Sun, fun, and history in Lisbon

High School Abroad Spain students were lucky to have beautiful weather combined with beautiful views for their overnight excursion. Students met early in the morning to travel together to Lisbon. After a bit of free time to settle into the hostel students set out for a walking tour of the Chiado and Baixa neighborhoods.

Highlights of these neighborhoods include the roofless Convento do Carmo, which serves to remind visitors of the devastating earthquake and tsunami of 1755. The Elevador de Santa Justa, that once served as part of the public transportation system to help citizens navigate the hilly city, is now one of the most popular attractions for visitors. Students enjoyed the views atop the Miradouro, or lookout point, just as the sun was going down, to create the perfect backdrop for selfies and group photos.

The second day of our trip included visits to a street dedicated to the Urban Art Gallery of Lisbon, the Alfama neighborhood, São Jorge’s Castle, the Cathedral, and ended in the Praça do Comércio where we entered the Lisbon Story Center to hear, see, and feel Lisbon’s long history, actually one of the oldest cities in the world, second in Europe after Athens.

No visit to Lisbon is complete without visiting the nearby town of Belém. Here students were able to visit the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos, founded by King Manuel I in 1499 in honor of Vasco de Gama discovering a sea route to India, and…the home of the famous pastéis de Belém. Students had free time to visit the famous bakery that sells thousands of these custard pastry tarts daily.

All in all, students enjoyed a beautiful weekend visit to one of Europe’s oldest cities, and are now looking forward to their next trip to Málaga….