The bridge construction took place while Portugal was living in it’s fascist regime, and was originally named after the goverment leader, Oliveira Salazar. It’s initially plan also included a train line, but the project has stopped for many years, only being concluded in 1999 and finally Portugal was connect from north to south with a single train line. It was now possible to get to Algarve from the center of Lisbon without changing transportation. The bridge was the fuel that galvanized the growth of the south margin of the river, making one of the greatest suburbs of Lisbon city, where thousands of Lisbon workers live and sleep every day.

In 1974, the fascist regime was overthrown, in the 25th of April. Given the memory of the old regent, the bridge changed it’s name to 25th of April, to celebrate democracy and freedom.

Every year, in March, the bridge is used in the Lisbon Half-Marathon race. The event, starts on the south side of the bridge, it is open to everyone who wants to participate. It’s a great opportunity to cross the bridge of foot and take some great photos of the city. Meanwhile, if you are visiting the city in some other time of the year, you can always take the train back and forth to Pragal (the first stop on the south side) and enjoy the view. The price is something below 2€ for each journey.

The building was completed in 1892, and has a very particular style inspired in Moorish buildings of the Iberia Peninsula, built in orange bricks and with cyan domes. For many years, however, the building suffered profound degradation until the beginning of this century, when it was fully remodeled. Today it has it’s doors open again, and more than a bullfighting ring, it is also a concert room (Muse, James Blunt or Lou Reed are some of the names who have played there) and a shopping mall, with stores and small restaurants.

Bullfighting

Summer is the official season for bullfighting performances. You can check the official Campo Pequeno website for future venues and prices (sorry the page only seems to have a Portuguese version, use our Translate Me This! page to post any questions). If you seen a show like this in Spain, let me tell about the two main differences between bullfighting in these countries. First, in Portugal, it’s not allowed to kill the bull in the arena, since it’s considered an act of cruelty to kill an animal for entertainment. Second, it’s a Portuguese tradition to have groups of Forcados, men facing the bull on feet, with no sword or cape, trying to hold them with their single hands. You can check this video to get the idea.

Prices and More Information

You can check the official web page for accurate prices of the venues, but just for information, watching a bullfight can cost you something between close to 20€ to 75€, prices vary with the location of your seat.

Official Web Site

Well the hills have been there since the beginning of time (give or take a million years) and the industrial age brought to Lisbon some solutions that would minimize the problem. So three funiculars and one elevator has built. I want to talk more about them in the future, but by now, I just want you to know that they exist and where they are located. So you have :

• Glória Funicular (Elevador da Glória) – It connects the Restauradores square with Bairro Alto
• Bica Funicular (Elevador da Bica) – It connects Av. Boavista (Cais do Sodré) to Bairro Alto
• Lavra Funicular (Elevador do Lavra) – It connects Rua de Portas de Santo Antão and Campo de Santa, close to São José Hospital.
• Santa Justa Elevator (Elevador de Santa Justa) - Today it goes nowhere. It used to connect the downtown area with Bairro Alto, but today it just gives you access to a nice café and a great view of the downtown area and the hill surrounding it.