Sao Jorge Castle

The castle occupies the hill Lisbon grew around. Moorish-era walls enclose a compound that served as a royal residence into the 16th century, was wrecked by the 1755 earthquake and rebuilt as a monument in the 20th, so what you walk is part original, part reconstruction. Eleven towers and a connected rampart circuit give you the city in sections: the Baixa grid below, the Tagus opening east and west, the suspension bridge in the haze. Inside the walls an excavation shows three settlements stacked on the same ground - Iron Age huts, an Islamic quarter with storage jars in situ, and the foundations of the medieval palace. A camera obscura in one tower projects live views of the streets.

History

People lived on the hill by at least the 8th century BC, the first fortifications date from the 2nd century BC, and the Moors built its walls in the 10th century. Afonso Henriques took the castle in 1147, it became a royal residence after Lisbon became the capital in 1255, King Denis turned the Moorish alcáçova into a royal palace around 1300, and John I dedicated it to Saint George in the late 14th century (Wikipedia, São Jorge Castle).

The main sights

• The rampart walk - eleven towers linked by wall-top paths over the rooftops.
• The archaeological site - Iron Age, Islamic and medieval layers on one excavation.
• The camera obscura - a periscope in the Tower of Ulysses showing the live city.
• The outer terrace - umbrella pines, peacocks and the long view down the Tagus.

When to go

Open late in summer, which is when the terrace is worth it - the light on the Baixa around sunset is the reason to be here. Buy the timed ticket online, because the queue at the gate is the worst part of the visit. Winter mornings are clear and nearly empty.

Practical notes

Much of what looks medieval was rebuilt in the 1940s, and there are no furnished interiors at all - people expecting a palace are regularly disappointed. The ticket price has risen steeply for what is essentially a viewpoint with walls. Ramparts have uneven steps and few railings. Tram 28 up here is packed to the doors.

Nearby

Alfama's lanes drop away below the walls, and the Graca and Santa Luzia terraces are ten minutes off.

Key facts