Shopping

Lisbon is a tempting place to shop, if only because street life moves slowly enough to allow for unhurried browsing. Although modern shopping centres are increasing in popularity, the city is a haven for fascinating antiques and the city’s array of traditional and specialist shops, as well as open-air markets, is still enormous.

Being a deeply Catholic country, there are literally hundreds of religious artefacts to choose from, as well as old ceramics, furniture, porcelain, jewellery, paintings from past centuries, vintage clothing and much more.

Although there is a wide selection of local handicrafts, the exquisite painted tiles on sale in many parts of the city are firm favourites among tourists, as are the Arraiolos rugs; made to designs that in some cases date back to the Middle Ages.

The best place for more modern shopping is the pedestrianised area between Praça do Comércio and Largo Sao Domingos, where you will find top international brands, or the Avenida da Liberdade, which is stuffed full of luxury items. If you prefer big-scale shopping, you shouldn't miss Colombo, one of the biggest malls in Europe.

There is also an official Lisbon shopping card offering discounts of between 5% and 20% in over 200 shops.