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    Arco da Rua Augusta

    4.6 (25 reviews)
    Closed 9:00 am - 7:00 pm

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    Arco da Rua Augusta, Lisbon
    Bruce K.

    Doesn't every city need a grand triumphal arch? This is the one for Lisbon and it is indeed grand. Standing at the back of the Praça do Comércio, this arch is the entrance to the city and the main shopping/restaurant district. It was deisgned by architect Santos de Carvalho to celebrate the reconstruction of the city after the 1755 earthquake. It was completed in 1873 with a plan by Verissimo José da Costa. Four figures over the top represent real people - Nuno Álvares Pereira (1350-1431, a Portuguese general), Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo (1699-1782, the Marquis of Pombal who acted as Secretary of State following the earthquake and is chiefly responsible for the design of this district), Vasco da Gama (c. 1460s - 1524, the first European to reach India by sea), and Viriathus (leader of the Lusitanian people that resisted Roman expansion into the area). Others are allegorical to represent Glory, Genius and Valor as well as the Douro and Tagus rivers. This is a major meeting spot for tours and a great place to get a picture. With the trolleys, it is one of the major emblematic symbols of Lisbon and Portugal. [Review 16578 overall - 96 in Portugal - 88 of 2022.]

    Spencer Q.

    Didn't go up the arch but from the outside it's very pretty. It is definitely nice seeing it at night. Highly recommend it!

    Cristine G.

    Yelp 100 Challenge 2019 - # 41/100 This is one of the tourist spots we visited while in Lisbon. We just took the bus from Cathedral de Lisboa and followed the crowd towards the Shops and cafes surrounding the square or Praca do Comercio. The Arch was stunning the backdrop of the clear blue skies and pristine clouds of Lisbon.

    Wendy A.

    This magnificent Arch is one of the most emblematic tourist attractions in Lisbon and after going there I understood why so pretty. I loved it during the day and night time too. But it is best when you see it at night because you can see with the nice lighting the have, all the detail the made to this arch years ago. When you walk along with this place you can find many restaurants around and the beautiful water is right in front too. A place to be!!!

    Arco da Rua Augusta
    Richard S.

    Siting next to the Tagus river is where the Rua Augusta starts. This triumphal arch is open to the public to climb for 2.50 euros giving you a 360 degree view of Baxia.

    Views from the top of the arco
    Steph G.

    From the exterior, the Arco da Rua Augusta is beautiful! But don't miss the chance to take the windy stairs up to the top to get a breathtaking 360 view of the Atlantic and the surroundings. In my opinion this is worth the €3 to climb up the steep staircase. I would suggest coming up before sunset on a clear day to really soak in the beauty that is Lisbon. You take a small elevator up to the connection where you then climb up a spiral staircase that gets really narrow AND STEEP. The inside of the Arc isn't anything super impressive but once you get outside, your jaw drops! We went in the mid afternoon on a super sunny clear day and the views were amazing. You can see the 25 de Abril bridge (twin to Golden Gate of SF) peeping through the clouds, the Atlantic and fishermen coming back from a long day of work, locals sitting outside enjoying some Rosè sangria by the water. On the other side you get to see the hilly and winding roads of Lisbon. They also have a nice gift shop when you get back down and everything is well priced l!

    Matt G.

    By the River Tagus. Also called Arco do Triunfo. Commemorating the rebuilding of Lisbon after a massive earthquake. Elevator available if you want to check out the views from the top. One of the statues represent Vasco da Gama. Market stalls near by and places to eat.

    Entrance
    Jonathan V.

    Used our Lisbon card to go to the top. After you walk under the arch (toward town), the entrance is just past the arch, on the right. We showed our Lisbon card, and we were given ticket (receipt) with a bar code. You scanned this at a turnstile in front of the elevator. At the top of the elevator, we walked up some narrow steps to anther room. At the opposite end of that room, there was another set of steps that took you to the top. Look for green light near the bottom of the steps before you go up. Very narrow steps. This is not for people with mobility issues. View at the top is great. Look toward the city, or over the river.

    Austen M.

    If you have already been to other European capitals and seen some of the key sites you are not going to be blown away by this, but it is certainly work a look. I recommend you go down to admire the building and arch and then take a seat in one of the cafés round the edge of the large square. To be honest the quality of the cafés are very average but it is the perfect people watching spot and allows you to sit and soak up the Lisbon atmosphere. If the sun is out I would be surprised if you done end up spending an hour watching the world go by.

    Tower clock
    Catarina L.

    Unknown to many Lisboners and tourists alike is the fact that you can now visit the interior of this Arch. Do it! It's only 2,5€ or 1€ if you also buy a ticket for the Lisbon Story Center. This beautiful and imposing Arch looks almost like a gateway into Lisbon. It has a lot of historical meaning to the city, given that this whole area was rebuilt after a severe earthquake that destroyed most of the capital in 1755. You can marvel at it from the street, but going up there completely shifts your perspective. From the upper level you have panoramic views of the city. You can stand beside the grandiose statues and, like them, gaze at the busy streets below. The tower clock and bell - both still working - are exposed there as well as a small history of the Arch, it's not a lot but then again, the ticket isn't expensive and you also don't need to queue to get in and out, so it's good value. There's a lift up to the 2nd floor but from there you'll have to climb some narrow steps to get to the remaining two floors. They have a system in place, like traffic lights, that tell you if you can use the stairs, so that people going in opposite directions don't get in each others way. If it's not raining, it's very much worth the visit. It'd be perfect if they included a small guided tour of any sort and more information about the architectural and artistic details.

    Daisy D.

    Even on a rainy day, you have to walk down Rua Augusta and just marvel at the 'old world' charm that the whole Baixa neighborhood exudes. At the end of the street as the road opens on to a large plaza on the bay, you find the Arco da Rua Augusta. It's nothing special. It's not surrounded by a major traffic circle like the Arc de Triomphe. It's not in the middle of a park like Washington Square Park in New York City. But as you sit on the statue steps in the center of the plaza, you get to stare down cobblestone streets and imagine what a proud people the Portuguese must be to rebuild the entire city after it was leveled by an earthquake. You can watch the tourists commingle with the locals, all trying to dodge those on a segway tour. You can watch the sunset over the water. You can sip a glass of Porto at one of the cafes. Whatever you do, spend at least five minutes just marveling at a space that Americans don't always understand the simple beauty of.

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    Arco da Rua Augusta Reviews in Other Languages

    Review Highlights - Arco da Rua Augusta

    I was so excited to see the stunning stone memorial arch which stands on the Praça do Comércio.

    Mentioned in 5 reviews

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    Terminal de Cruzeiros de Santa Apolónia - This seabird wants to go on a cruise

    Terminal de Cruzeiros de Santa Apolónia

    4.0(2 reviews)
    1.3 kmSanta Apolónia, Mouraria - Castelo - Alfama

    A really large cruise port, the LIsbon Terminal is located in the heart of the action of Portugal's…read morelargest city. My wife and I stopped in for a day trip, a stop on our transatlantic repositioning cruise from the UK to the US. This port is meant to be a terminus for major ocean cruise lines, and has the facilities to handle it. This includes a large waiting area, with comfortable seats, where one can sit and use the strong, free wi-fi to catch up on digital tasks. Once past this area, local information guides had set-up a series of booth to answer questions and sell bus/train tickets for the city. As normal, the two of us planned to explore the city by foot so didn't take advantage. There were quite a few excursions from our boat, and the large motorcoaches picking up passengers were lined up to pick up passengers. On the other side was the entrance into the city, with the requisite taxi drivers and guides looking for an impromptu tour. But I already knew where we wanted to go, and since it was less than 2 km, a leisurely walk was our choice. It was a good one as it took us through different parts of the oceanfront, mingling with locals and tourists, alike. The port has excellent public transportation choices, usable for people arriving to start their cruise or travelers arriving, ready to explore the rest of the city. Getting back on the ship was a cinch, with clear signs on where to go. A security officer did a cursory check of our cruise card, then went through security xray. The gangplank is direct, not the long winding path that some cruise terminals use. There were no bottlenecks...if necessary, it would be easy to get off/get on a boat multiple times. Not sure how it would be set-up for an actual embarkation (where customs and immigration would be necessary), but pretty confident it would work fine.

    Photos
    Terminal de Cruzeiros de Santa Apolónia - Goodbye Lisbon.  Thanks for the visit.

    Goodbye Lisbon. Thanks for the visit.

    Terminal de Cruzeiros de Santa Apolónia - View of the terminal from the ship

    View of the terminal from the ship

    Terminal de Cruzeiros de Santa Apolónia

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    Museu Militar

    Museu Militar

    3.3(4 reviews)
    1.1 kmMouraria - Castelo - Alfama, Santa Apolónia

    This museum offers a family discount, we are a family and they would not honor the discount because…read morewe did not have 2 children. I think that is not fair, but another family got the discount. He had two children but no wife. This museum is CASH only. 3 euros entry fee. There is no WIFI. The entrance is a mess and in need of renovation and I think is going to be starting renovation because there are boards everywhere and the weeds are taking over. The museum is very military with lots of guns, canons, and more things that were owned by Portugal and then things Portugal pillaged from other countries. And even some guns that Portugal was able to get back after it was stolen for the museum. Many of the exhibits are in Portuguese only, so if you don't speak or read Portuguese and Google translate did not work with Portuguese, so many parts I skipped.

    Surprising to see so few reviews on this, officially the Artillery Museum, though I did pretty much…read morestumble across it as I was exploring this neighborhood of Lisbon. I've been to London's Imperial War Museum several years ago https://www.yelp.com/biz/iwm-london-london-2?hrid=0jWhKAZJf_kUkOtWAF37qQ so this was going to be interesting. Many artifacts here from Portuguese military history with extensive displays of cannon, firearms, uniforms and weaponry. Swords and such from centuries ago and a big focus on The Great War. I knew, but had forgotten, that Portugal declared itself neutral during WWII though they leaned a bit towards England as their ally dating back to the Anglo-Portuguese Treaty (Aliança Luso-Inglesa in Portuguese) of 1373. Yes, that's 1373. It is one of the oldest treaties in history. It's not just the objects on display but also the rooms themselves that are worthy of examination. Even the entrance is worth seeing, a monumental portico which survived the earthquake of 1755. There are many pieces of Azulejaria (Portuguese tiles) and paintings on display. Below in a basement area is the Pátio dos Canhões which contains a collection of artillery pieces. The entire museum is designed so that it can be enjoyed in a single line to minimize exposure to other museum goers for COVID purposes. For only €3, a real bargain and you can expect to spend at least one hour touring. [Review 16589 overall - 106 in Portugal - 99 of 2022.]

    Photos
    Museu Militar - Espada de D. Nuno Álvares Pereira

    Espada de D. Nuno Álvares Pereira

    Museu Militar - Placa toponímica

    Placa toponímica

    Museu Militar

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    Arco da Rua Augusta - landmarks - Updated May 2026

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