TRACES OF THE ARISTOCRATIC ESTRELA FACE THE QUIET SOBRIETY OF CAMPO DE OURIQUE. AND RIGHT NEXT TO THEM, AMOREIRAS PRESENTS ITSELF AS A HILL THAT TOOK ITS TIME TO INTEGRATE THE CITY. THE TOUR IS WORTH IT AND THE EFFORT WILL BE REWARDED.
Living ‘Lapa style’ was an expression that once meant to translate a certain lifestyle characteristic of the Estrela borough. It is a place of class and aristocratic poise, blessed by the shadow of the magnificent Basílica cathedral with its “je ne sais quoi” of romantic and baroque. In front, the Estrela garden is a privileged place of meeting and leisure with an English influence, bandstand and all. Hidden in the heart of the city, it is enough to see the cathedral’s dome to think of it, symbol of a ‘barrio’ where everything seems to be in its right place.
If Estrela enjoys being visited, Campo de Ourique seems to be feeling like we’re invading its tranquility. Not that is doesn’t have its share of traffic and business buildings, but there is also a sensation of peace, hospitality and pride without pomp or monumentality that makes the borough a sort of an island on a hill. From the Tapada das Necessidades to the Prazeres Cemetery, contemplation has many unexpected places to choose here. Campo de Ourique is also famous for its gastronomic pearls where one can eat well and drink better, for pleasure time must be taken seriously.
Two steps away, Amoreiras leads a double life. Most guides speak only of the ‘historical’ relevance of its now dated shopping center. But this borough has its main attraction in Mãe d’Água, water reservoir and final section of the centennial Águas Livres Aqueduct, that winds the city and its outskirts. In the Amoreiras garden a must-visit spot: the Arpad Szenes-Vieira da Silva Museum.
