Practical information for your trip to Lisbon

ABOUT OUR HOSTS

Biblioteca Nacional de Portugal (National Library of Portugal)
Campo Grande 83
1749-081 Lisbon

[directions and map]

The BNP’s mission is to collect, process and preserve the Portuguese documentary heritage, including documents in Portuguese and about Portugal, whatever their format or medium. It is also charged with studying and disseminating that heritage and ensuring the conditions which allow people to enjoy it.

The BNP is the largest library in the country and a prestigious institution on the cultural scene. Home to a vast and diversified heritage which covers almost ten centuries of Portuguese history and culture, the National Library secures a future for the past and builds a record of the present for the generations to come.

The Library does not confine itself to solely making content available. It also functions as a platform for the creation and sharing of knowledge to encourage participation by the community it serves.

GETTING AROUND THE CITY

Biblioteca Nacional de Portugal (National Library of Portugal) is located in the heart of Lisbon. The metro journey from Lisbon airport to the city centre takes around 20 minutes. The metro requires a Viva Viagem card (purchased from vending machines or ticket offices for €0.50) which you can then charge. A single journey is €1.50 or you can purchase a 24-hour ticket for €6,40. There are trains approximately every few minutes. 

The Lisboa Card allows free and unlimited travel on buses, trams, funiculars and the underground, as well as on train lines to Sintra and Cascais. It also includes free admission to 35 museums, historic buildings and many other places of interest. The Lisboa Card is available online, or at Turismo de Lisboa booths located at Lisbon Airport - Arrival Hall, Palácio Foz (Praça dos Restauradores), and the Lisboa Welcome Center (Praça do comércio). It costs €42 for 72 hours, €34 for 48 hours and €20 for 24 hours.  

Some useful advice on arriving and departing the city is also available on TripAdvisor (last updated 2016 so please check on relevant websites for most current times).

ACCOMMODATION

Hotels recommended by our friends at the National Library of Portugal with the distance from the venue (in minutes) in brackets

NH Campo Grande **** (2 minutes walk), Campo Grande, 7

HOTEL Vip Executive ENTRECAMPOS **** (5 minutes walk), Av. 5 de Outubro, 295

VIP Inn Berna  *** (15 minutes walk), Avenida António de Serpa, nº 13

HOTEL 3K EUROPA **** (15 minutes walk), Avenida da República, 93

HOTEL ZURIQUE VIP EXECUTIVE *** (15 minutes walk), Rua Ivone Silva, 18

ALIF HOTEL Campo Pequeno *** (20 minutes walk), Campo Pequeno, 51

ABOUT LISBON

https://www.visitlisboa.com/

Maps of the town:

ViaMichelin Interactive Map of Lisbon

PLACES TO VISIT

• The Belém area

Get there by tram, train or bus and visit these places (all walkable):

Belém Tower
Jerónimos Monastery
National Coach Museum

Museum of the Navy
The Belém Cultural Centre (CCB) where you can have lunch with a great view of the river for a reasonable price and have a look at the Berardo Art Collection 

• Central City and Gulbenkian Museum

A guided walking tour of central Lisbon with popular districts like the Moorish Alfama neighborhood (the city's oldest quarter). Take a trip on one of Lisbon's vintage trams and visiting Eden Theatre, Lisbon Cathedral and the cafes and boutiques of the elegant Chiado neighborhood. The tour takes approximately 3h 30 min/€18. Groups are limited to 20 people.

http://www.viator.com/tours/Lisbon/Lisbon-Guided-Walking-Tour/d538-5383LISBONTOUR

Visit to Calouste Gulbenkian Museum 

• Modern Lisbon

Visit Parque das Nações (Park of Nations) the new part of Lisbon built for the Expo '98. Take a tour by cable car and walk around to see the architecture, the urban art, the sea front, and the Aquarium (among the best in the world). 

• Visit Sintra 

See http://www.go2cintra.com/go2cintra-r and http://www.sintra-portugal.com/index.php

Get to Sintra by train (40 min) from Rossio Station (city centre).  At the Sintra station take the Sintra tourist bus 434 to see Palácio da Vila (Town Palace), the Palácio da Pena (Pena Palace, the apogee of 19th century Romanticism) and Castelo dos Mouros (Castle of the Moors). 

You can also take a guided tour.