Lisbon’s Golden Age – Cosmopolitan and Global

On this half-day private tour, we will take you to discover the city that brought “worlds to the world”. The first stop will be at the Santa Luzia viewpoint, where we will appreciate the vastness of the Tagus River, framed by the red roofs of the medieval city and the vastness of the Atlantic Ocean. We will continue to Santiago’s Church, where we will unveil a five hundred years old case of espionage, which resulted in one of the most important historical moments, during the Modern Period. We will visit the St George’s Castle Citadel, situated on the hill where the city was born and where the first steps to Lisbon became a world power has been taken.

Then we will go through Alfama, to understand the evolution of Lisbon during the Golden Age and to discover the presence of the 16th century architecture in the city buildings. We will continue toward Terreiro do Paço, considered one of the most beautiful squares in the world. It is possible to imagine the exotic products arriving at the port of Lisbon, and the exuberant Royal Palace built during the Golden Age period. At the same time, we will be able to understand how the foundation of medieval obscurantism was being destroyed in the cosmopolitan city of Lisbon, giving way to Modern Age.

Then we will discover Bairro Alto, where we will be able to feel the atmosphere created by the sailors and boat builders during maritime expansion period. We will also see the statue of the intellectual who challenged 17th century society and tell the story of his fight for against slavery. Inspired by him and by the Humanist movement, Portugal’s first decree condemning slavery was published in 1761. We will move toward Madragoa, the first neighbourhood in Europe to be inhabited entirely by African people, who practised their beliefs and traditions in Lisbon, creating a memory of integration and miscegenation.

Discover the charming chapel of S. Jerónimo and the monumental Jerónimos Monastery, Lisbon’s ex-libris. Enjoy the “Manuelino”, the original 16th century Portuguese architectural style, totally inspired by the sea voyages and the mysticism of the Fifth Empire. In Belém we will offer you the most famous and sweetest gastronomic wonder, the “Pastel de Belém”. The tour will end next to the Tagus River, where you will have time to appreciate the medieval Belém Tower, a symbol of the city of Lisbon and the Portuguese nationality, as well as the Monument to the Discoveries, which celebrates Lisbon’s Golden Age.