The parish of Avenidas Novas presents a configuration of streets that intersect in a perpendicular way, creating square blocks. The main avenues, which gave it its name - New Avenues literally -, start at the stately Avenida da Liberdade and Rotunda do Marquês de Pombal with Parque Eduardo VII and Avenida Fontes Pereira de Melo, passing by Praça Duque de Saldanha and heading towards Jardim do Campo Grande, along the Avenida da República and its adjacent streets.
As the capital expanded, Avenidas Novas became the axis of the city's northward expansion in the 19th century. From a residential area of art nouveau mansions built for the middle-classes, Avenidas Novas turned into one of the main business and commercial centres of Lisbon thanks to the existence of shopping centres galore, and also many established large companies in the different avenues around this area.
Despite the absence of historic sites, this area of town nonetheless draws a large number of visitors since it is home to several hotels and one of the city's greatest museums - the must-see Calouste Gulbenkian Museum.
The Gulbenkian Museum is one of the world's great museums and one of Europe's unsung jewels. Located to the northeast of Eduardo VII Park, the museum is part of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and houses a splendid collection of Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Islamic, Asian, and European art. In 2001, it was extensively restored and modernized (many of its masterpieces were on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York).
The museum is surrounded by a garden - the Gulbenkian Garden - which is a prime example of Portuguese landscape architecture. The garden is ideal for all sorts of leisure and cultural activities. Walking around, you will also be able to explore the wide variety of flora.
Located at the centre of Avenidas Novas, Fonte Luminosa was built in 1940, when the world was at war and Lisbon was at peace. This fountain consists of a wide basin into which water flows from the top platforms, as well as a number of statues, being them Triton on a horseback and four mermaids.
The term "luminous fountain" refers to the nightly light display (15 minutes after sunset), but there are also other "water shows" every afternoon and evening. A few stairs go to the top of the monument, where you can enjoy a bird's eye view of the fountain and the boulevard in front of it.
The Campo Pequeno has been hosting Portuguese bullfights since 1892. This majestic neo-arabian building, built entirely of bricks, was refurbished in 2006 and now houses a museum dedicated to the history of bullfighting as well as a shopping centre beneath, with a movie theatre and restaurants galore. The price to enter the arena is 3€ and to assist the bullfights, tickets start at 15€ to 80€.
Part of the Museum of Lisbon, which is a multi-branched museum that comprises 5 spaces - Pimenta Palace, Roman Theatre, Saint Anthony Museum, Casa dos Bicos and the West Tower - the Pimenta Palace is a historical palace in Campo Grande, named after this owner, Manuel Joaquim Pimenta.
Although the Pimenta Palace's history is not so known, it is still a fascinating example of 18th-century suburban civic architecture. It's a baroque structure with a pilastered front and a column portal encircling the entrance. According to legend, King João V commanded the palace's building for Madre Paula to live there, a nun from the Odivelas Monastery who was also his mistress. The palace was meant to be a venue for the King’s encounters with Madre Paula.
The museum was purchased by the Lisbon City Council in 1962, which renovated both the palace and the gardens, turning it into Lisbon’s headquarters in 1979. The palace houses a broad variety of artistic expressions that illustrate Lisbon’s story from the beginning.
Bordalo Pinheiro Museum opened in 1916 and exhibits over 3,000 prints, 900 pictures, and 1200 ceramic works influenced by popular culture. The museum has established itself as the ideal location for anybody who appreciates Bordalo Pinheiro's distinctive characteristics, one of Portugal’s most iconic cartoonists.
The Bordalo Pinheiro Museum is located in Campo Grande, and gathers pieces of Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro's life and work. It also houses a permanent display divided into numerous hubs and galleries, each with a particular focus: self-portraits, 'Zé Povinho,' ceramics, multimedia, and even testimonials.
Airport Located 7 kilometres away from the capital, Lisbon Portela Airport is the main international airport in Portugal and is one of the largest in southern Europe. Because of its close location to Lisbon city centre, getting from the airport to Lisbon is straightforward using a metro taxi or bus service. Lisbon Portela Airport is the nearest airport to Avenidas Novas. It takes around 40 minutes via tube if you take metro stations in Entrecampos, Campo Pequeno, Saldanha, Picoas, Parque, Marquês de Pombal or São Sebastião.
Transportation Located at the heart of Lisbon, Avenidas Novas offers good transport links. The metro stations of Entrecampos, Campo Pequeno, Saldanha, Picoas, Parque, Marquês de Pombal or São Sebastião can get you anywhere in central Lisbon. There are also frequent trams and buses passing by through the day that can take you from northwest to southeast central Lisbon.
Similar to the other southern European countries, Portugal typically tends to see warm temperatures and nice weather conditions throughout the whole year. Santos has a mild climate. You can expect to find 25°C during the summer months and, as the colder months start to creep in, the temperatures will drop to around 11°C. November is the month that sees the most rainfall, which can be around 128mm on average.
Beaches Lisbon is located by the Tagus river, hence has different beach coastlines nearby. To the west of Lisbon lies the Oeiras-Estoril-Cascais coastline, where there are beautiful sandy beaches, blessed with a calm sea in the summer months. You can find the Sintra coastline in the northwest of Lisbon, which is made up of cliffs and embodies wild scenery, where you can truly immerse yourself in nature. The Costa da Caparica coastline is in the south of Lisbon and is sought-after for its wide-open beaches. This coastline comprises a large stretch of beaches, spread along to the western coast, highly popular among surfers all year long.
Shopping Monumental, the Centro Comercial do Campo Pequeno, and the Saldanha Residence are just a few of the shopping malls that merge into the ambience of Avenidas Novas. Nearby also lies the huge El Corte Inglés mall, Lisbon's only free-standing full-range store. It sells high-quality items such as designer apparel, furnishings, and gourmet food.
Restaurants & Bars There is food for all tastes and shapes in Avenidas Novas, but the neighbourhood is known as the home of Eleven, one of Lisbon’s top restaurants, and famous for top-notch Mediterranean cuisine. Both José Avillez’ Belcanto and Henrique Sá Pessoa’s Alma, also Michelin stars, are located nearby, in the Chiado area. Other restaurants, bars and cafés around Avenidas Novas which also are a must-try include:
– Choupana Café
– Honorato
– My Mother’s Daughters
– O Talho
– The Green Affair
