Praça do Comércio

Praça do Comércio is another beautiful square in Lisbon, situated just near the Tagus river, and it is also known as Terreiro do Paco (which I thought is the place next to Praça do Comércio until my third month in Lisbon). If you are a beer lover, the first thing that you will see from the square, will be the museum of beer(Museu de Cerveja), situated in one of the buildings, that are surrounding the square.

There are stairs at the end of the square, that lead to the river, and it is a popular spot for people to sit down and chat.

But be prepared to be offered drugs in this place, it happened to me a few times in one day. If you walk along the river (there is a wide pavement for pedestrians), you will find some bars and restaurants there. There is always a lot of pigeons on this square and ba the river, and sometimes they will fly towards you and turn in the last moment, but this is normal in Lisbon.

This place is also popular spot among people for watching sunrises and sunsets. If you live in this area and you are going back home from a party in the morning, just wait there and admire the sunrise.

If you head to the river, and look back to the square at this point, you will have a great view of the monument in the middle of the square (a man on a horse) and the majestic Triumphal arch in the background. It is also possible to climb on the top of the arch, but there is a small fee to pay. You can buy tickets for it in the tourist office, which is situated on the Praça do Comércio.

The square is easily accessible by public transport– you have bus and tram stations, stopping right in front of the square, there is also a metro station Terreiro do Paco, and you can easily get to Praça do Comércio also from Rossio train station, which is situated just five minutes of walking away.

Probably the most famous place in Lisbon is Praça do Comercio, also known as Terreiro do Paço. It is located in the heart of the city and it is an historic place for Portugal. 

It is surrounded by the portuguese government palace, a U-shaped yellow building, with columnes and classic architecture. The building used to be the royal palace in the 16th century and kept many treasures of portuguese kingdom. In 1755, the place was destroyed by a great earthquake. It was again reconstructed in the 18th century, just like it was before and the portuguese government made it its headquarters. 

Nowadays it is a touristic place where you'll find restaurants (usually very expensive) and tourism buses passing by, as well as some pickpockets - be careful! But it still is an historic place. 

Right in the middle of the square there is a statue of D. José first, a portuguese king responsible for ending the absolutism government in portugal and for rebuilding the country after the great earthquake. He was partnered with Marques de Pombal, an important figure for the history of Portugal and they made several changes in the government, improving people's lifes in the country. 

Also, Praça do Comercio is right in front of Tejo river, the most important river in Portugal, from where the Great Navigations left. The view there is great and inspiring! 

There is also a great arch between the palace buildings that surround the square, called Arco da Rua Augusta, built in the 18th century after the earthquake as a simbol of the new Portugal rising. It has classic scuptures and it is the entrance for the main street in the center of the city: Augusta streeet. 

Location

Due to all this history and for the great sighseeing, Praça do Comercio is a must see in Lisbon. To get there you can go by subway from any place in town, the closest station is Terreiro do Paço. 

From there you can walk to the city main central attractions, such as Praça da Figueira, Praça do Rossio, Castelo de São Jorge, Catedral da Sé and much more. Walking in Lisbon is a great way to get to know the city and it's secrets. In the central neighbourhoods, such as Baixa, Alta, Chiado and Alfama, you'll find many cute traditional portuguese houses and buildings, colorful, with tiles on the walls and flowers on the windows. I reccomend enjoying these sighseeings.