São Jorge Castle
On the hilltop, the castle of Islamic origin taken in 1147, with its walls, the Camera Obscura and the finest views over Lisbon.
São Jorge Castle
São Jorge Castle crowns the highest hill in the historic centre and is the most visited National Monument in Portugal. People have lived on this site since very early times – the oldest remains date from the 7th century BC – but the fortification itself goes back to the Islamic period, when the citadel and the quarter of the Muslim elite of the 11th and 12th centuries stood here. In October 1147, after a siege of almost four months, Lisbon was taken by King Afonso Henriques, whose statue now stands on the parade ground. The castle you see today is mainly Gothic, the result of works under King Afonso III and King Dinis, and for centuries it housed the Royal Palace of the Alcáçova, until King Manuel I moved the royal residence down to the riverside in 1505. In the Tower of Ulysses, which once held the kingdom's archive, a Camera Obscura shows the city in 360 degrees. Walls, towers, the archaeological site and the gardens offer some of the finest views over Lisbon and the Tagus.
Located at: Castelo de São Jorge
Address: Rua de Santa Cruz do Castelo, 1100-129 Lisboa
Opening hours: 09:00-21:00 March to October, 09:00-18:00 November to February (open every day)
Phone: +351 218 800 620
Coordinates: 38.7139258, -9.1334830
Buses: 737
Tram: 12E, 28E
Metro: Rossio (Green), Martim Moniz (Green)
Train: Rossio station
Opened: 1147 (conquest of Lisbon, 879 years)
