The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.
St. Augustine
Do you enjoy visiting new places and meeting new cultures and people? Are you interested in arts and history? Do you think that travelling is a way of enriching yourself with wonderful memories? Would you like to see the ocean and play in a wonderful sandy beach? Then you definitely have to check Lisbon out!
Lisbon is one of the oldest cities in the world and it attracts millions of tourists every year. It offers fun, events, history, culture and traditions. Basically, there is something to suit everybody’s fancy!
If you like arts, you will enjoy the beautiful and characteristic azulejos, a typical ceramic tile art which is all around in Lisbon, covering houses and churches in blue and white. There is also a museum only dedicated to it, the Museu Nacional do Azulejo. Other museums will make you discover ancient art, modern art, design, cultural centers, architecture and so on. Another one particularly linked to the city of Lisbon is the Museu do Fado, a music genre characterized by mournful tunes and lyrics, often about the sea or the life of the poor, and infused with a sentiment of melancholia or, in Portuguese, saudade.
And after cultural visits some fun can’t be missed! Lisbon’s night-life is famous among Europe as any day of the week, in any period of the year, you can find something interesting to do. Bairro Alto is the meeting point with its (probably several hundred) bars and pubs that often offer live music and cheap beer. Many discos and social centres can be easily reached from there and they normally offer music nights and themed events.
Spin Association’s ideas for your free days:
- one-day trip in Lisbon city centre. This trip will take place during your first free day; you will be able to discover the most important monuments and spots. The entrance to the São Jorge Castle is offered by Spin, as well as a day transportation pass.
- one day at the beach. This will be your second free day; you could try to rent surfing materials or to play beach volleyball. The transfer is offered by Associação Spin and the Council of Carnide, the district in which you are going to stay.
one-day trip in the cultural landscape of Sintra, UNESCO World Heritage site, and in Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point of continental Europe. In the 19th century, Sintra became the first centre of European Romantic architecture. Ferdinand II turned a ruined monastery in a colourful castle which contains a mix of Gothic, Egyptian, Moorish and Renaissance styles. A park blending local and exotic species of trees was also created. Participants will pay their own tickets: a two-ways train ticket Lisbon-Sintra costs €4,30; the entrance to the castle and the park costs €13; a two-way ticket Sintra-Cabo da Roca costs €8. Anyway, if you have one, we suggest that you bring your European Youth Card which will allow you to get discounts.
For more information on Lisbon and Portugal, check out the Lisbon & Portugal subpage. To know more about the activities we have planned, visit the Activities & Dates section.