comes to Lisbon, I find my claim to introduce you to the best street art particularly preposterous as this city is just bursting with urban art. There are murals by the greatest of the greatest street artists everywhere. Also, the art festivals that flood Lisbon’s walls with dozens of new artworks every year don’t make the choice any easier. Yet, not only did I travel around the hotspots in the city center, I also made my way to the housing projects in Lisbon’s suburbs which are embellished by international superstars such as KOBRA, Shepard Fairey, and GLEO. I tried hard to see as many murals as possible so that I could rightfully assert: In this post, I’m introducing the best pieces of street art Lisbon has to offer!
It took two superstars of urban art to create this mural: Portuguese artist VHILS created the right side while the one and only Shepard Fairey painted the left half of the lady’s face.This Way to the Whole Story ->
Some of the worldwide most recognized muralists like Mr. Dheo and Daniel Eime are based in Porto, the vibrant Northern Portuguese city on the river Douro. Hence, it’s no wonder the façades and walls of Porto serve as canvases for some of the best street art.
Let me guide you through the most important landmark of Coimbra, namely the university founded in the 13th century and combining beauty with knowledge.
Dom João III overlooking his empire of wisdom.
At this magisterial institution, knowledge is dressed in incredible beauty.
On my railroad trip through Portugal, I experienced how travelling the country by train is easy-peasy, cheap, and fun.
Picturesque Portugal: The beauty of everyday life.
Hence, let me guide you from mesmerizing Porto all the way south to Lisbon – with some amazing whistle stops in between. Do you hear the whistle blow? Quick – jump on the train and let’s go!
Let me guide you to Figueira da Foz, a charmingly old fashioned seaside resort. It is the epitome of a South European vacation destination, indeed.
As if the beach wasn’t desert-like enough, they have these makeshift shelters that remind me of Beduin tents.
For about ten years, I hadn’t been to a European beach. I was thinking that Asia or Latin America were the places to be(ach). Arriving at Figueira da Foz, about two hours south of Porto and the second stop on my rail-trip along the Portuguese west coast, I stood so corrected.
Although I had just arrived in Portugal’s capital, I decided to go on a day trip to Sintra right away: It’s one of the most popular tours from Lisbon, it’s extremely touristy, and I was afraid that on the weekend, it would be even more packed since all the Portuguese daytrippers will join the foreign tourists.
They sure were not shy about painting the Palácio Nacional da Pena – built in the 19th century for King Fernando II.
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