The Baixa, the lower town, fills the valley between the castle hill and the Chiado hill, down to the Tagus. It is the Lisbon built after the 1755 earthquake, while Chiado, on the western hill, is the elegant district of cafés, theatres and bookshops. Together they are the commercial and symbolic heart of the city. It is part of the Lisbon guide.
The Pombaline Baixa
On the morning of 1 November 1755, All Saints' Day, an earthquake of enormous magnitude destroyed Lisbon, followed by a tsunami that surged up the Tagus and fires that burned for days: tens of thousands died. Prime minister Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, the future Marquis of Pombal, led the rebuilding with a project revolutionary for its time: a regular grid of straight, wide streets, uniform prefabricated four-storey buildings, and the gaiola pombalina, a timber cage inside the walls designed to withstand earthquakes, one of history's first earthquake-resistant constructions. Streets were named after the guilds working there: Rua dos Sapateiros (shoemakers), Rua da Prata (silver), Rua do Ouro (gold). The Pombaline Baixa is a candidate for UNESCO World Heritage.
Praça do Comércio
Facing the river, Praça do Comércio, still called Terreiro do Paço because the royal palace destroyed by the earthquake stood here, is one of Europe's largest squares, enclosed on three sides by yellow arcaded buildings. In the centre stands the equestrian statue of Joseph I. On the north side, the Rua Augusta Arch, completed in 1875, with statues of Vasco da Gama and the Marquis of Pombal: you can climb to the top for a view of the square and the Baixa. The Cais das Colunas, two marble columns on the river, was the landing place of kings and ambassadors. King Carlos I was assassinated here in 1908. Under the arcades are the Lisboa Story Centre, the Martinho da Arcada café, frequented by Fernando Pessoa, and many restaurants.
Rua Augusta and the Rossio
From the arch runs Rua Augusta, the main pedestrian street, with shops, cafés and street artists, up to the Rossio (Praça Dom Pedro IV), the city's liveliest square, with its black-and-white wave paving, baroque fountains, the Dona Maria II National Theatre and historic cafés like Café Nicola. Beside it are Praça da Figueira, with the statue of John I, and Rossio station, with its neo-Manueline horseshoe façade, where trains leave for Sintra. In a corner of the Rossio, tiny A Ginjinha has served sour-cherry liqueur in little glasses since 1840.
Santa Justa Lift
To get from the Baixa up to Chiado there is the Santa Justa Lift, a neo-Gothic iron lift of 1902 designed by Raoul Mesnier du Ponsard, a pupil of Eiffel. After the Glória funicular accident of September 2025 the lift was closed as a precaution and, at the time of writing, has no reopening date: admire it from outside. To reach Chiado use the steps of Rua do Carmo or the escalators of Baixa-Chiado metro station.
Chiado
On the western hill, Chiado is the Lisbon of the bourgeoisie and intellectuals. In 1988 a great fire destroyed part of the district, discreetly rebuilt by architect Álvaro Siza. Don't miss:
- the Carmo Convent, a Gothic church left roofless by the earthquake, with open-air naves and an archaeological museum;
- A Brasileira café, from 1905, with the bronze statue of Fernando Pessoa sitting at a table;
- Livraria Bertrand, founded in 1732, considered the world's oldest bookshop still operating;
- Confeitaria Nacional and the historic Benard pastry shop;
- the São Carlos National Theatre, Lisbon's opera house, and the National Museum of Contemporary Art (Chiado);
- Largo do Carmo, where the dictatorship's government surrendered on 25 April 1974.
Cais do Sodré
Heading down from Chiado to the river you reach Cais do Sodré, once a district of sailors and dubious bars, now a nightlife hub with Rua Nova do Carvalho, the "pink street". The Mercado da Ribeira houses the Time Out Market, with stalls from some of the city's best chefs and restaurants. Trains for Belém and Cascais and ferries to the south bank leave from Cais do Sodré.
Tips
- The Baixa is convenient for staying and exploring on foot, but its shopping streets are quiet in the evening.
- Ignore people offering drugs in the Baixa: it is often a scam.
- Avoid restaurants with touts on Rua Augusta and around.
See also Bairro Alto and Príncipe Real and neighbourhoods.