I don't know if we've ever visited a city with as many incredible viewpoints as Lisbon. Regardless of where you are in the city, the nearest scenic overlook is almost certainly nearby... and just as certainly worth the effort of checking out. We've already written about many miradouros in other articles, but thought we'd sum up the spots we visited, whenever we needed to be reminded of Lisbon's beauty.
The Jardim do Torel is set high on a hill in the neighborhood of Santo António, and the easiest way to reach it is with the Ascensor do Lavra. Once at the top, the garden and the surrounding neighborhood provide plenty of sights for an entertaining day out.
Set within a 17th-century palace across from the popular Miradouro das Portas do Sol, a viewpoint that looks over Alfama and the cruise ship docks, the Museu de Artes Decorativas (also called the Fundação Ricardo do Espírito Santo Silva, or FRISS) introduces visitors to the exquisite furniture and design of Lisbon during the Age of Exploration.
If a city can be said to have a birthplace, Lisbon's is the massive stone bluff which soars over the Tagus River Basin. This hill was home to the earliest humans to populate the area, and has served as a fortress and a castle for centuries of Romans, Moors and Christians. Today, the remains of the Castelo de São Jorge serve mostly tourists, who show up in droves to take in the best views in the city.