The Bairro Alto also contains many of Lisbon's best traditional bars and cafes, including the amazing Cervejaria Trindade. Built in 1836, the walls in this beer hall are illustrated with large pictures made up of 'azulejos,' the traditional Portuguese blue-painted tiles. Restaurants don't really get under way until 9 or 10 p.m., and nightlife such as discos or music bars doesn't get going until midnight. It makes it difficult to combine exploring museums with partying, which tends to get going just after you may have turned in. But do visit the Gulbenkian museum, which houses an extraordinary private collection donated by an Armenian oil millionaire.
Exhibits range from Egyptian art to Impressionist paintings and Chinese porcelain.
Across the museum's sculpture park, there's the Gulbenkian Centre of Modern Art. Many of Lisbon's best museums are in the coastal district of Belem, a 20-minute bus ride up the coast. Belem also has museums dedicated to subjects like aristocrats' coaches, archeology and naval history. One word about the language, which is, of course, Portuguese. You can get by in Spanish, English or French.