Lisbon, Portugal Cruise Port Guide

Visigoths and, beginning in the eighth century, the Moors. Tragedy struck on All Saints' Day in 1755, with a devastating earthquake that killed about 40,000 people. As a result, the Baixa (lower city) emerged in a single phase of building, carried out in less than a decade by the royal minister, the Marques de Pombal. In the Belem suburb, which survived the destruction, and the old Moorish section of the Alfama, sprawling below the castle of St.

George, there are still remains of pre-quake Lisbon.

High above the Baixa is the Bairro Alto (upper city) with its teeming nightlife. The easiest way to connect between the two areas is via the public elevator built for the city by Gustave Eiffel.

The center of town is about 15 minutes away by car. Taxis are generally available outside the terminal building.

Shopping . Handicrafts, ceramics and embroidered linens are popular buys. Look for gold filigree or silver jewelry, knitwear, leather articles, wickerwork, wall tiles and items made from cork. For everything under one roof, the modern Amoreiras shopping complex features over 200 shops. Upscale shopping is in the elegant downtown Chiado district.

Cuisine . Meat lovers can find delicious meat dishes, but it is the freshly caught seafood that really highlights local cuisine. Seafood restaurants display prawns, crabs, oysters, mussels and fish in refrigerated showcases.

The Gulbenkian Museum. This renowned museum is the cultural center of Portugal. Its excellent collections of Persian, Egyptian and modern art were acquired by just one man, Armenian oil magnate Calouste Gulbenkian. Housed in a superb complex, this museum should not be Golf . Belas Country Club. Spreading among the hills, Belas Country Club provides an excellent view over the Sintra Mountain range.