The July 2010 issue of Lonely Planet magazine dedicates eleven of its pages to Lisbon in an article titled “Rediscover Lisbon.”

In its introduction it states that the city “is quietly becoming Europe’s most intriguing capital” and in the following pages it explores its most famous cafés, its new “top-class eating establishments,” and highlights the new Design and Fashion Museum together with an overview of the attractions seen on a ride on tram 28.

The entire article is illustrated with several colorful photographs of the city’s streets, landmarks, and close-ups of the most mouth-watering pastries, drinks, and dishes.

In the end, it provides one tip on what to see, where to sleep, where to eat, and where to drink for each budget: inexpensive, mid-range, and luxury.

The magazine is on newsstands around the world right now, so it may be something you want to pick up at the airport on your way to Lisbon this month.

It’s now June which means that from now until October, Lisbon will be sunny about 90% of the time. When visiting the city at this time, touring museums feels less appealing and you’ll likely be drawn to the great outdoors. Lisbon is perfect for that, with a marvelous setting: It has a river that many mistaken for the ocean, hills creating an amphitheater-like landscape best admired from the top of its castle, and terraces scattered around offering panoramic vistas. In between you’ll discover charming gardens, monuments offering views, and the approaching breeze of the Atlantic. Here are 10 ideas for what to do in the open air this summer in Lisbon:

1. RELAX IN PRINCIPE REAL’S GARDENS
The Principe Real neighborhood is one of Lisbon’s most charming residential areas, and its main square has just reopened last week after months of renovation. That square is actually a garden and you can sit under a gigantic “umbrella tree,” try one of the city’s traditional drinks at a kiosk café, and admire the architectural details of the colorful buildings of the surroundings. Go down the hill and you reach Praça das Flores, perhaps Lisbon’s most romantic corner. It’s never mentioned in guidebooks, but this small, shaded square has a couple of the city’s most inviting cafés with outdoor tables, including the new “Novamesa Snack Bar,” an extention of the recent Nova Mesa restaurant. Back up the hill is the enchanting Botanical Garden.

2. STROLL DOWN THE BOULEVARD
Avenida da Liberdade is Lisbon’s mile-long “Champs Elysées,” a boulevard know for its luxury shops, theaters, and cafés. A new Prada store is opening this week in one of its most beautiful buildings, and you can do some window-shopping as you go down the avenue admiring the city’s trademark mosaic pavements and stop to take a look at the many scattered statues, all the way to the city’s biggest park. Edward VII Park goes up a hill and once you reach the top you’re rewarded with a postcard-view of the city.

3. STAND IN THE RENOVATED RIVERFRONT COMÉRCIO SQUARE
As GoLisbon reported, Lisbon’s biggest and most monumental square has just been renovated. The planned cafés will only be open in September or October, but you can sit by the river, at Cais das Colunas, a quayside area with two large columns marking the entrance to the city from the Tagus. From here you can admire the square and its triumphal arch, and sit as you watch the ferries cross the river, and see the landmark 25 de Abril Bridge and the Monument to Christ in the distance.

4. CATCH SOME SUN FROM THE ROOFTOPS OF ALFAMA’S MAIN MONUMENTS
The National Pantheon and St. Vincent’s Monastery are both located in Alfama just steps from each other, and besides both being painted in shining white, they both offer rooftop terraces for city views. You can stop to check your guidebook or simply stay admiring the city as you work on your tan.

5. GO MIRADOURO-HOPPING IN ALFAMA
Alfama is Lisbon’s most picturesque neighborhood and it’s always best enjoyed outdoors. It forces even the laziest walkers to go up and down its cobbled streets, and the reward are its terrace viewpoints. Three of the most beautiful viewpoints in the city are located within walking distance from each other, and they allow you to do some sightseeing as you enjoy your sunny summer days. Start in Miradouro de Santa Luzia, go up to Miradouro das Portas do Sol (stop for a drink at its fantastic terrace café), and continue up the hill to Miradouro da Graça where you won’t be able to put your camera down.

6. STAND BY THE LAUNCH PAD OF THE DISCOVERIES
Florida’s Cape Canaveral is the launch pad for the exploration of space today, but five centuries ago the launch pad for the exploration of planet Earth was Lisbon’s Belém district. That’s where you’ll find the city’s three biggest landmarks, the Discoveries Monument, the Belém Tower, and Jerónimos Monastery. Starting at the monastery, walk west along the waterfront to admire the architecture and stone work of the other two monuments, and picture Vasco da Gama departing on his way to discovering the maritime route to the East or Pedro Alvares Cabral on his way to discoverig South America.

7. GO BACK TO THE FUTURE IN PARQUE DAS NAÇÕES
Lisbon’s waterfront is not just about the voyages of the past. At the former site of 1998′s World Fair you now find a modern residential and business district with futuristic architecture. You may see all of it from a bird’s-eye perspective on a cable car ride, or walking along the riverfront from one of the world’s biggest aquariums all the way to a Dubai-like tower, Torre Vasco da Gama. In between you’ll see lawns and gardens inviting you for a picnic.

8. CRUISE DOWN THE TAGUS
With so many walks by the river you’ll probably end up wishing you were in it. You may do that by taking a sightseeing cruise which departs every afternoon from the center of the city and goes all the way to Belém and Parque das Nações. Be sure to take your camera, especially when you pass under 25 de Abril Bridge and see Vasco da Gama Bridge at the end of the journey. Get complete cruise details here: Tagus River Cruise

9. GO ON A PHOTOGRAPHY WALKING TOUR
By now you probably already know that Lisbon is one of Europe’s most picturesque cities which is why it’s so loved by photographers. Even if you have very little talent and don’t aspire to become one, you’ll enjoy a walking tour where photographing the city is the theme. Your attention will be guided to all the details that make Lisbon so special, from the tiled façaded to the cobbled mosaics, to the surprising views along the way.
Complete tour details here: Lisbon Photography Walking Tour

10. TAKE THE CASCAIS-ESTORIL BOARDWALK
Lisbon may have a Mediterranean look and feel, but this is actually a very Atlantic city. Its river opens to the ocean from the Belém district to the seaside towns of Cascais and Estoril. Known as “the Portuguese Riviera,” these are two chic resorts which are connected by a beachfront boardwalk. You’ll find pretty villas, marinas, small coves, and Europe’s largest casino but on a sunny day nothing will make you leave the boardwalk with occasional stops for a drink at a beachfront café or some sunbathing on the sand.

While most people are familiar with World Heritage Sites — the places and monuments around the world of great cultural significance (Lisbon has two: Belém Tower and Jerónimos Monastery) — many don’t yet know that UNESCO is now also protecting “intangible heritage,” meaning cultural traditions of international importance. The tango has already been singled out for that honor a few months ago, and come 2011 the same may happen to Lisbon’s Fado. UNESCO will be studying that possibility this upcoming August and Lisbon’s music may be on the list late next year. Lisbon is one of the few cities in the world with its own musical style, one that has come to symbolize the soul of the entire country. While its origins are unknown, historians claim it is the blending of songs sung by homesick sailors at sea, combined with the slave dances of Brazil, and the Moorish chants heard in Lisbon’s Mouraria throughout the centuries. Fado (meaning “fate”) was originally singled out as a musical genre in the 18th century when it was heard in the brothels of Lisbon, usually sung by the lower classes. With the emergence of famous Fado singers over the years (first Maria Severa and then Amália Rodrigues in the 20th century), Fado went slightly upmarket and spread throughout Portugal and the world. Today’s young Fado singers such as Mariza top world music charts and perform all over the globe. Unlike tango, it is not a dance, but more like dramatic, poetic singing. For more information on Fado, see GoLisbon’s Fado page.

The ABC network (American Broadcasting Company) is coming to Lisbon to film one of its highest-rated shows. That’s “The Bachelorette” which has aired on the network since 2003 where 25 men compete for the love of an attractive young woman, with one bachelor being eliminated in every episode until one remains at the end (and who just may or may not be proposed to by the bachelorette).
This sixth season of the reality show will begin airing next month, and filming is going to take place in the upcoming weeks in Lisbon, bringing a crew of eighty people to the city. Because the show is all about love and romance, the chosen sites to be featured on the show will be the romantic ramparts of the Castle of St. George and of course Sintra which is recognized as one of the most fairytale places in the world.
This season’s bachelorette is a 25 year-old from San Francisco, so considering the similarities between Lisbon and that Californian city, she just may feel right at home, and perhaps even fall for “the one” in the Portuguese capital. To see whether or not that happens, you must watch “The Bachelorette” every Monday night on ABC if you live in the United States.

Lisbon has just been featured in the San Francisco Chronicle’s travel section in an article that explores the city’s new edginess and historical charms. The author stumbles into the new Design and Fashion Museum and later finds the other contemporary attractions in the city’s design district, the Berardo Museum, and in the Parque das Nações district. The chosen hotel was Avenida Palace right off Rossio Square, the starting point for the classic tourist route of sights and cafés. The conclusion is that “new Lisbon stimulates, old Lisbon comforts.”
You can read the entire article here: Lisbon: Immovable city now irresistible force

The weather forecast for the next few days may not show it, but springtime is just a few days away and with it comes Easter and the spring break holidays. Those looking to travel at this time of the year will either look for the warm waters of the Caribbean and Latin America, or choose a destination in Europe. The best choice in Europe is obviously Lisbon. It’s just a couple of hours away from the other major European cities, and it’s the closest European capital to the United States. It’s also the warmest, and the only one so close to the sea. While it may not exactly be beach weather yet, few other destinations offer such a variety of activities. In Lisbon you experience the atmosphere and culture of an historical European capital, and can combine that with a visit to a fairytale town (Sintra or Obidos), or with a walk by the beach, open-air dining, and all-night partying (bar-hopping or in Europe’s largest casino). And perhaps the best-selling point right now: it’s the best-value capital in Western Europe, with the most reasonably-priced accommodation and restaurants. Take a break to discover Lisbon, and you’ll agree that it’s the best spring break destination. Not to mention the destination for a city break in summer, winter, and autumn…

There have been several tourist DVD about Lisbon released by the city’s tourism office over the years, but although they all feature beautiful images of the Portuguese capital, they always seemed to lack something in the narration, adding no more than what a Flickr gallery or GoLisbon’s own photo album could offer. But a recently-released DVD has changed that, offering beautiful shots of the city (from aerial views to close-up details of landmarks) together with an insightful guide to Lisbon by one of Portugal’s biggest cultural icons. That is Fernando Pessoa who’s also widely considered to be one of Europe’s greatest poets of the 20th century, who left behind an English-language tourist guide to Lisbon when he died. It was only found and published much after his death, and although it dates from the early 20th century, it’s interesting to note just how current it remains. That’s because his description of the view of Lisbon from the river Tagus is timeless, and because a large part of the city’s attractions are its centuries-old landmarks and the emotions they can all create together.
But this DVD also starts out by showing contemporary Lisbon and goes on to present the tour suggested by Pessoa, with a narration that includes some of his poems and the text from his “What the Tourist Should See” book. That narration is available in several languages — English, Spanish, French, Italian, and German, as well as two Portuguese versions — one for Portuguese viewers, and another by a Brazilian narrator for those Brazilians who may have difficulty in understanding the accent from Portugal.
At the end of the film there is a number of extras, all interviews with some of the narrators (the Portuguese, Brazilian, Spanish, and American), plus the director and a literary advisor who’s compiled much of Pessoa’s work. They all talk about their involvement in the process of creating the film and share their personal relationships with Lisbon, as well as how Fernando Pessoa has helped them better understand the city and even themselves. Especially evocative of the Lisbon magic and the mark it can leave on visitors is the interview of the Brazilian narrator which is subtitled for those who don’t understand Portuguese.
This is therefore a film that no one from Lisbon will want to miss, and one that tourists will want to acquire as a reminder of their visit to the city.  It’s also a great way to share the city with others who haven’t yet visited.
Look for it wherever DVD are sold in the city, with the most popular and perhaps most convenient being the FNAC store in Chiado. The price is 20 euros and you can get more details here.

An article published in the travel section of the American Pittsburgh Post-Gazette goes through Lisbon’s museums and finds that together with the city’s “romantic views, grand public squares, and tiled walkways,” the Portuguese capital “is the most gracefully decorated city on Earth.”
The writer starts at the city’s most famous art collection, that of the Gulbenkian Museum, and also explores the Orient Museum and the Tile Museum which “speak to the city’s soul.” Then it’s time to go to the district of Belém for a visit to the Electricity Museum, and of course the irresistible pastries which the author found that “like the city’s charming museums, they left a taste of Lisbon’s grace and warmth.”
You can read the entire article here: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Travel

A new Lisbon tourist survey has found that the main reason travelers choose to visit Lisbon is because the city is so inexpensive. That’s a reflection of the global economic crises where cost speaks louder than anything else. This survey was conducted throughout 2009 and found that another factor weighed when choosing Lisbon as a travel destination is the city’s “beauty and history,” which had been the top reason to visit in previous surveys.
This study also showed that people are planning to travel less, with only two thirds of those questioned saying that they’re likely to return to Lisbon, when about 90% of those asked in previous surveys had said they foresaw a second visit. It seems that everyone’s being much more selective in their travel choices, choosing new, affordable places as opposed to returning to destinations they’ve enjoyed. This may also explain why Lisbon’s tourists in 2009 were mostly first-time visitors, which seems to be a travel trend around the world.
The average age of a Lisbon tourist was found to be between 25 and 34, with senior traveler numbers dropping significantly.

After the J. Crew catalogue, now it’s the annual swimsuit edition of Sports Illustrated magazine to feature Lisbon in a major photo shoot. It hit the newsstands yesterday, with the usual beautiful women (one of them is model Jessica Gomes of Portuguese heritage), but this time also with beautiful views of Lisbon as the backdrop. Lisbon is referred to as one of Europe’s most exciting cities, and in addition to the city center, the shoot also took place in the Estoril and Cascais coast (Lisbon’s most famous beach area) and the magnificent Portinho da Arrábida beach south of the city.
You can see those photos on the Sports Illustrated website or you can pick up an issue of the magazine now.