Lisbon Lives Walking Tours

01/11/2023

Today, 1st November, 1755, at about 0945, the inhabitants of heard a low rumbling sound, increasing gradually in intensity as the ground under their feet began to shake. Many were in church for the All Saints' Day mass. Soon the walls of the churches and other buildings began to crack and roof timbers fell as their inhabitants screamed and tried to get to the doors. Many of those who managed to escape the crumbling buildings fled in panic to the Terreiro do Paço, the large open space in front of the King's Palace, by the river. Soon afterwards a huge 6m wave swept over the whole area, consigning thousands to a watery grave. Meanwhile, candles in the churches had toppled with the shaking, and the ensuing fire spread through the city and burned for six days. Two-thirds of Lisbon was destroyed and tens of thousands died.

Picture: Allegory of the 1755 Earthquake, by João Glama Ströberle (Public domain)

28/10/2023

Tourists sheltering from the rain at the Elevador de Santa Justa. is a sunny city most of the year, but when it rains it pours!

27/10/2023

The Livraria Bertrand in , founded in 1732, is the oldest working bookshop in the world. It's the hub of Lisbon's literary neighbourhood of Chiado, which we explore on my Literary Lisbon tour, where we explore the lives, works and hangouts of some of Lisbon's great writers, from the enigmatic poet Fernando Pessoa to the novelist José Saramago, Portugal's only winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature.
Photo: 69joehawkins

26/10/2023

Marion and family in the beautiful Casa do Alentejo, end point of my Secret Lisbon tour.

On this tour we visit hidden crypts and cemeteries, secret doors and passages, hear stories of spies and freemasons, visit a secret garden, the famous Doll's Hospital, and discover a Roman well in the heart of the city!

Have you done it? What was your favourite part?

23/10/2023

The Museu Calouste Gulbenkian is like a miniature Louvre set in beautiful landscaped gardens in the heart of Lisbon! It's easy to spend a morning or afternoon browsing through its incredible collection of treasures from Greece, Rome, Persia, China, and the Middle East, not to mention its rich collection of European paintings including works by Rembrandt, Turner, Monet, Degas, and others. is for art lovers!

22/10/2023

One of the oldest professions in - and one that still exists: the knife grinder.

Em dia de chuva, relembremos o ofício de amolador.
“Os amoladores andavam pelas ruas de Lisboa, sobretudo nos bairros mais populares, empurrando as traquitanas oficinas, onde girava uma pedra de esmeril (…) e assim afiavam as facas as navalhas e as tesouras. Também se encarregavam de arranjar chapéus de chuva, louça quebrada, como terrinas e pratos de maior valia etc. aplicando grampos de metal. Chamava-se a este trabalho “deitar gatos“
Calderon Dinis “ Tipos e Factos de do meu Tempo“

Arquivo Municipal de Lisboa
📷 Mário Pinto

21/10/2023

This beautiful silver casket - to be found in the Lisbon Cathedral Treasury - contains the relics of St Vincent of Saragossa. Here is what happened to St Vincent:

"When the Roman Emperor Diocletian began persecuting Christians in Spain, both were brought before the Roman governor, Dacian, in Valencia. Vincent and his bishop Valerius were confined to the prison of Valencia. Though he was finally offered release if he would consign Scripture to the fire, Vincent refused. Speaking on behalf of his bishop, he informed the judge that they were ready to suffer everything for their faith, and that they could pay no heed either to threats or promises. His outspoken manner so angered the governor that he had every sort of torture inflicted on Vincent. He was stretched on the rack and his flesh torn with iron hooks. Then his wounds were rubbed with salt and he was burned alive upon a red-hot gridiron. Finally, he was cast into prison and laid on a floor scattered with broken pottery, where he died."

According to legend, St Vincent's body was then thrown to be devoured by vultures, but it was protected by ravens. Later, when the first King of Portugal had the saint's bones transported to Lisbon in 1173, ravens accompanied his bones all the way to the city. The ship that brought St Vincent's bones, and the ravens, can be seen clearly on the casket, and feature prominently in the coat of arms of the city.



((Source: Wikipedia).

13/10/2023

Why is Friday 13th considered an unlucky day? One possible origin goes back to the Middle Ages, when the Knights Templar (full name Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and the Temple of Jerusalem) were massacred in Paris on Friday 13th October 1307 (716 years ago today!). The military-religious order, established to protect pilgrims going to the Holy Land, had become hugely wealthy thanks to its money-lending activities. The King of France, Philippe IV, feared the power of the Templars, and moreover owed them vast sums of money which he preferred not to pay. So he ordered the arrest, torture, and killing of the leaders of the Order in Paris, which happened on this day in 1307. He continued to campaign for their extinction, making up stories of their involvement in strange ceremonies involving so**my and urinating on the cross (accusations "confirmed" by confessions made under torture by members of the Order). As a result the Knights Templar were officially extinguished by Pope Clement V in 1312.

(Image, Knights Templar being burned in Paris, from a French 15th C. manuscript. Source: Wikipedia).

See Lisbon with new eyes after one short tour! Eppie said "A fine tour: enlightening, surprising, clear and beautifully delivered". Katya said "A real highlight of our Portugal trip".

13/10/2023

For some it's creepy, for others it's cute...but whatever you think the Lisbon Doll's Hospital is certainly one of the most fascinating places in the city. Since 1830 little girls have been taking their dolls there to be repaired. The Doll's Hospital features on my Secret Lisbon Tour - Peter

10/10/2023

Do you know what this fruit is? They don't travel well, but are highly nutritious, delicious, and abundant at this time of year in Portugal.

08/10/2023

Olives being harvested in the same way that they have in rural Portugal for centuries - by hand, in small family groups. Here, by my Portuguese family in Bofinho, near Alavaiazere.

28/09/2023

The Lisbon Oceanario one of the biggest aquariums in the World, stocked full of sharks, rays, giant turtles and much else besides. Another reason to visit beautiful

23/09/2023

Fall head over heels in love with Sintra. I have! And you will too if I take you there!

20/09/2023

Isn't it time you returned to Lisbon? The summer rush is over and I now have SIX great tours available: Introduction to Lisbon, Secret Lisbon, Street Art, Literary Lisbon, British Connections and A Day in Sintra!!!

Get a 30% reduction by booking directly with me here on FB. Most tours 25 Euros, Sintra 50 Euros. See you in Lisbon soon!

(In the picture: a secret garden we visit on my Secret Lisbon tour!)

13/09/2023

Come to Portugal - there is wine literally flowing down the streets!

The Destilaria Levira in Anadia said it took full responsibility for the incident, which saw 2.2 million litres of wine gush down streets

01/07/2023

The fascinating history of England's 650 year-old alliance with Portugal. Did Portugal really save England in the Hundred Years' War? Yup! Find out more on my British Connections Tour!
https://youtu.be/Hf4D4zOaVs4

On 16th June 1373, England’s King Edward III signed a treaty of alliance with Portugal’s King Ferdinand. It still stands, making it the longest continuing al...

18/06/2023

If you ever get invited to a wedding in the Portuguese countryside, expect HUGE quantities of food and quite a large amount of accordeon playing too!

01/06/2023

On my Lisbon Street Art tour, not all the art is in the street!
(Sonia and Vincent from Paris in front of a work by Bordalo II, in the 1908 Hotel).

20/05/2023

A fantastic afternoon watching the great Portuguese band Clã on top form at the Alameda in Lisbon. if you don't know them watch the clip I'll post below.

22/04/2023

Finally I got the chance to visit the Roman galleries in the Baixa - a structure designed to support the buildings in the Roman port area. It's only open a few days a year and getting tickets is about as easy as finding a lost key on a beach after dark.

08/04/2023

Received by email from Esther (Germany):
"If you are interested in history, art, literature and Portuguese culture, if you want to get a feeling of the beautiful city of Lisbon, I recommend Peter’s guided city walks. I joined his ‘Introduction to Lisbon’ walk and it was the perfect mix of interesting sights and historical and cultural information, woven it into a coherent, informative and entertaining tour, complete with contemporary street art, a bit of Fado music and the obligatory delicious egg custard tart. Not only does Peter have profound knowledge of the city’s and country’s political and cultural history and present. He also makes good choices regarding what details to include in his tour and how to connect the various aspects. Whenever you need background information or want more detail, he is prepared to give it.
Next time I get to Lisbon, I’ll make sure to book his other tours, starting with ‘Secret Lisbon’.
Esther, Germany"

31/03/2023

The name of this little alley just off Calçada de Santo André intrigued me for years but none of the locals seemed to know what it meant, and Prof Google was no help either. Finally I find out what it was: the "Imaginario" was the man who sculpted religious images out of wood, stone or clay. He had to follow a rigourous apprenticeship with a Master, and would only be allowed to set up shop after a practical exam involving making a Christ on a cross and a statue of the virgin Mary. 17th century records show that such a person worked at this location.

17/03/2023

Just finished this beauty - Richard Zenith's monumental biography of the great Lisbon poet Fernando Pessoa. Pessoa invented dozens of alter egos which he called "heteronyms", each with a different biography and character, and writing in a different style. One man became several great poets! It's a deeply engaging read, and Zenith embeds Pessoa's life beautifully in the history of early 20th century Lisbon. I'd say it's essential reading for anyone interested in poetry, or just anyone who loves a really good biography.

02/03/2023

Amy, Cindy, Maria & Susan enjoying a Ginginha, the traditional cherry liqueur of Lisbon, served in a chocolate cup.

08/02/2023

The Vasco da Gama bridge near at sunset, with moon and seagull.

06/02/2023

Archeologists have just found part of the Cerca Fernandina, the 14th Century city wall, under the Miradouro de Sophia de Mello Breyner. Very exciting! You can see it centre-bottom in this photo.