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| The No28 rumbles through the city |
Lisbon’s No28 trams are something special.
To enter their venerable carriages is to travel back in time and to share a journey once enjoyed by literary greats, wartime spies and inspiration-seeking artists.
From the outside the trams are trim and yellow, looking almost overly truncated for the demands of the 21st century.
The No28 would be worth a ride for these reasons alone, but as its route also happens to include many of Lisbon’s finest cultural sites, it also provides a remarkable city tour.
The route begins at the Martim Moniz square – named in honour of a 12th-century knight – and passes through the Graca and Alfama areas past the huge Castelo de São Jorge.
The Alfama owes its name to its 8th-century Moorish population; its name a corruption of Al hamma – the baths, or fountains, thought to be a reference to what was at the time a focal point of the settlement.
For a further insight into the long and varied history of Lisbon, it is well worth stopping off near the Castelo de Sao Jorge and walking back up the hill to the impressive, restored fortifications that can trace their roots back at least as far as the 5th century.
Displays explain more about Lisbon’s four centuries under Islamic rule, making the link between that era and the city’s enduring legacy as a place famed for its ceramics and tile-work.
The Moors deemed it improper to eat off plates made from silver or gold, so as an alternative the wealthy of the time invested in finely crafted ceramics, relics of which are on show here.
In 1147, however, Lisbon’s Islamic era came to a close when Christian forces led by King Afonso Henriques, bolstered by a number of northern and western European crusaders, stormed the castle.
The king’s statue, depicting him in full armour and helmet, stands in the courtyard at the entrance, looking up at his prize.
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King Alfonso in full battle order |
The story goes that his victory owed much to Martim Moniz (he of the square from which the tram begins).
Spotting the defenders attempting to close a door, the knight is said to have hurled himself into the gap, using his body to keep it wedged open – with fatal results both for him and, ultimately, for many of the Moors.
From the castle the No28 rattles and squeaks downhill to the Cathedral of Se de Lisboa, ‘Se’ standing for Sedes Episcopalis – the seat of the bishop.
Building work began here shortly after the successful siege and it is an extremely impressive building to this day, with its solid-looking twin towers and Romanesque arches.
From just outside the cathedral, the tram continues downhill, offering further glimpses of the Tagus, towards the Baixa district.
The visitor could spend hours exploring the boulevards and squares of the Baixa, but the No28 tram screeches up the tight bend of the Calcada de Sao Francisco to the districts of Chiado and Bairro Alto.
Those with literary interests, or just in need of a little refreshment, can alight at the stop that is virtually opposite the Pastelaria A Brasileira café, at 120 Rua Garrett.
The café was a favourite haunt of the poet Fernando Pessoa (1888-1935), arguably Portugal’s most famous and certainly a true lover of the city of Lisbon.
This great man of letters spent many hours here, either musing on his verses, chatting to friends or just watching the constant ebb and flow of the district.
To commemorate this fact, his bronze statue sits at one of the café’s outside tables.Step inside and you would be forgiven for thinking that little had changed since Pessoa’s day.
A newspaper kiosk still occupies a spot just by the door, while the left-hand wall is lined with tables, where patrons catch up on the news or tuck into a pasteis de nata (a small, creamy custard tart in flaky pastry that are ubiquitous in the coffee shops of Lisbon).
For an unbeatable view across the city, it is worth taking a slight detour to the Largo do Carmo.
This is the location both of the dramatically ruined Carmelite convent that now houses an archeological museum and the Elevator de Santa Justa that links the higher districts with the Baixa.
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The ruined Carmelite convent |
Built in 1902 and 45 metres tall, a walkway at its top provides outstanding views over a city reputedly built, like ancient Rome, on seven hills.
Directly opposite are the ramparts of the Castelo de São Jorge, particularly impressive when illuminated at night.
Lisboa card
The No28 continues uphill from Chiado to Bairro Alto, once a rough-and-ready, working class district this is probably the area with the most vibrant nightlife in the city, home to many restaurants and bars where fado – the haunting, lilting combination of vocals and guitar that is a long-established Lisbon tradition.
The tram then rolls on to the Estrela district, passing the extensive white façade of the Parliament building, formerly the Benedictine monastery of São Bento, before reaching its final destination at Prazeres.
For a tram-line that takes in so much of Lisbon’s history, this is perhaps an appropriate place to stop.
Nearby is the Cemitério dos Prazeres, last resting place for generations of the city’s great and good.
Those looking to pay their respects can wander among the trees, tombs and mausoleums, inhabited by statues of the departed, and muse upon the unrelenting passage of time and the long-running role played by the No28 tram in the life of Lisbon and its citizens.
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Fallen angel on the Arco de Jesus |
The Lisboa card costs €17 for 24 hours, €27 for 48 hours and €33.50 for 72 hours. Holders can travel at no extra cost on trams, buses, metro and elevators and gain free or discounted entry to a wide range of Lisbon’s cultural attractions.
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