Fun places to visit in Alcântera, Lisbon

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Alcântera, Lisbon

 

During my recent visit to Lisbon, I ran into an interesting situation. Due to a quirk in EU funding, nine of the city’s museums were closed for renovations at the same time. For me this provided an opportunity to indulge in my favorite activity - visiting small museums that often go overlooked.

Berardo Museu Arte Deco (B-MAD)


B-MAD Museum

Support for the 25 de Abril Bridge

Eletrico 18

 

I headed to the Alcântera neighborhood, which sits under the approach for the 25th of April Bridge. In the 17th century, the area became home to several palaces for members of Portuguese royalty. One of these buildings, formally owned by the Marquis de Abrantes, has become the Berardo Museu Arte Deco (Berardo Art Deco Museum). 

 












B-MAD has an amazing collection of Arts and Crafts, Art Nouveau and Art Deco furniture and decorations. Most of the objects come from the collection of Joe Berardo, a Portuguese businessman who has a checkered past.

 










The museum can only be visited by taking one of their guided tours, which last 1 to 1.5 hours. The tour guides are extremely knowledgeable about the history of their collection. Our guide gave us ample time in each room to explore and admire the pieces and take plenty of photographs. 

 

LX Factory


 

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, Alcântera became home to many factories. In 1846, the Compendia de Fiação e Tecidos Lisbonense (Lisbon Spinning and Weaving Company) opened. For more than 100 years it produced fabrics and textiles. The factory closed in the late 1900’s, and the buildings fell into disuse. In 2008, the team behind LX purchased the abandoned structures and began the process of restoration and repurposing. Today they have created space for shops and restaurants, making LX Factory a destination, especially for for the younger crowd.


We had lunch at Restaurant Selllva. They have a wonderful breakfast/brunch menu, especially their egg and their pancake dishes., all at reasonable prices.

 

 



My favorite store was Livraria Ler Devagar. This bookshop features a there-story wall of books, along with an old lithograph printing press. Upstairs there is a record shop and a space selling prints created by local artists.

Nuts and Bolts


  • B-MAD is located at Rue 1° de Maio, 28. It is open from 10:00AM - 7:00PM. The last tour is at 5:30PM. Entrance if €15. Tours are limited to 15 people, so it is recommended to get your tickets in advance.
  • LX-Factory is located at Rua Rodrigues de Faria, 103. It is open from 9:00AM - 10:00 PM, although the hours of individual stores and restaurants my vary.
Location: R. 1º de Maio 24, 1300-474 Lisboa, Portugal

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