The city on seven hills: Lisbon’s great sights

About The city on seven hills: Lisbon’s great sights

By the ULTIMATE Lisbon Editorial Team

Editor-in-Chief: Jai Michael

UNESCO listed the Monastery of the Hieronymites and the Tower of Belém as a World Heritage site in 1983. The monastery was founded by King Manuel I, with works beginning in 1501–02 (museusemonumentos.pt), on the shore from which the ships of the Age of Discovery set out. Up on its hill the Castelo de São Jorge looks over Alfama; down by the river, the Baixa was laid out on a grid after the earthquake of 1755.

Belém

The Jerónimos Monastery, the Tower of Belém and the Padrão dos Descobrimentos stand along the river at Belém, with the Coaches Museum, MAAT and the Centro Cultural de Belém nearby.

The castle and Alfama

The Castelo de São Jorge crowns the hill above Alfama, whose lanes run down past the cathedral, the Sé, to the river; the miradouros of Santa Luzia and Portas do Sol look over the rooftops.

Book the monastery and the tower on their official site; both close on Mondays.

The Baixa

Below Chiado, the grid of the Baixa runs from the Rossio to the Praça do Comércio and the Rua Augusta Arch, facing the Tagus.

Trams and lifts

Carris’s Tram 28 climbs from Martim Moniz through Graça and Alfama to Chiado and Estrela. Several of the historic lifts are out of service at the time of writing (October 2026): Carris lists the Glória, Bica, Lavra and Santa Justa lifts as closed and runs replacement buses.

Our advice: come to Belém early in the morning, and leave the castle for the late afternoon light.

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with The city on seven hills: Lisbon’s great sights before you go.