Do you know that feeling when you wake up because your bedroom is flooded with sunlight from every corner? You can’t keep sleeping because you’re too excited about the new day and the adventure it holds. You get up, open the balcony door, and life rushes into your room: birds chirping, the scent of freshly baked croissants from the bakery below, and the pleasant noise of a flea market mixed with Fado music from an old record someone put on from the 1930s. Want to wake up like that? Come to Lisbon with me, and I’ll show you where you can find it!

BE AN INSIDER, NOT A TOURIST

Every year in January or February at the latest, we fly from Munich to Lisbon to spend a few days there. But not in a hotel, even though I know plenty of good hotels in Lisbon. Every year we rent an apartment in Alfama, one of the oldest neighborhoods in Lisbon. We deliberately choose not to stay in a hotel, but rather rent an apartment to get a sense of what it would really be like to live in Lisbon. In hotels, I always feel like a tourist passing through. And only in the apartments do I feel like a local. As if I actually lived here.

This time, we stayed at the Casa del Arte, a beautiful clubhouse overlooking the National Pantheon and the oldest flea market in Lisbon – the Feira da Ladra, a favorite haunt for nostalgia lovers from around the world. This flea market has been around since 1272 and is truly special. I used to dislike flea markets. I thought I had enough old stuff in my own basement—why would I want someone else’s? But the first time I visited Feira da Ladra, I completely fell in love with it!

THE OLDEST AND MOST FAMOUS FLEA MARKET IN LISBON

The Feira da Ladra flea market in Lisbon is not just part of Lisbon’s culture; it’s a mystery. I’ve never left this market empty-handed. Often, I’ve picked up jewelry or a little souvenir. Once, it was even a piece of a cast-iron fence, which now decorates my kitchen wall. If it were up to me, I’d stuff all my suitcases full of flea market finds. But since I always travel with an overweight suitcase anyway, I only buy what fits into my already overfilled bags. Last time, I bought a pair of clip-on earrings from an older lady—she had probably worn them 40 years ago. On my dressing table, I have other flea market trophies: a seahorse-shaped chess piece and an old enamel-painted thimble. But honestly, you can buy the craziest things at this market: antique telephones, private photos from the 19th century, or even a freestanding bathtub or a massive Buddha head, like the one in the photo below.

The flea market stalls are scattered among café tables. You can order a delicious breakfast there, sit in the sun, and enjoy the flea market atmosphere and the view of the Tagus River. I love sitting in one of these cafés, ordering a coffee, and admiring my freshly purchased flea market finds. And if I need a change of scenery, I head to one of the most beautiful beaches in Portugal — Praia do Guincho, 30 kilometers from Lisbon. You can start the beach season there earlier than anywhere else in Europe, and I even got my first tan of the year in February!

Describing Lisbon would probably take more than 100 blog posts — it’s such a diverse and beautiful city! Countless cafés and restaurants (best to avoid the tourist hotspots), shopping on the Avenida da Liberdade, the famous yellow tram that climbs up and down the steep streets, and the unforgettable charm of Portugal’s capital make every visit to Lisbon an experience. Even in winter, the evenings outside in the cafés are wonderful, and of course, you’ll find the best shrimp here as well. Out of all the European capitals, Lisbon is my favorite — it beats Prague, Vienna, Rome, and even Paris. And every time I think of a spontaneous city break, my first thought is always of Lisbon, and I’m more than happy to return.

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