The Beautiful São Jorge Castle in Lisbon Portugal.

Known as one of the European cities that preserves the majority of its historic architecture, Lisbon is the capital of Portugal. The country is located in the western part of Europe, where it faces the North Atlantic Ocean on the left and Spain on its right. It is a tourist-friendly city, due to friendly locals and the nice weather all year round. Lisbon has numerous well-known tourist attractions, and one of them is the São Jorge Castle (known as the Castelo de São Jorge in the local language).

Located in the district of Santa Maria Meior, São Jorge Castle in the São Jorge Hill sits at the highest point in Lisbon where anyone can see the whole city. Started as a small fortress made by Visigoths in the fifth century, it was further developed and strengthened by the Moors in the eleventh century and later on became the Royal Palace. It went through a major restoration project from 1938 to 1944 under the Prime Minister of that time, Antonio de Oliveira Salazar.

Aside from the castle itself and the breathtaking view, there are a lot of different attractions to see inside the castle. There is a Garden with Native Forest Species where visitors can observe Portugal’s primary native trees and plants. With the help of technology, there is an attraction called the “Black Chamber”, where it engages visitors with the aid of a camera obscura and provides a detailed view of the city in real-time. The view includes the monuments, prominent locations, the river, and a glimpse of the busy city.

The Sao Jorge Castle houses an Archeological site, where it shows historical artifacts from relevant periods in the history of Lisbon. Note that it has restricted access, in order to further preserve the pieces of evidence from the era. Despite the limited access to the archeological site, there is a permanent exhibition open for all visitors. It consists of items that can be seen from the 7th century BC up to the 18th century, including from the Moorish period.

In 1755, the royal palace suffered great damage due to an earthquake. Due to this, they created a copy of a 16th century drawing to illustrate the Ruins of the former Royal Palace of the Alcáçova before the disaster.

This amazing tourist attraction has a lot more to offer, and very accessible even by tram or bus. While on the way to the Castle, don’t miss out on the great neighborhoods and their charm. The Alfama, an old fishing neighborhood, is located at the foot of the castle with a nice view of the Tagus River. Half a kilometer away, you can also see the Lisbon Cathedral. The construction of this wonderful religious structure dates back to the twelfth century in Romanesque style. Don’t forget about Baixa, an area full of traditional seafood restaurants and where souvenir shops can be found.

Lisbon is a city where modern culture still coexists with historical influences. Lisbon is one of the best European cities that every travel enthusiast should visit.