2 Best Sights in Alfama, Lisbon

Although the castle was constructed by the Moors, the site had previously been fortified by Romans and Visigoths. Just outside the entrance is a statue of Dom Afonso Henriques, whose forces besieged the castle in 1147 and drove the Moors from Lisbon. The ramparts offer city panoramas as far as the towering Ponte 25 de Abril. A residence of the kings of Portugal in the medieval period, the palace now houses a small museum showcasing archaeological finds. From the periscópio (periscope) in the Torre de Ulísses in the keep you can spy on visitors going about their business below. Beyond the keep, traces of pre-Roman and Moorish houses are visible thanks to recent archaeological digs, as well as the remains of a palace founded in the 15th century. The castle's outer walls encompass a small neighborhood (Castelo), the medieval church of Santa Cruz, restaurants, and shops.

Lisbon's austere Romanesque cathedral was founded in 1150 to commemorate the defeat of the Moors three years earlier. To rub salt in the wound, the conquerors built the sanctuary on the spot where Moorish Lisbon's main mosque once stood. Note the fine rose window, and be sure to visit the rooftop terrace and the treasure-filled sacristy, which contains the relics of the martyr Saint Vincent, among other things. According to legend, the relics were carried from the Algarve to Lisbon in a ship piloted by ravens; the saint became Lisbon's official patron. The cathedral was originally built in the Romanesque style of the time but has undergone several rebuilds and refurbishments over the years; today its rather eclectic architecture includes Gothic, baroque, and neoclassical adornments. Visitors are expected to dress respectfully.