São Jorge Castle

Castelo de São Jorge crowns the highest hill of old Lisbon, and every era of the city has left something on it. People settled on this ridge long before the Romans; the walls you walk today are essentially the citadel of Moorish Lisbon, which King Afonso Henriques captured in 1147 with the help of crusaders sailing to the Holy Land. For the next few centuries the castle was a royal palace, the seat of Portuguese kings until Manuel I moved down to a new riverside palace in the early 1500s, and it was badly shaken by the 1755 earthquake before a twentieth-century restoration rebuilt the battlements into the romantic silhouette you see from the Baixa. A visit is less about interiors and more about walking. You enter through the outer gate into the main parade ground, shaded by pines and cork oaks and patrolled by peacocks, with a long terrace along the walls that gives the definitive view: the Baixa grid, the Tagus, the 25 de Abril bridge and, on clear days, far across the river. Beyond it, the inner castle is a compact square of eleven towers and connecting wall walks you can climb and circle. One tower houses a camera obscura that projects live views of the city when the weather allows, and a small museum displays finds from the hill. The archaeological site in the grounds is the sleeper hit: the excavated foundations of Islamic-period houses and the remains of the later royal palace. Tickets are moderately priced, residents of Lisbon enter free, and lines build quickly from mid-morning, so book online and come early.

The approach is part of the experience. The castle sits above the tangle of Alfama and the old Moorish quarter of Mouraria, and the most pleasant way up is on foot from the Baixa or from the Miradouro de Santa Luzia, through steep lanes where laundry hangs between windows and tiny taverns spill onto the steps. Tram 28 and the 737 bus get you closer if your legs need help. Inside the walls, start with the main terrace for the view, then head to the inner castle while it is quiet: climbing the walls and towers is the core of the visit, and the walkways are narrow, uneven and unguarded in places, so keep a hand on small children. The camera obscura sessions are short and run at intervals, so check the time when you arrive.

The archaeological site deserves twenty minutes. Under a protective structure you can see the layout of an eleventh-century Islamic neighbourhood, with the outlines of houses, courtyards and kitchens, alongside traces of earlier Iron Age occupation and the foundations of the royal palace that replaced them. It gives a real sense of a city that was Moorish for four centuries before it was Portuguese. The garden areas, with their old trees and stone benches, are some of the most peaceful spots in central Lisbon, and there are cafés inside the walls for a drink with the view.

Practicalities: the castle opens daily, with longer hours in the warm months. The site is largely outdoors, with lots of cobbles and steps, so wear good shoes and bring water and sun protection in summer. Access for wheelchairs is limited to parts of the grounds. Sunset is beautiful from the terrace, but the last entry comes before closing, so check the time. Combine the castle with the Lisbon Cathedral on the way down, the viewpoints of Santa Luzia and Portas do Sol, and an evening of fado in Alfama.