Styles, cultures and different eras. Lisbon can be modern and sophisticated, but the city also knows how to be traditional and demure. Showcase the unbeatable wonders and wow your clients with a city break to Lisbon, with TAP Air Portugal from Dublin Airport.
Find out why Lisbon is the ideal city break destination!
Strolls along the riverbank, filled with history
Explorers can enjoy the city’s delightful weather all year round. Nip down to Belém and explore the monuments built along the shores of the Tagus river. There are other unique places such as Terreiro do Paço, one of Europe’s largest squares, and Cais do Sodré or even Portas do Sol in Alfama, where the view will take your breath away!
Traditional Lisbon Evenings
After a day walking the picturesque, cobbled streets and being stunned by the beauty of S. Jorge Castle, visitors can take time to relax and let their hair down. Chiado and Bairro Alto are the places to be for a great night out on the town. There’s a bit of everything: traditional fado houses, bars, clubs and live music.
The Seven Hills of Lisbon
Number seven is a very curious number. There are seven deadly sins, seven wonders of the ancient world, seven massive inclinations in Rome and Lisbon.
And what if we told you that, in fact, Lisbon does not have seven but eight hills?
Legend has it, that Lisbon, just like Rome, was born among seven hills. The first reference appeared in the 17th Century, in the book of São Nicolau de Oliveira. “O Livro das Grandezas de Lisboa” (The Book of Lisbon Grandeurs): where the saint describes his city.
The seven giants — São Jorge, São Vicente, São Roque, Santo André, Santa Catarina, Chagas e Sant’Ana — all of them visible when arriving in Lisbon by river. But São Nicolau de Oliveira forgot one hill: Graça, the highest one of all!
Portuguese Flavours
The best way to know a country is sampling its food and if there’s a test in which Portugal passes with distinction, that is precisely it! Portuguese gastronomy is a celebration of both traditional and contemporary flavours, and it reflects the country’s cultural diversity, history, and love for good food.
This article takes a tour through some of the country’s typical delicacies that food enthusiasts can taste in Lisbon. Would you like a bite?
Smoked sausages and substantial salty pastries
Served in cafes and restaurants throughout the country, pastel de bacalhau is a fried salty and soft codfish cake, with its origin disputed by different regions. From North to South, there are, however, three mandatory ingredients in the cooking of this delicacy: codfish, potatoes and chopped parsley. Usually served cold and devoured in two bites, its deliciousness crossed the Atlantic Ocean, being equally popular in Brazil, where it’s served hot and known as bolinho de bacalhau.
Pastel de Chaves
The undeniably northern pastel de Chaves is a consistent flaky dough pastry shaped like a half-moon and filled with mince. Broa de Avintes consists of a rich corn bread that tastes particularly well if spread with butter or sided with a slice of chorizo, farinheira (pork sausage made with flour and spices) and linguiça (spicy pork sausage).
Alheira de Mirandela
The smoked sausage is a top choice throughout the whole country. For those who love smoked flavours, Alheira de Mirandela is a highly recommendable dish. It’s a smoked sausage of Jewish origins, made with poultry meat and lard that tastes delicious when fried and sided with boiled vegetables, salad, chips and a fried egg.
Francesinha
Francesinha is a typical dish from Porto. It’s a sandwich filled with linguiça, sausage, ham and a steak, wrapped in melted slices of cheese. The experts say that the best part of this calorie bomb is actually the sauce that submerges the sandwich. Baked with tomato, beer and hot sauce, it’s to die for!
Finger licking pastries
Besides the sugar, which is imperative, a good part of the most traditional and appreciated Portuguese pastry can’t go without one particular ingredient: eggs. Eggs provide the beautiful shades of yellow to Lisbon’s pastéis de Belém, Sintra cheese tarts and Azeitão pies (typical from the Setúbal region).
The sweets of monastic origin which are eaten with a spoon are equally sugary, delicious and plentiful in eggs. Amongst such delicacies are Alfeizerão soft cakes (Alcobaça region), Sericaia from Alentejo and Abade de Priscos pudding.
Choose Lisbon as a city break choice for your clients!
TAP Air Portugal has 15 departures a week from Dublin to Lisbon. Prices start at €148 return including all taxes. For further information visit flytap.com or call 0818 270 169.
