Miradouro da Senhora do Monte

The Miradouro da Senhora do Monte sits at the top of the Graça hill and is the highest of the city's named viewpoints, which is why it gives the widest sweep: the castle of São Jorge in the middle distance below, the Baixa grid, the Bairro Alto ridge opposite, the Tagus, the 25 de Abril bridge and, on a clear day, the far bank and Cristo Rei. Beside it stands a small chapel dedicated to Nossa Senhora do Monte, of medieval origin and rebuilt after 1755, containing a stone chair traditionally said to be the seat of Gil, Lisbon's first bishop, and visited by pregnant women in the belief that sitting in it eases childbirth. There are pines, a few benches and no facilities beyond a kiosk. It is a residential square, and the noise of crowds at sunset has become a genuine local complaint.

What you actually see

• The widest view - the highest of Lisbon's viewpoints, taking in castle, Baixa and river.
• The chapel - a small medieval foundation rebuilt after 1755.
• The stone chair - the seat attributed to Lisbon's first bishop, visited by pregnant women.
• The setting - a residential square with pines and benches, not a built attraction.

When to go

Year-round. Thirty to sixty minutes. Sunset is the crowded time; early morning gives the same view with nobody there.

Honest expectations

Steep climb from any direction. Crowded and noisy at sunset, which residents object to - keep the volume down. The kiosk is the only facility. Pickpocketing occurs in the sunset crush.

Nearby

Graça viewpoint is just below; the castle and Alfama are downhill.