5 ideas for a weekend in Lisbon!!

Lisbon is at the same time a quiet and cosmopolitan city. During the weekend you have a lot of things that you can do, a lot of them are for free, or at least accessible to every pockets, even to a Erasmus student, that usually was a thigh budget.

Don't even think about staying at home during the weekend! The difficult thing will be to choose among so many different things. Besides, usually the weather in Lisbon, is really good to stay outdoors. Here you have some ideas, some are more common, others less known, but all of them were experiences that I tried, during the three years that I used to live in Lisbon, and that allowed me to enjoy the little pleasures of this city. So, let's do it!

1 - Walk through the waterfront:

Lisbon is marked for the Tejo's River, is a blessing to the city, and to me the weather is really relaxing. Recently several reparations were done in the "ribeirinha" area, as in a way to improve the urbanisation of the area, to become more appellate, so that people can enjoy more the waterfront, like with exercise machines, stools, and green areas.

I will mention two strolling suggestions: the first is from Baixa, starting in the Commercial Square (Praça do Comércio) until the metro station of "Cais do Sodré"; and the second one is from Jerónimos until the Belém Tower, it's shorter, but it is pleasant as well.

This areas are so lively, during the weekends, because of the street commerce and also because of all the little coffee shops. A night walk it's also a good option in the days without rain or wind.

Cais do Sodré - Source: Publico Newspaper.

For those of you who want to take a change, and maybe have more free time, I would suggest to do a small picnic or ride a bicycle. There are a lot of families that used to take their kids to play in this place, also the couples come here to enjoy the beautiful natural landscape and some kisses...in short, this is the perfect plan for those of yo who need to organise thoughts, and forget for a while the busy city life, work or school.

For the exercise lovers, this is also the perfect place for it. Specially for those who like to run, there is a really long path, where a lot of people go to do jogging at sunset, with all the necessary conditions for a smooth ride.

2 - Eating and sunbathing at Gulbenkian:

Gulbenkian is the biggest green space in Lisbon's city. One of our biggest foundations, making part of this big complex the: Museum, Concerts Room and of course its fabulous garden, designed by one of the most known landscape Portuguese architects: Gonçalo Ribeiro Telles.

Gulbenkian's Garden - Source: Blog.

Go and see the exposition is a great idea, and you have a lot of options: besides the main exposition, there are always other three or four temporary ones, besides that you also have music concerts and congresses, everything with really reasonable prices. Usually the ticket prices of the temporary expositions are about 2 euros (and students can get a student discount, that is 50%, because of that I got in a lot of times, and I just payed 1 euro! ).

The outside garden is a really romantic garden, full of nice small corners where to read, eat or date. There is also a lake, with ducks, an outdoor auditorium, where during warmer evenings they do concerns, it's a luxury! Go and get some Vitamin D, during the sunny days this is a great option. A lot of locals and also tourists come here to do it, it's quite fun, because it looks like a beach in the city centre.

To arrive to the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, you get off at the metro station São Sebastião, the red line, and then walk a bit. Check the cultural schedule, it's available in the Foundation's Website, and it's a great idea, if you don't want to lose anything of what it's going on!

3 - Go to drink a coffee in Cais do Sodré:

In Cais do Sodré, besides to pass the train line, there is also an old industrial area, that used to belong to the old structures between Porto and Lisbon, that was recently rebuild, and nowadays you can find it full of bars, with an amazing night atmosphere, and with restaurants that serve good Portuguese food, specially the typical grilled fish. This place is known by the locals as "Docas", that means "docks".

Docks - Source: Website.

To arrive here you just need to catch the subway in Cais do Sodré, it's the green line, and then walking through the 24th July Avenue, for one of it's paths. Go by car, can be really stressful, because trying to find parking in the city centre can be a drama!

4 - Visit the "Feira da Ladra" Flea Market:

The Flea Market it's a traditional market in Lisbon, known for the sellers bargain prices, selling illegal products, and also sellers selling precious items. The market it's located in the famous and traditional Alfama's neighbourhood, really close to the Pantheon - monument that you should also visit. The market takes places on Tuesdays and Saturdays during the morning.

At the market you can find everything, from clothes to master pieces, items to your house, or even old LP (Long play discos) of Portuguese music or even international. The environment is alternative and noisy. If you go by public transports you need to climb some steep stairs, in order to arrive to the famous Santa Clara Camp, that is the centre of everything.

Santa Clara's Camp - Source: Website.

To get there you just need to take the public transports to Santa Apolónia station - maybe the metro is the fastest and the easiest way. Santa Apolónia station it's the terminal of the subway, blue line. From Baixa and Cais do Sodré you also have some buses. Taking your own car to this place, maybe it's not the best idea, because there are few places in the parking lot, and also because the street it's really steep and there are narrow alleys.

The prices here are medium range, but sometimes with some talk you can find some good deals. During the summer, it's worth it to wear a hat and take a bottle of water, because it can get really warm and the crowd is huge.

5 - Enjoying the LX Factory's environment:

The LX Factory it's another really funny place in the city. It's located in the Calvário's Square, neighbourhood of Alcântara, and it's really easy to get here with the bus. For example, with the Rail 742 or the 760, because they stop just a few steps from the front door.

This space was abandoned for some years, after the companies that used to take place there shut down. After that it started to be occupied, in an informal way, by some artists and craftsmen, this all started a few years ago. The amount of people that start to do this occupation, prevent the building to be destroyed, and nowadays it's one of the most amused places in Lisbon. It's a really informal environment and vibe, that invites you to go for a coffee after dinner, and also to do a little visit to one of the decoration shops, or even eat sushi for dinner.

Entrance of the Lx Factory - Source: Website.

One of my favorite places in the LX Factory is the Bookstore "Ler Devagar" (ready slow). This space has two floors, and the entire walls are covered with books, starting in the floor and goes up to the ceiling. The prices are reasonable, and the choices are endless. Inside there is a bar that serves you this great tea, and usually they also have homemade cake. There are a lot of university students here, because they like to come to study, to read or just to take a break. In the upper floor, there is a room where, sometimes, there are theatre rehearsals, and everyone is welcome. It's a place that you can't miss!

Bookstore "Ler Devagar" - Source: Website.

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