Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara

Lisbon is a city of miradouros, the viewpoints that crown its hills, and São Pedro de Alcântara is the one that best explains the geography. The terrace sits on the edge of the Bairro Alto, on two levels: an upper promenade with benches, trees, busts and a kiosk, and a lower formal garden with fountains and box hedges. Look east and the whole of the old city is laid out in front of you across the valley of the Avenida da Liberdade and the Baixa: São Jorge Castle on its hill, its walls and pines, the jumble of Mouraria and Alfama below it, the church of Graça on its ridge, and on clear days the Tagus beyond. A tiled panel identifies the landmarks, which makes it the perfect first-day orientation. The viewpoint is free, open at all hours, and transforms through the day: quiet in the morning, sunny and relaxed at lunch, packed with locals and visitors for sunset, and a gathering spot as the Bairro Alto warms up at night. The terrace sits right beside the upper station of the Glória funicular, the yellow cable tram that used to climb from Restauradores; it has been closed since the fatal crash of September 2025, so for now you reach the viewpoint on foot — a steep climb up the Calçada da Glória or a gentler walk from Chiado — or by bus and taxi. From here the two most interesting neighbourhoods of the upper city open up: the Bairro Alto's grid of narrow streets, sleepy by day and a huge open-air bar at night, and to the north Príncipe Real, with its garden square, design shops and restaurants.

The garden was laid out in the nineteenth century on a terrace built over the hillside, and it remains one of the most pleasant public spaces in the city. The kiosk on the upper level serves coffee, beer and wine, and on warm evenings there is often music. Sunset here is less about the sun itself, which sets behind you, than about the golden light that washes over the castle and the eastern hills; the colours are best in the half hour before the sun disappears. If you want a viewpoint with the sun in front of you, head down the hill to Santa Catarina, above the river, or across to the Senhora do Monte in Graça.

Bairro Alto, behind the terrace, was laid out in the sixteenth century and has been the bohemian quarter of Lisbon for generations, home to newspapers, printers, taverns and fado. By day its streets are quiet, with small shops, galleries and traditional restaurants; from late evening the bars open their doors and the crowds drink in the street, especially on weekends, until the small hours. It is lively, noisy and a lot of fun, though not for light sleepers. Príncipe Real, a ten-minute walk north, is calmer and more refined, with a garden square shaded by a vast cedar, a monthly organic market, concept stores and some of the city's best restaurants and cocktail bars.

Walking up from the Baixa is the best way to understand Lisbon's hills. From Restauradores, the Calçada da Glória climbs steeply alongside the old funicular tracks, its walls covered in street art; it is short but tough. Alternatively, walk up from the Chiado along Rua da Misericórdia, a gentler gradient, passing the Church of São Roque with its astonishing gilded chapels. Combine the viewpoint with an afternoon in the Chiado, dinner in the Bairro Alto or Príncipe Real, and a nightcap back on the terrace.