Chiado District & Christmas in Lisbon

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15th December 2020

Chiado district Lisbon

Home to the theatres, the cafés and the oldest bookstore still active in the world, Chiado is the location for today’s tour with Ines our guide.

We travelled back in time to the 19th century Chiado district.

The district is named after, António Ribeiro, a Franciscan monk who left the order to become a satirical poet and actor. António’s distinctive style was his shrill and high voice, which gave him the nickname Screech (Chiado in Portuguese). The statue of Fernando Pessoa depicts him drinking coffee outside the Café A Brasileira.

The Art Deco interior of the Cafe a Brasileira has remained unchanged since opening in 1905, with wooden booths, mirrored walls, brass fittings, and a long oak bar.

The Elevador de Santa Justa is one of the truly unique tourist attractions of Lisbon. This 19th century industrial age marvel transports passengers up 45m from the Baixa district to the Largo do Carmo.

The Elevador de Santa Justa dates from an era when wrought-iron was not just a construction material but also an elegant art form. The exterior structure is adorned with glorious neo-gothic arches and geometric patterns, while inside two sumptuous polished wood carriages whisk passengers up in style.

Historically the Elevador de Santa Justa was an invaluable part of Lisbon’s public transport network, but today it is primarily a tourist attraction.

‘Lojas Com História’ (or ‘Historic Shops’) was born in 2015 from the need to protect the types of commerce most characteristic and identifying of city.

Among the stores it helps preserve are speciality goods sellers and makers, including herbalists, engravers, seed sellers, leather merchants and toy makers, who often have adjacent workshops. Many of them are the last of their kind in the city, and most are in Chiado.



22nd December - Christmas traditions in Lisbon

It wouldn’t be Christmas in Portugal without the famous Bolo-Rei or King Cake.

The Bolo-Rei is one of the most remarkable symbols of Christmas in Portugal. It represents the gifts that the Magi gave to baby Jesus when he was born: the crust symbolizes the gold, the candied and dried fruit symbolizes the myrrh and the aroma of this cake symbolizes the incense.

Another tradition says that Christmas Eve in Portugal, from North to South, is spent with the family gathered to eat cod with all vegetables. Even those who are not very found of cod, this is the night in which an effort is made to taste the boiled or roasted cod with potatoes, cabbages, turnips, carrots and boiled egg, drizzled with olive oil.

Our tour continued passing the hot chestnuts (if only we had smellovision) to the Igreja de São Domingos, a church that is classified as a National Monument. The church was dedicated in 1241 and was, at one time, the largest church in Lisbon. Prior to the establishment of the modern Portuguese republic in 1910, the church typically hosted Portuguese royal weddings.

As darkness fell we were in for a treat watching all the wonderful Christmas lights of downtown Lisbon.

Another lovely tour with Inês.

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