Welcome to your information source about Lisbon and Portugal.

Portugal has a rich seafaring past, superb beach resorts, wistful towns and a landscape wreathed in olive groves, vineyards and wheat fields. Littered with UNESCO World Heritage sites and graced by one of Europe's most relaxed and attractive capitals, it also remains refreshingly affordable.

St. Jorge's Castle

Savoring life slowly is a Portuguese passion, and much of the best is humble - traditional folk festivals; simple, honest food drowning in olive oil; music that pulls at the heart strings, recalling past love and glories; and markets overflowing with fish, fruit and flowers.

Lisbon, the Portuguese capital, is positioned on seven low hills beside a river once lured traders and settlers, and it's Lisbon Sé Partriarcal still a stunning site. Add to that its cultural diversity, laid-back feel and architectural time warp, and you have one of the most enjoyable cities in Europe.

At Lisbon's heart are wide, tree-lined avenues graced by Art Nouveau buildings, mosaic pavements and street cafes. Seen from the river - one of the city's many great viewpoints - Lisbon is an impressionist picture of low-rise ochre and pastel, punctuated by church towers and domes.

This five-ton "coche" was built in 1716 for the Portuguese ambassador to the Vatican

Being Lisbon one of the most rich cities in Europe, in terms of museums, monuments, history and pleasant ways of enjoying your time, using the services of an Official Lisbon Tour Guide will help you to maximize your travelling experience and will contribute to a long lasting memory.

Welcome to Lisbon and to Portugal.

The destination for 2008: Lisbon

It's official: Lisbon, Portugal is the world's top city to go in 2008.

The New York Times said it last December, and now it was Sherman Travel and MSN – Lisbon is one of the top destinations in the world for 2008. Ranking second overall, and the top city on New York Times’ list , the Portuguese capital stood out for its growing cultural attractions (the Berardo Museum of Modern Art and the Design and Fashion Museum), and its new stylish choices of accommodation.

Sherman Travel and MSN ranked the Portuguese capital third in the world, and also the top city. Its pluses were its affordability, as well as its hip enclaves and cuisine.

The Path of Princes on Gulbenkian Museum

Following Parma, London and Paris, “The Path of Princes. Masterpieces of the Aga Khan Museum Collection” is now shown in Lisbon. The exhibition comprises works of Islamic art from the collection of the future Aga Khan Museum, due0 to open in 2011 in Toronto, Canada. These works of art are a testimony of the great diversity of the cultural heritage and patrimony of Muslim civilizations, covering a wide geographical region extending from the Iberian Peninsula to China, over a thousand-year period of history, from the 9th to the 19th century.

This exhibition is organized in two main themes: “The Word of God” and “The Power of the Sovereign”, including a remarkable selection of miniature paintings, manuscripts, jewellery, ceramics, wood and metal objects among other artworks.

The exhibition is held under the High Patronage of His Highness the Aga Khan and His Excellency the President of the Republic of Portugal.

The ’Greek taste’. The birth of Neoclassicism in France, 1750-1775

In addition to gaining a first impression of the Portuguese Presence in the Orient, Gods of Asia and Masks of Asia exhibitions, with guided tours available, the three days of The Orient Festival feature music from Hindustan, traditional dancing from Goa, Chinese music performed on Western instruments and the dances of Rajasthan. Orient Museum

The auditorium is showing a selection of Japanese films as part of the Mostra – Lisbon Festival of Animation. Translating names into Mandarin, Chinese zodiac readings, consultations with a fortune teller from Macau, lessons in the art of paper cutting, hand painting Hindu style, mask making, the tea ceremonies of both China and Japan, not to mention Tai Chi classes, are just some of the activities taking place at the Museu do Oriente over its first three days open to the community.

See memories of the Portuguese presence in Asia

Welcome to your information source about Lisbon and Portugal.

The destination for 2008: Lisbon

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The Path of Princes on Gulbenkian Museum

The ’Greek taste’. The birth of Neoclassicism in France, 1750-1775