4 Best Sights in Avenida da Liberdade, Príncipe Real, and Restauradores, Lisbon

Avenida, as Lisboetas usually call it, was laid out in 1879 as an elegant Parisian-style boulevard modeled on the Champs-Élysées. Although many of the late-19th-century mansions and Art Deco buildings that once graced it have been demolished, it remains a high-end part of town, with some notable survivors now housing luxury hotels and international fashion outlets. It’s worth a leisurely stroll up the 1½-km (1-mile) length of the avenue, past ponds, fountains, and statues, from Praça dos Restauradores to Parque Eduardo VII, at least once, if only to cool off with a drink in one of the quiosques (refreshment kiosks) beneath the trees and to admire the iconic cobblestone pavement.

Also known as Miradouro do Torel, this garden-viewpoint is accessed through a gate at the top of a hill above Avenida da Liberdade. Unlike the other famous viewpoints in the city, it gets very few visitors, except for young couples and older folks from the neighborhood, who sit in the shade admiring the view, walk their dogs, or stop for coffee. The café is found down a few steps that lead to an 18th-century fountain and a terrace. That fountain often becomes a pool used by local children in the summer, when the terrace becomes a small “urban beach.”

Dominating the center of Marquês de Pombal Square is a statue of the marquis himself, the man responsible for the design of the "new" Lisbon that emerged from the ruins of the 1755 earthquake. On the statue's base are representations of both the earthquake and the tidal wave that engulfed the city; a female figure with outstretched arms signifies the joy at the emergence of the refashioned city. The square is effectively a large roundabout and a useful orientation point, since it stands at the northern end of Avenida da Liberdade.

Adjacent to Rossio train station, this square marks the beginning of modern Lisbon. Here the broad tree-lined Avenida da Liberdade starts its northwesterly ascent. Restauradores means "restorers," and the square commemorates the 1640 uprising against Spanish rule that restored Portuguese independence. An 1886 obelisk commemorates the event. Note the elegant pink-hued 18th-century Palácio Foz (under renovation into mid-2025) on the square's west side. The only building to rival the palace is the restored Éden building, just to the south. This Art Deco masterpiece of Portuguese architect Cassiano Branco now contains a hotel. You'll also see the Elevador da Glória, the funicular that travels up to Bairro Alto and its famous viewpoint.