Rua Augusta Arch

I have this habit of avoiding large cities when I am on tour but sometimes there is no avoiding them. Lisbon is a city that deserves to be explored on food. Fortunately, they have a metro system which takes you to the most important places. My first stop is the Rua Augusta which is a huge shopping street. The street itself is tiled and pedestrianized which makes the street look even prettier. I got there morning so there weren’t too many people walking about yet. Most of the shops were still closed at the time which was a shame but I think I would be here long enough to see them open.

If one walks towards the water along Rua Augusta, one would inevitably run into a great arch which marks one end of the Rua Augusta. The Rua Augusta Arch is a triumphal arch meant to commemorate the successful reconstruction of Lisbon after the devastating earthquake of 1755. Construction was completed in 1873. The arch features numerous important figures of Portuguese history but it was kind of difficult to tell who they were because the arch was so large. It was a bit difficult to take a photo of the arch up close because there was already traffic on the other side. There is however, a large square where you can safely take photos of the arch.

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