Global Summit on Neurology and Neurosurgery January 16-17, 2020 Lisbon, Portugal

Lisbon is the stunning capital city of Portugal, and is one of the most charismatic and vibrant cities of Europe. It is a city that effortlessly blends traditional heritage, with striking modernism and progressive thinking.

History of Lisbon

Lisbon is one of the oldest cities in Western Europe. After the region was settled by the Celts, it was then founded by the Phoenicians. They established a settlement called Ulissipo, which was then conquered by the Greeks and Carthaginians. In 205 BC, the Romans won the Second Punic War against the Carthaginians and occupied the city, calling it Olissipo. Ancient Lisbon was integrated into the Roman province of Lusitania, but when the Roman Empire collapsed, it was invaded by Germanic tribes and was controlled by the Kingdom of the Suebi until 585.

Why visit Lisbon and Portugal?

Lisbon is a bustling and exciting city that boasts a wide choice of activities and fascinating tourist attractions. The city has a welcoming and liberal atmosphere, while still embracing its deep-rooted heritage and extensive history. Lisbon will appeal to a diverse selection of ages and tourists; it can form a cultural trip, a nightlife extravaganza, a family holiday, a relaxed city-break or even as a base for a beach holiday.

The Portuguese capital is constantly recognised as one of the greatest cities in the world, a claim confirmed by the “Lonely Planet Guides", who named Lisbon one of the world’s top 10 cities. Surprisingly, Lisbon is still one of Europe’s least visited capitals, but this is rapidly changing as new visitors discover the allure of Portugal.

How long to spend in Lisbon?

Lisbon takes around three days to discover and is the ideal destination for a weekend city-break. A holiday to Lisbon could be extended to seven or ten days to include all of the enjoyable day trips in the surrounding region (all of which can be visited using public transport).

Close to Lisbon is a coastline of beautiful sandy beaches and a holiday to Lisbon could also include a few days relaxing on these glorious beaches. Suggested itineraries for a holiday to Lisbon could include:

A city-break to Lisbon

Day 1 – Alfama, Baixa, Cais do Sodre and Chiado

Day 2 – Belem, Alcântara and a night out in Bairro Alto

Day 3 – Parque das Nações, Estrela or Príncipe Real

Or an extended holiday to Lisbon region

Day 4 – Day trip to Sintra

Day 5 – Day trip to Cascais

Day 6 – Day trip to Setubal or Sesimbra

Day 7 – Day trip to Obidos or Mafra & Ericeira

What are the popular day trips from Lisbon?

There are many enjoyable day trips from Lisbon, the most popular being the charming hill-top town of Sintra and the fishing town of Cascais. Slightly further day trips include the pretty beach town of Sesimbra, the colossal palace of Mafra, the picturesque walled town of Obidos, and the port city of Setubal.

Is Lisbon and Portugal an expensive destination?

Lisbon is one of Europe’s least expensive capital cities, and offers exceptional value for food, drink and public transport. Entrance fees to historic monuments are sensibly priced, but gimmicky tours (Tuk-tuks, open-air buses) are relatively expensive.

Once flights and accommodation have been paid for, the cost of the holiday greatly depends on the amount of activities, sights or nightlife partying, you wish to do. Overall, Lisbon provides a good value holiday destination, but accommodation and flights should always be booked well in advance to secure the lowest prices.

Where to fly into?

Lisbon Airport is the main international airport of Portugal and provides direct connections to all major European cities and many of the world’s largest cities. The airport itself is conveniently located within the city limits, and onward travel is extremely easy by taking either the metro or the Aerobus bus service.

The airport has undergone a major expansion with the construction of a new terminal building, and this handles all of the departures (not arrivals) for the low-cost airlines. Terminal 2 is very basic, with lots of standing around in long queues, and is only connected to the main terminal building by a limited bus service.

Will Language be an issue?

English is widely spoken by all of those who work within the tourist industry, and tourists who only speak English will not encounter any language barriers during the duration of their holiday. All transport hubs have English as their second language and this includes railway, the metro and the airport.

While dining out, most restaurants and cafes will be able to provide English menus. The Portuguese rarely expect foreign visitors to speak any Portuguese, but are always cheerfully surprised if a few words can be spoken!

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT PORTUGAL

Capital city: Lisbon

Official language:  Portuguese

Population: 11,317,192

Currency: Euro

Total area: 92 389 sq km (including Madeira and Azores)

Land: 91959 sq km

Water: 430 sq km

Land use: 26 percent arable land; 9 percent permanent crops; 9 percent permanent pastures; 36 percent forests and woodland; 20 percent other

Terrain: Mountainous north of the Tagus River, rolling plains in south.

Portugal, one of the oldest countries in Europe, is located in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula lying between Spain in the north and east, and the Atlantic Ocean in the south and west. The signs of the Portuguese presence around the world are still visible and this is the reason why Portuguese is one of the most spoken languages worldwide and the Portuguese are one of the peoples more open to other civilizations. Portugal has been a Republic since 1911 and its government is a Parliamentary Democracy. A member of the European Union (EU) since 1986, Portugal is a nation in full development that has always kept its best treasure - its ability to welcome people. This makes this country an attractive and safe place.

Despite being a relatively small country (516Km long and 218Km wide), the Portuguese natural heritage is extremely rich and diverse. The average altitude is low (240m), with the highest mountain range being the Serra da Estrela, in central Portugal. In the northwest, there are green fertile valleys and tree-covered mountains while vast areas of high plateaus predominate in the northeast. Along the western coast as far as Lisbon the topography is a mixture of lowlands and bays. Moving south the landscape starts to change to a uniform low relief. In the south lies the popular tourist destination of the Algarve.

The population in mainland Portugal is around 10,000,000 people. Lisbon is the capital with nearly one million inhabitants. Other important cities are Oporto, Braga, Coimbra and Faro.

INTERESTING PORTUGAL FACTS:

• Most of the country’s population, around 97%, is Roman Catholic.
• Portugal holds the title for being the oldest European nation-state. It has had the same borders since the year 1139.
• Portugal is the first country that made the inclusion of fingerprints on one’s identity card compulsory.
• Despite what you may believe, Portuguese is the official language of not only Portugal but also Brazil, Cape Verde, Angola, Guinea Bissau, Mozambique, Principe, Sao Tome, and Equatorial Guinea.
• Portuguese holds the 6th rank in the list of most spoken languages in the world.
• The capital city of Portugal, Lisbon, is approximately 4 centuries older than Rome and is also known to be the second oldest European capital followed by Athens.
• Portuguese people are well known for their qualities of exploration. They helped in discovering parts of America, Africa, and Asia.
• Portugal is also known to be a founding member of Eurozone.
• Portugal is known for some of the most efficient ATM systems in the world. From donating to charities to buying concert tickets, a lot is done via ATMs.
• Portugal has 15 UNESCO world heritage sites at the time of writing.
• Cod fish is very well known in Portuguese cuisine, with over a thousand recipes floating around the country for its preparation. It is so common that it is considered to be their national dish.
• The globally famous and beloved Piri Piri sauce is said to have roots in Portugal and Mozambique.
• Wine is considered to be the national drink of Portugal and it is also one of their most famous exports.
• Football is the Portuguese’s favorite sport among all. Their strongly supported football club, S.L. Benfica, was mentioned in the Guinness Book of World Records in 2006 for having over 160,389 paid up members.
• Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the most famous football icons today, is Portuguese. He was born in Santo António in 1985. The country has a small museum in Madeira that honors the infamous Ronaldo.
• Portugal has the oldest bookstore in the world, Livraria Bertrand, in Lisbon. It was built in 1732 and is still operational.
• On a much lighter note: Portugal has made it illegal to urinate in the ocean. It’s just one of those weird laws in Portugal.
• If you are a fan of McDonald’s, you’ll find what is probably the world’s most beautiful McDonald’s in Porto. The building it occupies was used by Cafe Imperial previously and is still a very fine example of the Art Deco style of architecture. Having a Big Mac in a McDonald’s with stained glass windows and intricately designed friezes is an experience you won’t get anywhere else.
• Prepaid phone cards are said to have been first introduced in Portugal, although the claim is made by Italy too.
• In Madeira, you can experience the famous Toboggan Ride that was historically used as the primary source of transport in the region. Riding in a wicker toboggan is described as exhilarating by many tourists.
• Cobblers seem to do very well in Portugal, thanks to the vast collection of cobblestone streets the country has. These streets are famous for destroying shoes, especially women’s heels.
• Northeast Portugal also has a ‘co-official’ language, Mirandese, which is spoken in parts of Vimioso, Mogadouro and Miranda do Douro.