Welcome to Lisbon!

Lisbon is a historical capital city with 800 years of cultural influences that mingle with modern trends and lifestyles creating intricate and spectacular contrasts which are spread across its seven hills, which give it a view over the majestic Tagus River.
Over the years, Lisbon has grown into a cosmopolitan destination, due to the quality and variety of new and renovated hotels, an increasing number of conference centres, multifunctional venues, excellent international flight connections, trendy restaurants, varied cultural agenda, and a lively nightlife. Lisbon has positioned itself strategically, over the past decade, as the Atlantic capital of Europe and is endowed with the modern equipment, infrastructure and logistical facilities to host large events and international congresses.
Moreover, it is the only European capital with sandy beaches, which are within 20 minutes from the cobbled streets of Lisbon’s city centre. There are also the luxuriant hills of nearby Sintra, an oasis of lush parks dotted with fairytale palaces, and Estoril, a cosmopolitan resort with Victorian-era charm.
Lisbon is highly regarded among Europe’s major cities with quality accommodation at competitive rates and is an openminded city thanks to centuries of cross-cultural influences from across the oceans. It is a city where everyone can feel at home.

Facts
Population: ~2,800.000 (Metropilitan Area)
Location: The "westernmost" capital in Continental Europe
Time: Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)
Language: Portuguese; The congress language is: English
Climate: subtropical-Mediterranean climate; beginning of October average daytime temperatures: ~24°C (75°F), the sea: ~16°C (60°F)
Dialling Code: +351
Currency: EURO (€)

Congress Venue
CCL – Centro de Congressos de Lisboa
Lisbon Congress Centre
Praça das Indústrias
1300-307 Lisbon, Portugal

Down by the River Tagus near the historical buildings of the picturesque Belém quarter, and just a few minutes from the city centre by public transport, is the Lisbon Congress Centre, a welcoming complex for congresses, conferences, business meetings, fairs, and exhibitions.

Transportation
Within the city, the major transportation companies – Carris and Metro – cover the entire city with regular buses, trams and subway services. Apart from these transportation companies, there are more than 3500 taxis operating in Lisbon.
• Subway Ticket € 0,90 www.metrolisboa.pt
• Bus Ticket € 1,75 www.carris.pt

The Carris network operates daily between 5:30am and 12:30pm. Every day there is a special service named ‘Aerobus’, which operates four buses. This line connects the Airport to the city centre. It is a service with a special fare (only tickets sold onboard by the driver are valid) and runs every 20 minutes, between
7:40am and 8:45pm. The Lisbon subway has four main lines (blue, yellow, green and red).
You can reach the Lisbon Congress Centre by bus (routes 756 & 727), tram (routes 15 & 28), train (Cascais line – Alcântara-Mar Stop) or taxi.

City Centre to Congress Centre
Bus route 727 stops at Marquês de Pombal Square (30 minutes)
Take the blue subway Line to Baixa-Chiado and then transfer to the green line, get off at Cais do Sodré and
then take the tram (route 15) or bus (route 201) to R. Junqueira (Congress Centre) (30 minutes)

Airport to Congress Venue
Aerobus from Airport to Cais do Sodré, followed by tram (route 15) or bus (route 201) to R. Junqueira
(Congress Centre)

Cuisine
Portuguese cuisine is mainly made up of fish or meat. Of the soups, Sopa de Mariscos, a fish soup, and the Sopa de Legumes are particularly good. Cod, ‘bacalhau’ in Portuguese, is one of the most traditional ingredients of Portuguese cuisine, it can be served in hundred of ways: ‘assado’ (fried with potato), ‘cozido’ (boiled) or baked with potatoes and onions. Sardines are also popular, especially when grilled as ‘sardinhas assadas’. Octopus,
squid, crab, shrimp, lobster, hake, mackerel (scad), lamprey, sea bass, scabbard (especially in the islands) and a variety of shellfish are used in Portuguese cuisine. ‘Caldeirada’ is a stew consisting of a variety of fish and shellfish with potatoes, tomato, and onion. Açorda de Mariscos is a very traditional dish made with bread and seafood. Of the meat dishes: ‘bife com batatas’ (steak with potatoes), ‘leitão assado’ (roast pork), roasted chicken or ‘cabrito’ (goat), and ‘carne de porco à Alentejana’, which is a combination of pork and seafood, are particularly good. There is a wide variety of Portuguese cheeses, especially those made from goat or sheep’s milk, like ‘Queijo de Azeitão’, ‘Queijo de Castelo Branco’ and ‘Queijo da Serra da Estrela’. The Portuguese desserts, especially those made with eggs, are very appreciated. The Pasteis de Belem are a world famous custard cream cake.

Banks
Banks are open from 8:30am to 3:00pm, Monday to Friday. Portugal has a national network of cash machines (ATMs) identified by the symbol MB (Multibanco), from which it is possible to withdraw cash 24 hours a day.

Shopping Hours
Shops are open from Monday-Friday, from 9:00 or 10:00am to 7:00pm.
Some close for lunch from 1:00pm to 3:00pm. On Saturdays from January to November, shops generally close
at 1:00pm though in city centres some are open in the afternoon. There are plenty of shopping centres inside and outside the city which are usually open from 10:00am to midnight seven days a week.

Most Important Sights

São Jorge Castle
A Moorish castle which occupies a commanding position overlooking the city of Lisbon.

Tower of Belem
It is an UNESCO World Heritage Site because of the significant role it played in the Portuguese maritime discoveries during the Age of Discoveries.

Monastery of Jerónimos
One of the most prominent monuments of the Manueline-style architecture and classified as an UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Avenida da Liberdade
The city’s most exclusive shopping street.

Belém area
Within walking distance there are several important sights like the Monastery of Jeronimos, the Belem Cultural Centre, Museu de Marinha, Museu dos Coches, the Discoveries Monument and also the world famous Pasteis de Belem café.

Gulbenkian Foundation
Within some beautiful gardens are housed two world class museums: the Gulbenkian Museum and the Modern Art Centre.

Museu dos Coches
It houses a collection which is considered unique in the world because of the artistic variety of the magnificent ceremonial vehicles from the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, as well as the number of examples.

Sé Cathedral
The oldest cathedral in Lisbon, built in 1147.

Alfama Borough
The oldest district of Lisbon, which is located on the southern slope from the Castle of São Jorge to the Tagus river.

Baixa – Downtown
The Pombaline Baixa is an elegant district, primarily constructed after the 1755 Lisbon earthquake, taking its name from its abenefactor, the First Marquess of Pombal