suggestion
Oasis in Lisbon
Five places to enjoy culture and leisure in a serene environment
June brings the beginning of summer and longer days and, in Lisbon, it is a month synonymous with Festas and entertainment. However, for those who want to escape the crowds and enjoy culture in peace, we propose five places that are true oasis in the middle of the city.
Finding a quiet place, where it is possible to see an exhibition, attend a concert or a lecture, or simply read a book, may not be an easy task during the Festas de Lisboa month. But, here are some suggestions.
Goethe-Institut
The old Palácio Valmor, built in the 18th century, was, in addition to being a family residence until the beginning of the 20th century, the Faculty of Law of the University of Lisbon and, from 1964, the Embassy of the former German Federal Republic. Today it is the home of the Goethe-Institut.
Located in Campo Mártires da Pátria, the beautiful palace is the stage for a variety of cultural activities: concerts, cinema and literary sessions, debates and workshops. The garden, with plants originating from Asia, Africa and South America, mixed with native vegetation, constitutes a true oasis in the city center, where you can enjoy a terrace that serves German specialties.
Another highlight is the library, an ideal place to read, study or work and where there is a small reading garden (separate from the main garden).
In June, the garden hosts MediaCon (June 28 and 29), a festival of dialogue about journalism, organized by newsrooms that publish free access journalism, and also Encontros com “Galileu” de Brecht (June 7 and 14).
Palácio Fronteira
Located in an old Quinta de Recreio, Palácio Fronteira is one of Lisbon’s most beautiful monuments from the 17th century. The building, today a National Monument is a museum-house, that maintains its design very close to its original design, preserving the largest collection of seventeenth-century azulejos (Portuguese tiles).
Having the particularity of continuing to be inhabited by the descendants of Dom João de Mascarenhas, the first Marquis of Fronteira, the space is visitable, allowing free walks in the magnificent gardens (audio and video guides can be requested) and guided tours of the interior. There are also themed tours dedicated to the tiles and literary figures that inhabited the palace.
The place, a unique space to escape the hustle and bustle of central Lisbon, also features a regular cultural program that includes concerts, exhibitions and staged visits. Highlights in June is the concert organized and broadcasted from Palácio Fronteira by Antena 2 (June 8) and the staged visits aimed at families.
Biblioteca de Alcântara | Palacete do Conde de Burnay
The Palacete do Conde de Burnay, built at the end of the 19th century, opened its doors to the community early on and, in the 1930s, housed the Ferreira Borges Commercial School. The building was later rehabilitated and transformed into the Alcântara Library.
The library maintains a close relationship with the parish where it is located and its inhabitants, and even before opening it already had a community theater group. It is, however, open to everyone, offering public reading and multipurpose rooms, an exhibition gallery and a garden that invites relaxation and serenity.
Every month the space is the stage for various cultural events, regularly hosting film cycles, conversations, exhibitions, theater and a choir for adults and children, and the Histórias e Memórias de Alcântara project.
In June, among other activities, the programme includesa session of Filme do mês/Film of the Month (June 22), in partnership with Zero em Comportamento, and Conversations about Artificial Intelligence (June 15).
Brotéria
In the heart of Bairro Alto, in one of the liveliest areas of Lisbon, is located Brotéria, a house with history, built in the 16th century. The palace, formerly home to Condes de Tomar, was the headquarters of the Royal British Club and the Lisbon Hemeroteca Municipal. Since 2020, it has housed Brotéria, of the religious order Society of Jesus, a Jesuit cultural center, which had as its starting point the Brotéria magazine, created 120 years ago.
The space, which allows you to escape the chaos outside, includes the library, particularly valuable in the field of Theology, Philosophy, Literature and History, which brings together several reading rooms, ideal for studying or working; the café, with a friendly and silent patio, a meeting place that invites you to rest; the Snob bookstore, its own editorial project with considerable experience in the second-hand book market, and a gallery that hosts exhibitions.
From the June programme, some highlights are J.R.R. Tolkien: o objetivo da vida (June 4), the conversation and visit to the library Marcas de posse e encadernações notáveis na Biblioteca da Brotéria (June 5) and the guided tour of the palace (June 29).
Biblioteca Palácio Galveias
Housed in the building that was once the home of the Távora family is the Palácio Galveias Library. The palace, acquired by the municipality in 1928, was transformed into a Municipal Archive, Library and Museum. Located next to Campo Pequeno, the library, where Nobel Prize winner for Literature José Saramago, claimed to have “really learned to read”, is today the epicenter of regular cultural activity.
Reading clubs, conversations, lectures, concerts, exhibitions and cinema are some of the activities carried out in this inspiring and peaceful space. The large garden is a refuge that promotes outdoor reading and moments of tranquility. At the kiosk that serves as a cafeteria you can also take a break for light meals.
Of the June programme, it is worth highlighting the conversation Escrita em Dia, with Layla Martínez, a Spanish author who launched her first novel in Portugal this year (June 17), the music event Guitarras do Grácio & Convidados (June 21) and the children’s play O Gigante Egoísta, based on Oscar Wilde’s book (June 30).
