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

Lisbon's main botanical garden was first laid out in 1873 to teach students about botany, and it is still part of the University of Lisbon. Hidden behind the small Museu de História Natural, about 2 km (1 mile) north of Bairro Alto, the garden has 10 acres of paths through myriad species of subtropical plants. It's a pleasant place for a shaded stroll.

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.”