Lisbon skylines and views- Inflight, Parque das Nacoes, Belém, Pillar 7, Ponte 25 de Abril, Ponte Vasco da Gama, Torre Vasco da Gama, Olivais, Santa Justa Lift, Sao Jorge Castle, Telecabine Lisboa, Portela Airport
Lisbon is not known as a city with an imrpessive skyline. The tallest buildings in Lisbon are situated in the outskirts, to prevent disturbing the old architecture.The tallest buildings in the city center are churches, but there are few really tall churches. There are a few highrise clusters here and there, but no real skyscrapers though, the tallest buildings are just around 100m high. The 3 tallest buildings in Portugal you find in Parque das Nacoes, a very modern district North of downtown, built for the 1998 Expo; 1.Torre Vasco da Gama with its observation tower built in 1998, the adjacent 20-storey hotel was added in 2012. Glass elevevators offers great views to the guests, as well as the revolving restaurant. Torre São Gabriel and Torre São Rafael, also in Parque das Nacoes, are curvy residential twin towers, built in 2000 and 2004 and comes on shared 2nd place. The best way to view the skyline of Parque das Nacoes and the Tagus River is probably from the Telecabine Lisboa, modern cable cars that goes above the water. The 4th tallest building, Torre de Monsanto is a 100m tall highrise from 2001, in the Western outskirts. The Sheraton Lisboa Hotel, built already in 1972, is with its 30 floors central Lisbon's tallest building. In the Old Town the best natural viewpoints, miraduoros, are near the Santa Luzia church in Alfama, and on the terrace of Sao Jorge Castle. Structures that you can go up and visit views from are; Arco da Rua Augusta, an imposing arch that faces Praca Comercio, the heart of Lisbon, built 1803 to commemorate the rebuilding of Lisbon after the 1755 earthquake and Elevador de Santa Justa, the beautiful gothic lift tower from 1902 that goes from Baixa up to the Carmen Convent, an ancient ruin church
Two long bridges cross the Tagus River and are striking on the skyline; Ponte de 25 de Abril, that reminds of the Golden Gate Bridge, and Ponte Vasco da Gama (155m high), that is Europe's longest bridge outside Russia, 12.3km long. The 25th of April Bridge has since 2018 its own viewpoint and museum, Pillar 7 Experience. You take an elevator up to the viewpoint near the pillars on the Southern side, near Belém. The two pillars are also Lisbon's tallest structures, 190m tall each. Amoreiras district in the outskirts has a small skyline with its three similar looking glass towers, Torre Amoreiras, above a shopping mall. Along Avenida José Malhoa in the North part, you find the two 26-storey Twin Towers from 2001, and the 25-storey 5-star Corinthia Hotel, as well as several midrise bank complexes and other hotels, in modern glass and steel. In Avenidas Novas, also North of the city center, you find a few skyscrapers as well, along wide avenues. A postmodern 15-storey bank building in pink marble is significant, connected to the curved glass facade of the hotel Holiday Inn Continental where we stayed. The district and former suburb Belém, that is mostly famous for historical buildings, has the famous historical tower Torre de Belém, with great views, and the "discovery monument", Padrão dos Descobrimentos where you can take an elevator to the top. Clusters with highrises are in the nearby districts Alges and Restelo higher up in the hills, a bit away from the water. Almada is a city with 174 000 on the opposite side of River Tagus from Lisbon. Here you find the Christ Statue, with amazing views over the whole Lisbon, where the 25th of April Bridge ends. At 111m to the spire of Jesus, this is the 2nd tallest structure in Lisbon's metropolitan area. Northwest of central Lisbon is Aqueduto das Águas Livres, a high aqueduct from the 1700s. You can walk upon it if you visit the Water Museum. |