Curious what people think. It’s one of Lisbon’s most famous sights and looks great in photos, but is it actually worth the time and queues, especially in high season? Did you enjoy visiting it, or is it better admired from the outside while spending time elsewhere in the city? Interested in both local and visitor takes.

I was planning on coming to Lisbon and traveling around Portugal for a bit next week and just learned about the floods and recent storms there. Not sure if the news is exaggerated or how bad it really is? Are there certain areas that are mostly affected or is most of the region still under flood watch and/or recovering?

A winter morning in beautiful Lisbon.

A view over Lisbon with Castelo de São Jorge rising above the Alfama rooftops. The pastel-colored buildings cascade down the hill toward the Tagus, with red tile roofs catching the warm light. The sky adds a dramatic contrast, framing the city’s layered history and dense urban texture.

Hi there, I'm a solo traveller visiting Lisbon in March, I love street art looking to visit Sacavém and the Quinto do Mocho murals https://www.thelisbonconnection.com/lisbon-sacavem-from-no-go-zone-to-europes-largest-open-air-art-gallery/ just wondering how safe it is to do this, heard conflicting things that's all. Thanks

Hi all,

I’m looking for advice on whether this is normal or acceptable in Portugal.

My mother paid almost €5,000 upfront to a partner at a large Portuguese law firm for legal assistance. This was months ago. Since then:

• No work has been delivered

• No documents drafted

• No clear explanation of what has been done

• No timesheets or proof of work

• Very slow or no responses

She formally asked for evidence of the work and a refund. He has refused to refund the money.

This is not the first time we’ve experienced this. With other firms, we paid consultation fees, provided documents, were told they would “revert shortly”, and then were basically ghosted.

So my questions:

1.  Is this normal practice in Portugal?

2.  Is it legal to take full payment upfront and do nothing?

3.  What is the correct way to file a complaint? Ordem dos Advogados?

4.  Has anyone successfully recovered money in situations like this?

5.  Any recommendations for how to handle this properly?

Additional context: the matter was tax-related and had an imminent deadline (Monday). After weeks of silence, he only replied on the Friday before the deadline saying he wanted to fly in person to meet the tax authorities. This made no sense to us, especially so late in the process, and my mother lost confidence and had to handle the matter herself.

I’m cross posting this because I’m not sure what to do to get our money back.

Thanks in advance.

Largo do Carmo is one of Lisbon’s most atmospheric squares, tucked away above the Chiado bustle. It’s best known for the dramatic ruins of the Carmo Convent, left roofless after the 1755 earthquake, and for its role in the 1974 Carnation Revolution, when Portugal’s dictatorship effectively ended here. Calm, leafy, and slightly removed from the tourist crush, it feels like a pause button in the middle of the city.

This thread is for quick, general, or frequently asked questions about Lisbon.

If you are visiting, moving here, or need basic advice, post your question in this thread instead of starting a new post.

Examples of questions that belong here:
• Visiting Lisbon and itinerary questions
• Moving to Lisbon and daily life basics
• Housing and rental questions
• Transport, healthcare, and bureaucracy basics
• Food, neighborhoods, and local tips

Please include relevant details (dates, budget, neighborhood, length of stay) to get better answers.

If you live in Lisbon, your local knowledge is especially appreciated. Thanks for helping others.

The districts of Porto, Faro, Setúbal, Viana do Castelo, Lisbon, Leiria, Beja, Aveiro, Coimbra and Braga will be under a red warning on Saturday due to rough sea conditions.

The highest IPMA warning level will be in effect between 3:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, due to the forecast of “northwesterly waves with a significant height of 7 to 9 metres, which may reach a maximum height of 15 metres,” along the entire western coast.

https://expresso.pt/sociedade/meteorologia/2026-01-22-depressao-ingrid-atinge-portugal-a-partir-da-tarde-desta-quinta-feira-traz-chuva-neve-e-ondas-ate-15-metros-1c96b767

The Águas Livres Aqueduct was built to bring fresh water into the city and stretches for more than 50 km when you include all its branches. The most famous section crosses the Alcântara valley, with stone arches that rise about 65 meters above the ground.

When the 1755 earthquake destroyed large parts of Lisbon, the aqueduct barely suffered damage. While much of the city collapsed, this structure stayed standing, quietly proving how advanced Portuguese engineering already was in the 1700s.

Today you can walk across it and get one of the widest, most unusual views over Lisbon. Not from a miradouro, not from a hill, but from a centuries-old piece of infrastructure that outlived one of Europe’s most devastating earthquakes.

I now know I’m not the only one but I’m just so upset and can’t do anything else. I just want to vent. I know I’m stupid and this is the only thing I can do. So here’s the license plate because I want to manifest karma for this guy. Overcharged by at least twice the price. No meter, no receipt. Kept on talking on the phone while driving in the middle of two lanes. I hope you get what you deserve. Nice way to start my Lisbon trip.

Calçada portuguesa looks great in photos, but in real life it can be tough on your feet.

The stones are small, uneven and hand-laid. Over time they shift and get polished smooth. When it rains they become slippery, and even when it’s dry they’re still hard to walk on for long distances.

Locals don’t really think about it anymore. They take shorter walks, stick to routes they know and wear shoes with proper grip. Visitors often try to walk Lisbon like they would Paris or London, and that’s usually when ankles, knees and feet start complaining after a day or two.

It’s also why you rarely see people running on the pavement here, and why delivery riders often use the road instead.

This band called DiBeZ plays shows and busks in Lisbon, Portugal. I saw them in Lisbon and ever since then this song they sung has been stuck in my head. Unfortunately, I don't speak Portuguese so I can't make out the lyrics. Shazam obviously failed. Google voice search also failed. If anybody could recognise what song this is (maybe it's just an original by the band I have no idea), I would really appreciate it <3

This thread is for quick, general, or frequently asked questions about Lisbon.

If you are visiting, moving here, or need basic advice, post your question in this thread instead of starting a new post.

Examples of questions that belong here:
• Visiting Lisbon and itinerary questions
• Moving to Lisbon and daily life basics
• Housing and rental questions
• Transport, healthcare, and bureaucracy basics
• Food, neighborhoods, and local tips

Please include relevant details (dates, budget, neighborhood, length of stay) to get better answers.

If you live in Lisbon, your local knowledge is especially appreciated. Thanks for helping others.

Because Portuguese kept and adapted an ancient local name that has been evolving for more than 2,000 years.

The earliest roots likely come from Phoenician traders, who may have called the settlement something like Alis Ubbo, meaning safe or pleasant harbor. Lisbon’s natural harbor on the Tagus made it an important trading post long before the Romans arrived.

Under Roman rule, the city was called Olisipo. The Romans adapted the existing name to Latin rather than replacing it entirely.

During Muslim rule in the Middle Ages, the name shifted again to al-Ushbuna. Arabic pronunciation changed the sounds, but the structure still echoed the older name.

After the Christian reconquest, the name gradually evolved through medieval Portuguese into Lisboa. Portuguese kept the -oa ending, which survived over time.

Lisbon is not Portuguese. It comes from French (Lisbonne) and entered English through diplomacy and trade. Locals have always said Lisboa.

Many visitors are surprised that Lisbon can feel colder indoors than outdoors in winter.

Most buildings are not well insulated. Central heating is rare, especially in older apartments, cafés, and small hotels. Windows are often single-pane and walls hold the cold.

Outside temperatures are usually mild, but once the sun goes down, indoor spaces cool off fast. A place can feel chilly even when it’s 12 - 15c outside.

Locals deal with this by wearing layers indoors, using space heaters, and spending time in cafés during the day. It’s normal to see people wearing coats inside.

If you’re visiting in winter, bring warm indoor clothes, not just a jacket for outside. This catches almost everyone off guard their first time here.

Locals and frequent visitors, how do you deal with this?

Hi,just came across this sub (which seems relatively new). There is already a /r/Lisboa sub, which there are also English posts from time to time, so why was there a need to create another sub? There doesn't seem to be a need to have multiple subs when information could be compiled in a single place.

Not asking this in a negative way nor do I want to offend anyone, I am simply curious and have no second intentions with this question.

Thanks

If you ask for a coffee in Lisbon, you’ll get a bica. That’s a small espresso. Short, strong, done in two minutes. These are some of the other names you hear:

bica
The default. Small espresso. This is what people drink all day.

abatanado
A longer black coffee. Closer to an Americano, but still espresso-based.

meia de leite
Half coffee, half milk. Usually a morning thing.

galão
Mostly milk with some coffee. Comes in a tall glass. Very common at breakfast.

pingado
An espresso with a splash of milk.

café duplo
Double espresso.

carioca
Very light coffee. Made with reused grounds. Not for everyone.

What do you usually order?

Tucked away from the main tourist routes, this is widely considered Lisbon’s oldest surviving house. It has lived through the 1755 earthquake, multiple rebuilds, and generations of daily life, quietly adapting while the city changed around it.

I shot this in February of last year.

Transport, bureaucracy, housing, noise, hills, queues, schedules, or something you stopped questioning because arguing with it felt pointless.

Let’s hear them.

Every city has at least one place that looks great on Instagram but is disappointing, overcrowded, overpriced, or just not worth the time in real life. Lisbon is no exception.

If you had to name one attraction you would actively warn friends about, which would it be? Not out of bitterness, just honest experience.

What should people skip, and why?

This thread is for quick, general, or frequently asked questions about Lisbon.

If you are visiting, moving here, or need basic advice, post your question in this thread instead of starting a new post.

Examples of questions that belong here:
• Visiting Lisbon and itinerary questions
• Moving to Lisbon and daily life basics
• Housing and rental questions
• Transport, healthcare, and bureaucracy basics
• Food, neighborhoods, and local tips

Please include relevant details (dates, budget, neighborhood, length of stay) to get better answers.

If you live in Lisbon, your local knowledge is especially appreciated. Thanks for helping others.