NEIGHBOURHOOD GUIDE: GRAÇA, ON TOP OF THE CAKE

GRAÇA has a reputation to protect: first, its name (GRAÇA means Grace, and that is a holy enough mission to the ‘bairro’). Then there’s the location: surely measured by inches, it stand on the tallest hill of Lisbon. From wherever, you have to climb to get to the prize.

In Lisbon, you have to be at the center of a ‘bairro’ to be sure you’re not in somewhere else’s neighborhood. Start by the Graça viewpoint, have the mandatory glass of wine at Botequim and down the hill you go to snack or get packed with real portuguese food. Places like O Cardoso da Estrela de Ouro, Má Língua, or O Vinhaça insist on fighting globalized repetition, saving the tourists from themselves in the process. If an interlude is needed, try Hostel Graça 28 or the panoramic bar of Albergaria da Senhora do Monte. Stretch your feet and you’ll find Lisbon beyond the toes.

However, GRAÇA was born to be lived while walking. From the old beautiful housings for workers (Vila Berta and Vila Sousa) to, down the street toward the river, the majestic São Vicente de Fora Monastery, with its imperial collection of tiles and the stunning but sober mausoleum of monarchs of the Bragança dinasty, there’s a lot to see before reaching the Campo de Santa Clara. On Tuesdays and Saturday it’s time for the flea market (Feira da Ladra), as long as there’s light and money in the pocket. Say ‘I’ll see you soon’ to GRAÇA while tasting the amazing mushrooms of Santa Clara dos Cogumelos or the portuguese bio products that fill the sandwiches of Foccacia in Giro.

Lisbon is proud of its ‘bairro’ borders, but well aware of being a mix of itself. Each person deserves a GRAÇA of its own, apparently.

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