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The best independent guide to Lisbon
LisbonLisboaPortugal.com
The best independent guide to Lisbon
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The Praça do Comercio, Lisbon
The Praça do Comércio is the most magnificent plaza in Lisbon, and one of the highlights of the city. This grand plaza is surrounded on three sides by distinctive yellow Pombaline styled buildings, with the southern side facing out over the Tejo Estuary.
An illustrious statue dedicated of King Joseph I stands at the centre of the plaza, while at the northern side is the triumphant Rua Augusta Arch (Arco da Rua Augusta), that leads into central Lisbon.
The Praça do Comércio was the historic commercial centre of Lisbon
The Praça do Comércio reflected the wealth and ambitions of Portugal during the late 18th century. It was here that captains and merchants would plan perilous sea-voyages to Brazil, India and South East Asia and then trade their goods on returning.
The Praça do Comércio was constructed as the symbolic entrance into Lisbon from these lands, and when stood in the plaza today, it is easy envisaged this.
Originally, Portugal’s most important palace, the Paço da Ribeira, stood on the site of the Praça do Comércio, but this royal complex was destroyed by the devasting earthquake and tsunami in 1755. The plaza was also the location of that King Carlos I and his son Luis Filipe were assassinated in 1908, which ultimately lead to the fall of the Portuguese monarchy in 1910.
As a visitor, there is a lot for you to see and do within the Praça do Comércio. There are the panoramic views from the top of Arco da Rua Augusta, there is the informative Lisboa Story Centre, or wine tasting at Vinhos de Portugal. The plaza also boasts numerous fine restaurants, including Lisbon’s oldest restaurant, the Martinho da Arcada, which dates from 1782.
The Praça do Comércio is always a hive of activity, with tourists sightseeing, locals rushing for trams and buses, suited government workers acting important and shoppers browsing the market stalls. During your stay in Lisbon, you will be passing through the Praça do Comércio on numerous occasions, and fortunately, the plaza will never cease to impress.
This article will detail the sights of the plaza, its history and useful tourist information.
Related articles: The Baixa district – Tram guide
The Praça do Comércio is the focal point for many of Lisbon’s celebrations and is also the setting for the city’s Christmas tree
The yellow buildings are filled with government departments
The Arco da Rua Augusta
The Arco da Rua Augusta (Rua Augusta Arch) spans the entrance of the Praça do Comércio with the Rua Augusta, the main pedestrianised shopping street of Lisbon. The Arco da Rua Augusta was constructed much later that the rest of the Praça do Comércio, only being finished 1875, almost a century after the original plans were drawn up.
At the top of the arch is a viewing platform, which at 30m high, provides an impressive 360o view of the Baixa district. The entrance fee is €2.50, and it is one of the best viewpoints of central Lisbon.
The statues at the top of the arch are Glory (at the centre), who is rewarding both Valour and Genius. The two seated figures represent the two mighty rivers in Portugal, the Tejo and Douro.
The view of the Rua Augusta from the top of the Arco da Rua Augusta
The Paço da Ribeira and the 1755 earthquake
Before the 1755 earthquake, the Praça do Comércio was the location of the Paço da Ribeira (the Ribeira Palace), the main royal palace of Portugal. The earthquake struck on the morning of the 1st November, when the city was celebrating the important religious feast day of All Saints.
The earthquake severely damaged the Paço da Ribeira but more devasting was the Tsunami (the most powerful ever to hit Europe), which flattened the palace and most of the Baixa district.
More than 30,000 people in Lisbon died, and the devastation included the Ribeira Palace royal library, which housed over 20,000 classical Portuguese literature books.
The Ribeira Palace prior to the earthquake and Tsunami
Traumatised by the earthquake, King Joseph I (José I) refused to ever to sleep inside a stone building and the royal court was moved to a series of tents and wooden structures to the west of the city (where the Palace of Ajuda stands today). Under the direction of the Marquês de Pombal, Lisbon was rebuilt, and the ruins of the Ribeira Palace were transformed into the Praça do Comércio.
Though the Paço da Ribeira was completely destroyed there are still remnants of this once mighty palace, and even the metro station is named Terreiro do Paço (Palace Square).
Found at the water's edge are the Cais das Colunas, a series of marble steps where foreign dignitaries would moor and enter the palace directly. The Torreão Poente (seen at the western end of the yellow buildings) closely resembles the Paço da Ribeira, the royal quarters in the ruined palace.
The Cais das Colunas mark the start of the marble steps which originally lead up to the Ribeira Palace
The Torreão Poente stands on the site of the Paço da Ribeira. The beach seen in this picture only appears at low tide, and is not for swimming as the waters are from the dirty estuary!
How about a small group tour?
One of the best ways to discover Lisbon and to meet fellow travellers is to join a guided tour. We have worked with Getyourguide.com for the last six years, and some of the best tours of Lisbon include:
The King Joseph I Statue
The grand statue in the centre of the Praça do Comércio is of King Joseph I (José I) and his horse is symbolically crushing snakes with its hoofs.
The statue was dedicated to the king but, the Marquês de Pombal, the great politician of the era who was credited for the reconstruction of Lisbon after the earthquake, also added his image to the front of the pedestal as a bronze emblem.
The statue of King Jose I with Lisbon castle in the background
Just say no!
One annoyance while visiting the Praça do Comércio will be the endless stream of dodgy people trying to sell drugs. Always say no.
The police are very limited as to what they can do, as the “drugs” being sold are not real drugs, but crushed basil, bay leaves and a bit of paracetamol.
Lisboa Story Centre
The Lisboa Story Centre is a great introduction to the history of Lisbon and provides a 60-minute audio and visual experience of the major historical events.
It is highly recommended to visit the museum early in your trip to Lisbon, as it will provide a good understanding of the city prior to sightseeing. The entrance fee is €5/€3 (adult/child), and further information is found on their website:
https://www.lisboastorycentre.pt/
The Avenida Ribeira das Naus
The Avenida Ribeira das Naus is the pleasant riverside walk that extends from the Praça do Comércio to Cais do Sodré. If the sun is shining, there is no nicer walk in Lisbon.
Related article: Cais do Sodré guide
The Avenida Ribeira das Naus follows the Tejo estuary
The Rua Augusta is one of the main shopping streets of Lisbon and is filled with restaurants and cafes designed for tourists; they are all overpriced!
Vinhos de Portugal and the Museu da Cerveja
Vinhos de Portugal (Wines of Portugal) allows you the chance to sample wines grown from different regions of Portugal. It is free to enter, and you pay for the number of wines drunk, with drinks served from a posh vending machine.
This is an inexpensive way to sample many different wines, in a relaxed and social atmosphere. There are wine tasting events which can be booked on their website: http://www.winesofportugal.info/
The Wines of Portugal is an enjoyable place for wine tasting, with the wines dispended by a glorified vending machine which is at the centre of this picture
On the first floor of the Museu da Cerveja (Museum of Beer), is a museum detailing the production of beer through the centuries and a history of beer from Portuguese speaking countries. The entrance is €5 and includes a drink: https://www.museudacerveja.pt/
The Praça do Comércio as a transport hub
The Praça do Comércio is a major transport hub, with public transport routes all over Lisbon. The only issue is that nothing is very centralised, and you will find yourself wandering across the plaza many times.
Departing from the bus and tram bays on the northern side are services to the Belem district, such as the E15 tram or the 728 bus to Parque Nações, Alfama or Belem.
The Terreiro do Paço metro station is on the south side and is connected to the blue metro line. There is also a ferry terminal with services to Barreiro, on the south side of the Tejo Estuary.
Related articles: E15 tram - Metro guide – Ferry guide – Belem guide
The tourist trams also depart from the Praça do Comércio
Eating at the Praça do Comércio
Being one of the most famous locations in Lisbon, the Praça do Comércio is filled with fancy tourist restaurants and high-class establishments.
There is RIB - Beef & Wine Lisboa (part of the Pousada de Lisboa hotel) serving fine steaks, Nosolo Itália serves Italian food, while Aura Lisboa offers Portuguese dishes. The Museu da Cerveja has a decent restaurant, but the standout experience is at the Martinho da Arcada, Lisbon’s oldest café/restaurant. This restaurant has been serving traditional Portuguese food since 1782.
Martinho da Arcada - https://martinhodaarcada.pt/
RIB - https://www.pousadas.pt/uk/hotel/pousada-lisboa/dining
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