How to get to know Chiado and the Bairro Alto in Lisbon

These two neighborhoods united to the point of almost not being able to differentiate the borders of one and the other, are two emblematic neighborhoods of Lisbon.

Only by the Praça de Luis de Camões, or Largo de Camões, which was one of the most important stages of the Carnation Revolution, delimits the borders between one neighborhood and another.

What to see and what to do in Chiado

Until Chiado there are several ways to get there. From the Rossio there is a street with a steep slope through which we can get there.

But whoever wants to avoid the walk up the slope can get there by metro from Baixa Chiado. Although it is recommended to do the walk so as not to miss any detail of the city of Lisbon.

From the Largo de Camões square we can start our little journey through this neighborhood. We can find a modernist-style cafe, already classic in the area, called A Brasileira.

And in front of the café we will find a statue of one of the most important writers in the Portuguese language: Fernando Pessoa, who immortalized the capital in his writings several times.

It is also recommendable to visit the ruins of the Carmo Convent, although today it has been transformed into an Archaeological Museum, and then you can visit the Pavilhao Chines oriental café, with various Asian decorations and with curious tin soldiers and classic toys.

The bookstore inaugurated in 1732 is another good place to get lost in the history of the Chiado neighborhood and the history of the books that we will find inside. A great intellectual neighborhood full of cafes, very lively and recommendable.

What to see and what to do in the Barrio Alto

Bairro Alto is another important neighborhood in Lisbon. The atmosphere varies according to the time.

During the day it is a pleasant neighborhood with small streets, but during the night, thanks to the many bars, the activity comes to the fore with thousands of people drinking and talking in the streets.

In it we will find several viewpoints such as the San Pedro de Alcántara viewpoint or the Santa Catarina viewpoint. Some restaurants in the area would be: Casa da India, Principe do Calhariz and O Minhoto.

The entire area of ​​the Barrio Alto is old, cobbled streets and narrow and difficult to navigate well with the car. But thanks to the small bars, attached to each other, it makes the Portuguese youth of Lisbon go to these bars to start a night out that, easily, can end the night with sunrise.

Being the bars so small, it is quite common to enter the bars to ask for drinks and plastic cups to be able to drink in the street in peace. The neighborhood is a good place to meet native people and have a pleasant experience on the streets.