Before I move on from the time in Lisbon, I have to share with you with my thoughts about and footage of this beautiful city. This was my first time in Portugal, so these are all first impressions and I am sure there is a lot more to explore, but for the time I was there I did manage to fit in quite lot of the things that come up when you google "must do in Lisbon". So here it is. Exploring the city with @soldier @agent and @vanylou (photography).

REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD VISIT LISBON

1. Sunniest city in Europe 

This is actually true (the internet says so...).  Lisbon is the continent’s sunniest capital city, with an average of 2,799 hours of sunshine a year!!! I mean if you live in any northern part of Europe (Germany or worse), that alone should be enough of a reason to escape the cold. When I heard Steemfest was going to be in November I automatically had in mind how the weather is going to be awful, but it was actually really nice, mild most of the time, even some hot and sunny days and only a chilly at night. In November! That to me is amazing, especially because Lisbon isn't far from Germany, but the weather is so different. 

2. Hills & Stunning Views

This is one of my biggest identifiers when it comes to judging a city.. the view! And I could tell right when we got to lisbon and were driving around in a cab that lisbon must have some of the best views, simply because there are hills EVERYWHERE. It's almost like you're never walking on even ground, it's either going up or down. But it's all worth it once you reach the top, because the views you get are absolutely amazing, especially during sunrise and sunset! The best view pictures are yet to be featured in upcoming posts, but here is a glimpse:

3. Squares and Fountains

When we went to explore the center of city, what stuck out most to me were the majestic statues in lovely squares with fountains, surrounded by churches and buildings in gothic roman style and you see people of all ages and backgrounds hanging out. The people are rather relaxed (especially compared to the busy tokyo vibe I described in my previous blogpost) and they will smile at you with a southern charme. We were in such a great mood that day, listened to music and captured a lot of moments.

4. Charming Houses and Trams

The houses at first sight to be honest seem quite bedraggled, old and rusty, the streets are mostly very narrow and you have the feeling that those houses were built once and never touched again. But that is the charme of Lisbon, antique vibes, colorful doors and details at the front. The more surprised we were about the modern interior of our apartment. 

From those squares I mentioned earlier there are these trams going up the hill and down to the beach every so often. The most popular is tram 28 because it's long and gives tourists the perfect opportunity to snap pictures. If you want to visit Belem you should take tram 15. Why Belem? Well...

5. Original Nata (most delicious custard tart)

The custard tarts at Pasteis de Belém are world-famous, even though you can find this lovely desert at every bakery and there are many "original nata places" like the Fabricá De Nata in the center of the city. They taste sweet, perfectly crisp on the outside with a soft vanilla cream on the inside. If you enjoy deserts like I do, you'll love it.

6. Culinary Capital

There are so many great traditional Portuguese dishes you should try, but the most famous fish in Portugal is the "Baccalhau" and a must-try. Also great: prawns, sea food in general...

and the following dish which I don't remember the name of but it's similar to what I shared with you in one of my Barcelona posts. Fries with eggs and some veggies, sooo good!

7. Street Food

Yes I am aware that this is my third reason that's about food, BUT the street macarons are worth the mention. I usually wouldn't necessarily buy macarons on the street, but the smell made me do it.

8. Great for business

Did you know that Lisbon is one of the leading startup centers in the world? Especially in the tech space it offers great conditions such as: appropriate legislation, incentives and good office space prices.

It promises to become one of the engines of economic growth in Europe. 

9. History, Architecture and Culture

Lisbon is the second oldest capital in Europe after Athens.With such a long and rich history, it is not surprising that this place is considered one of the cultural capitals of Europe.
Today they call it “The New Berlin” or “The New Barcelona” because it attracts artists, actors, musicians, sculptors and other artists looking for inspiration. The combination between the long history of the city and the modern thinking of the huge art community is what makes the capital of Portugal unique.

source

10. Sintra

What's so amazing about Sintra? Well, that's for another blogpost..

I hope you enjoyed this "10 reasons why" and if you decide to visit Lisbon in the future, you now have some recommendations as of where to go and what to eat. 

Much love,

- Mrs.Steemit