9 Best Sights in Chiado and Bairro Alto, Lisbon

This gallery-cum-performing arts venue remains one of the hippest addresses in the city, three decades after it was founded as a cultural nonprofit. Both the bookshop and exhibition space, which hosts stimulating contemporary art shows and cutting-edge talks, often in English, are open 6–10 pm. After that, there are usually concerts of experimental music in a rather claustrophobic performance space. On warm nights, head up to the ultra-laid-back rooftop bar, which occasionally serves as an open-air cinema.

This church, completed in 1574, was one of the earliest Jesuit buildings in the world; the attached museum is home to one of Portugal's most comprehensive collections of religious art. While the church's exterior is somewhat plain and austere, the inside is dazzling, with abundant use of gold and marble—the only remaining example in Lisbon of the painted ceilings from the mannerist period. Eight side chapels have statuary and art dating from the early 17th century. The last chapel on the left before the altar is the extraordinary 18th-century Capela de São João Baptista (Chapel of St. John the Baptist), designed and built in Rome, then taken apart, shipped to Lisbon, and reassembled here in 1747.

Arguably Lisbon’s most romantic miradouro, this landscaped promenade is split into two levels, each offering a wonderful view across the city center to the castle on its hill on the other side. It’s a popular spot at night, as the moon shines over the city. On the upper level, a large kiosk surrounded by tables and lounge chairs serves refreshments and light meals to those who decide to stay and enjoy the views a little longer. Down the steps is another, more secluded kiosk with a smaller range of offerings.

Júlio Pomar was one of Portugal’s leading 20th- and 21st-century artists, and this small museum was also his studio until his death in 2018. The building is a former warehouse, now redesigned by Pritzker Prize–winning architect Álvaro Siza Vieira, and it presents temporary exhibitions of Pomar’s paintings, drawings, and sculptures—as well as works by other local artists—spread over two floors.

This convent from 1670 was never open to the public until 2014, after the last nuns moved out. Although it stands across from one of the city’s most famous viewpoints, it remains an under-the-radar stop. The church and chapel are free to visit any day, while the rest of the building can be seen on guided tours (in Portuguese), which usually take place on the second Sunday of the month. The baroque church stands between two wings of the convent; most of its interior dates from 1758, after the devastating 1755 earthquake left it slightly damaged. The older paintings were originally in the colossal convent and palace of Mafra, while the tile panels were added in the late 1700s and illustrate scenes from the life of St. Peter of Alcántara. Another highlight is a cardinal’s funerary chapel, covered in inlaid marble.

The Carmelite Convent—once Lisbon’s largest—was built in 1389 by Nuno Álvares Pereira to give thanks for Portugal’s victories over Castile. It was all but destroyed in the 1755 earthquake, leaving the haunting shell of a Gothic church that still stands today. The former sacristy houses the Museu Arqueológico do Carmo, a compact but intriguing collection of Gothic tombs, Roman epigraphy, medieval tiles, and ancient coins. Outside, the tree-shaded Largo do Carmo connects to the top platform of the Elevador de Santa Justa and is a tranquil spot for a coffee or cocktail. But this peaceful setting belies its dramatic history: it was here, at the adjacent Carmo barracks, that Prime Minister Marcelo Caetano took refuge during the 1974 Carnation Revolution. He eventually surrendered to rebel troops, marking the end of the dictatorship. Today, the Museu da Guarda Nacional Republicana (closed Sunday and Monday) occupies the barracks and includes the historic room where Caetano made his final stand.

This is one of Lisbon’s richest and most beautiful churches but one of the least visited, despite its central location on the edge of Bairro Alto. The baroque and rococo interior is a monumental mix of gilded wood carvings and stucco decoration, added in 1727 to a building that dates from 1647. The organ is considered a masterpiece of gilded woodwork, while the altar is a highlight of the art commissioned during the wealthy reign of King João V, with sculptures brought from Flanders. Two of Portugal’s most prominent 18th-century artists (Vieira Lusitano and André Gonçalves) are responsible for the large paintings in golden frames on the side walls. There are more treasures in the attached museum (open from 9-1).

Also known as Miradouro do Adamastor due to a rock on the site with a sculpted image of the mythical giant from the seas in national poet Luís de Camões's epic The Lusiads, this hilltop spot boasts fine river views. Here bohemian young locals get together at sunset, drinking and smoking to the sounds of street musicians. It’s a place for chilling out, and if you want to enjoy a drink or a meal, there are several surrounding spots with outdoor seating.

Also known as the Museu do Chiado, this museum housed in a former convent specializes in Portuguese art from 1850 to the present day but is currently only staging temporary exhibitions of contemporary paintings, sculpture, and multimedia installations. In the summer, there are jazz concerts on Friday evenings in its small walled garden.