Why go

São Jorge Castle crowns the highest hill in old Lisbon, and its walls and towers are visible from almost everywhere in the Baixa. People have fortified this spot since at least the Iron Age, and the castle you see today grew from the citadel of the Moorish city, which the first king of Portugal, Afonso Henriques, captured in 1147 with the help of crusaders on their way to the Holy Land.

For several centuries it was a royal residence, before the court moved down to the riverside palace on what is now Praça do Comércio. Earthquakes damaged it repeatedly, and much of what stands today was restored in the 20th century. That does not diminish the visit: the main draw is the setting, with pine-shaded courtyards, peacocks wandering the grounds and battlements that look straight down on Alfama, the Baixa grid and the wide Tagus estuary.

It is one of the busiest sights in the city, and the views at the end of the day are some of the best in Lisbon.

What to see

  • The main viewing terrace. Just inside the gate, lined with old cannon and stone pines, it gives a panorama from the 25 de Abril Bridge to the Baixa.
  • The walls and towers. Walk the ramparts between the eleven towers of the inner castle for views in every direction.
  • The archaeological site. Excavations show traces of Iron Age homes, an 11th-century Moorish quarter and the later royal palace.
  • The camera obscura. A periscope in the Tower of Ulysses projects live images of the city; access is with a guided tour.
  • Santa Cruz do Castelo. The quiet residential quarter around the castle walls, with its own small church.

Plan your visit

From 1 November to the end of February the castle is open daily from 9am to 6pm, with last entry at 5.30pm, and the wall-walks and towers close at 5.30pm. From March to October it opens from 9am to 9pm, last entry 8.30pm. It is closed on 1 January, 1 May and 24 and 25 December, and closes early on 31 December. An adult ticket costs €17, young people aged 13 to 25 pay €8.50 and over-65s €14, and children up to 12 go free, as do Lisboa Card holders.

Free guided tours of about an hour are included in the ticket; sign up at the ticket office on the day. The castle says its only authorised online seller is BOL, so avoid unofficial sites. The castle’s small museum was temporarily closed for works at the time of writing.

The climb from the Baixa is steep. Bus 737 from Praça da Figueira stops near the gate, or take tram 28 to Portas do Sol and walk up through the lanes.

Allow about an hour and a half to two hours for the walls, the courtyards and the archaeological site.

Nearby

The Miradouro de Santa Luzia and Portas do Sol viewpoints are a few minutes downhill, with Alfama’s lanes below them. Lisbon Cathedral is about ten minutes away, and the Graça viewpoints and Mouraria, the old Moorish quarter, are just to the north.