Por Tensi Sánchez de Actitudes Magazine

Lisbon is without doubt one of the most beautiful and magical cities in Europe. As soon as you arrive, you feel immersed in a world of new sensations that only Lisbon can offer.  Historic Lisbon stands in perfect harmony alongside the more modern features of this vanguard city, where its wide range of leisure activities and cultural options have made it a highly fashionable destination.  Each area of the city offers a vast array of attractions to make sure you’ll always have plenty to do and the streets are teeming with ambience both day and night.

Lisbon’s winding and sometimes steep streets can make it difficult to get around the city, but the public transport services and even taxis are not expensive.

Here are some useful travel tips that don’t appear in many guidebooks.

Port – Santa Apolonia area

This is a fairly new part of the city that has attracted many new restaurants and shops to set up in old port warehouses, creating some unique and spectacular spaces. Be sure to visit the excellent delicatessens or have breakfast at Gourmet Deli Deluxe, try the international dishes at Bica do Sapato restaurant and the  vintage furniture shop known as Loja da Talaia.

This area also boasts some fabulous nightspots, including the famous LUX discotheque, but if you’re not on the “guest list” or you know someone who can get you in, the queues outside are horrendous, though it’s well worth the hassle.

Bairro Alto – Principe Real area

Barrio Alto is home to the Principe Real area, an old residential district next to the Botanical Gardens and where you’ll find many of the city’s most modern shops and restaurants, including trend-setting  concept stores  Espacio B,  21 pr Concept Store, Real and  Fabrico Infinito.

If you love fashion, be sure to visit such shops as  Nuno Gama,  Alexandra Moura, Kolovrat, Ricardo Preto and Nuno Baltazar. These top designers all attend Moda Lisboa, Portugal’s most important biannual fashion show that is becoming increasingly famous the world over.

Next on our route is Poison d’amour, a cake shop that is sure to make your mouth water, boasting a wonderful terrace where you can enjoy a moment of pure magic. The terrace of the Lost In café-bar, which has an Indian-style decor, offers breathtaking views over the city. For some authentic Portuguese home-cooking, we highly recommend Tasca Do Urso at 32 Rua Do Monte Olivete. And last but not least, theFacto Royale hair salon with its exquisite decor and reputation as one of the finest in the city.

Baixa and Chiado area.

A great way to spend the afternoon is to stroll through the streets of Baixa and Chiado, taking in the most authentic side of Lisbon, its houses, cafés, streets… this is home to a shop called Pelcor, famous throughout Portugal for its cork fashion accessories and incredible handbags. Along Rua Nova do Carvalho you’ll find a bar called Sol y Pesca where you can enjoy a glass of fine wine, then go for a cocktail in the pub known as Pensao Amor, a former brothel that has managed to preserve much of its original decor and boasting a replica of the Sistine Chapel ceiling. Don’t miss even the smallest detail!
Close by is the restaurant  La Velha Senhora offering superb local cuisine at affordable prices.

Alcántara area

Another of Lisbon’s lesser known gems, this area is home to some of the city’s coolest shops, cafés and restaurants, alongside the trendiest advertising agencies and photographic studios.
It’s like a small city in itself, a dream factory where everything is ad hoc and created for LX Factory.

Sunday is the perfect time to visit this area and check out the LX Market where you can find fabulous porcelain, books, clothes, live music, etc.…All the shops and businesses have managed to preserve the essence and decor of the industrial spaces they once were.  There are over one hundred unique premises, such as the stunning  Achimpa bookshop,  La Cantina restaurant and even a press kiosk inside a container called Mag. All this and so much more is available in LX Factory.

Olivais area

Another fascinating area to see is the so-called  new Lisbon which arose from the EXPO 1998 World Exhibition. If you like architecture, you’ll love the Portuguese Pavilion by Álvaro Siza, winner of the Pritzker prize, along with many others. The area is fully inhabited and all the pavilions have been reused. A fine example of urban renewal that other European cities would do well to copy.

The Expo area gives shape to the Olivais district, which is linked to the city via underground, Vasco da Gama Bridge (the longest in Europe), and the intermodal station designed by Santiago Calatrava.

Must-do

*Try the best sweet in the city (and it’s not the famous Bethlehem Cake) at the cake shop called Pastelería do restelo “Careca” on Rua Duarte Pacheco Pereira. The delicious Palmees do Careca!

*Admire the work of a possible future Pritzer prize winner,  Charles Correa, the Champalimaud Foundation building and have lunch in the incredible Darwin restaurant on Avenida de Brasilia.

*Choose a good hotel such as Eurostars Das Letras offering first-class service to make your stay even more enjoyable.

*Visit the MUDE museum of fashion and design, a building dating to the 1950s and former headquarters of Banco Nacional Ultramarino. Its original use can still be appreciated thanks to the decadent industrial ambience that makes it all the more fascinating.

By Tensi Sánchez from Actitudes Magazine

Photos by Rubén Seco

If you feel like going to discover hidden Lisbon reserve your Vueling?

Welcome to Zurich West– the trendy, creative, gastronomic, nocturnal district of Zurich! It may not seem so, but this is Zurich, too! Forget everything you have learned and discard your picture postcards – no lake with crystal-clear water, no quaint streets or luxury stores; just brick, concrete and cranes surrounded by hoardings. Where’s the catch? Well, this is the anti-Zurich,the more casual, urbane and cosmopolitan precinct.

The fact is that all-powerful Zurich has undergone a radical facelift and its flagship is none other than Zurich West, its former industrial district. In less than two decades, it has become Switzerland’s engine of modernity, imbuing it with a trendiness on a par with Berlin, London and New York.

Once Upon a Time There Was An Industrial District…

Running alongside Hardbrücke, on the western side of the city, Kreis 5 or Industriequartier, as the area is also known, emerged as an industrial site in the 20th century. However, industrial activity in the area went into sharp decline in the late 1980s, after which derelict warehouses, factories and workshops were soon reclaimed by artists and designers from the underground scene. Alternative art venues were opened and illegal parties were hosted which became celebrated in half of Europe.

Full-scale change, however, arrived with the new millennium and Kreis 5 (meaning “District 5” in German) underwent a feverish transformation, which continues apace today. Now, where ships, soap and turbines were once manufactured, the machines have gone quiet and given way to art, design, gastronomy and music, as well as to businesses, flats and hotels. Attesting to the area’s industrial past is the overwhelming size of the streets, the monumental factory structures and the colossal railway tracks.

With an unabashed eclectic mix of past and future, brick buildings with steel and glass skyscrapers and a cityscape constantly being redefined, Zurich West exercises a magnetic pull that attracts the Swiss and foreigners alike, turning it into a seething, multicultural melting pot. Seduced by its alternative atmosphere and its formidable terrain, we start off on our journey!

Im Viadukt – Shop Till You Drop!

Chic, local designer stores, architects’ studios, cafés and organic food stalls rub shoulders in Im Viadukt, a vibrant shopping paradise built under the arches of the old rail bridge. Here you will find everything, from cut flowers to bicycle bells. Beware, though – you won’t pick up any bargains, as the idea of “cheap” is not included in the Swiss dictionary.

If you’re feeling peckish, the Markthalle offers zero-mile products, and its restaurant, fresh lunch fare at reasonable prices. Sundays are devoted to brunches, but book ahead it you want to avoid being crowded out. The upbeat ambience dovetails into the night and bars are full to bursting of young people sipping Prosecco in the Ambrosi, biding their time for some concert in the Bogen F.

Around Frau Gerolds Garten

A jumbled network of gardens, designer stores and dance clubs range back-to-back along Geroldstrasse. In the middle, a pile of transport containers reminiscent of a Lego on a grand scale, abandoned to their fate – this is Frau Gerolds Garten, an urban oasis which smacks of DIY and a hipster hubpar excellence. In summer, an open-air market springs up here on Saturdays, to be replaced in winter by fondues to beat the cold. It fills up at midday with people having coffee among plants and graffiti, and at night with those having their “first” before descending on the neighbouring clubs. Be sure to soak up the panoramic views from the upper terraces – the trains pass by on eye level and, if you’re lucky, you can make out the Alps in the distance.

A stone’s throw away lie two institutions of alternative clubbing. The iconic Hive is a temple of electronic music, while the veteran Supermarket attracts youngsters who dance to house and techno until dawn. Indeed, when it comes to clubbing, Zurich is queen and Zurich West the base camp for the electronic and experimental scene.

Before leaving the area, we do a spot of shopping. At Bogen 33 and Walter you can pick up vintage furniture. And, in a 25-metre-high tower pile of containers, the Swiss label Freitag flaunts its recycled bags made of truck awnings. A recycled building for a recycled product – Freitag has become a veritable symbol of Zurich West’s contemporary industrial style and its leading ambassador. The views from the rooftop are amazing; there is even a telescope if you want to capture things in detail!

Touching the Stars in Prime Tower

126 metres and 36 storeys establish Prime Tower as the tallest building in Zurich. The green-skinned building was unveiled in 2011 and towers over the city, acting as the new standard-bearer of modern architecture and economic development in the area.

Set on the top floor is the Clouds restaurant, which does its name proud – touching the sky looks more feasible from here! The views over the lake, the old town and the Alps are breathtaking, as are their prices. On the ground floor, Hotel Rivington & Sons takes us back to the 1920s underground in New York, when the sale of alcohol was banned under the Prohibition and bars were camouflaged under the hood of shops and hotels. Treat yourself to a cocktail at any hour – the selection is enormous.

Schiffbau and Puls 5 – Avant-garde and Tradition

Not far from here stand the shipyards of Schiffbau, where vessels were once built to order from around the world. They now host the most avant-garde events in the famous Schauspielhaus Theatre, and the best jazz concerts in the city at Moods, while the glamorous La Salle offers French and Italian cuisine in an outdoor area surrounded by glass walls. Drinks are served in the popular Nietturm Bar, a stunning glass cube crowning the building, with spectacular panoramic views.

One street down, night owls are gearing up for night action.Exilfeatures a programme of alternative parties and concerts, ranging from rock to hip hop, while Blok Clubis dedicated to international electronic music.

A stone’s throw away lies Les Halles, a delightful bistro with Parisian flourishes. Housed in an old warehouse, this popular meeting point is raucous and unkempt, with second-hand artefacts and vintage publicity posters. You can purchase one of the host of bicycles scattered about the interior while ordering their speciality –moules-frites (mussels with French fries).

Modernity and tradition intermingle in the former steel foundry, the site of the Puls 5 complex, a colossal, 5000 m² construction where the huge, erstwhile production floor is encircled by restaurants, shops, offices, a fitness club and flats. Enhanced by such features as steel girders, bare piping and a large industrial crane, this space hosts events of all kinds and embodies the alliances between past and future, as well as the merger between different uses that coexist in one place. If you happen to come here, be sure to try the Restaurant Gnüsserei, surmounted in the centre by the centennial steelworks dome.

Löwenbräu – Voguish Contemporary Art

Contemporary art has moved to Kreis 5 and set up shop in the former Löwenbräu brewery. Its red brick walls now enclose the Löwenbräukunst, a complex dedicated to cutting-edge art. Here, emerging artists from all over the world showcase their work in the Kunsthalle Zürich and Migros Museum of Contemporary Art. The building is also the site of several international art galleries, notably the acclaimed Hauser & Wirth, and of Zurich’s leading art bookshop,Kunstgriff,where you should make a point of browsing their extensive book list.

And here, with the colossal Swissmill as our guiding landmark, a concrete behemoth inaugurated in 2016 used to store grain, and the second tallest tower in the city, we wind up our tour. We have arrived at the river Limmat– time to have a dip!

Be sure to discover this alternative Zurich – you have daily Vuelings here!

Text by Núria Gurina i Puig for Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS

Photos by Zürich Tourism/Elisabeth Real and Núria Gurina

In the following we reveal seven routes in which culture, gastronomy, enotourism, sport and adventure come together to transform your visit to the Catalonian seaboard into an unforgettable experience.

Route 1 - From Sant Carles de la Ràpita to L’Ametlla de Mar (98 km)
Our point of departure is tinged with the marine flavour of oysters and mussels, which you can taste at La Caseta del Parrillo farm, part of the Ruta de las Bateas (Route of the Rafts), which involves a boat ride across the Alfacs bay in Sant Carles de la Ràpita. At Amposta, be sure to sign up for a tour of the Ebro Delta Nature Park with MónNatura Delta del Ebro. You can visit their interpretation centre, the salt marshes, the hides for observing estuary birdlife, as well as ride in the traditional punts. The finishing touch is supplied in L’Ametlla de Mar by the team at Tuna Tour, who will take you diving among red tuna, which you will also be able to taste at the end of the excursion.

Route 2 – From Tarragona to Gratallops (73 km)
Tarragona is the first stop on this second route, which includes a tour of the city guided by Icono Serveis, while Tarragona Experience goes a step further by taking you into their Roman kitchen workshop, Domus Apicius. After this heady dose of culture, it’s time to head for the Port Aventura amusement park, where thrills and excitement are guaranteed. How about a day’s fishing in a genuine fishing boat? The experience is yours at Pesca Turismo Cambrils, so make sure you don’t miss out on it! A stopover at Reus is the perfect excuse for visiting the Gaudí Centre, where you can follow the first few steps of one of the most outstanding and unique architects in this land. The itinerary ends in the Priorat region and their magnificent DO wine, which you can taste in such wineries as Clos de l’Obac, located in Gratallops.

Route 3 – From the Prades Mountains to Vilanova i la Geltrú (112 km)
Awaiting you in the Prades Mountains are villages like Farena, Alcover and Capafonts. You can also join some of the activities offered by Brogit Guiatges, including dramatised excursions, homemade cheese and honey tastings or walking with a shepherd. When you feel like a break, we recommend heading for one of the three monumental complexes making up the so-called “Ruta del Cister” (Cistercian Route), notably the Monastery of Poblet, where you can also stay the night. Wine lovers can take the opportunity to visit Pacs del Penedès and indulge in an enotouristic experience at the Torres Winery. We wind up this third itinerary at the town of Vilanova i la Geltrú, where you can observe a splendid sunset from a yacht. What more could you ask for?

Route 4 - From Sitges to Sant Sadurní d’Anoia (74 km)
In such an inspiring place as Sitges, one good option is to rely on AGIS to take you on a stroll through artists’ workshops. And, if you’re hankering for something racy, why not drop in on Casa Bacardí and learn how to make cocktails? The town of Santa Coloma de Cervelló is a must for devotees of Gaudian architecture, as there you can visit the Güell Colony and Gaudí’s Crypt. And, needless to say, this trip also includes a jaunt through the Penedès DO region where you can stop off at an organic wine cellar like Albet i Noya, or proceed to Sant Sadurní d’Anoia, home to the main cava wineries such as Codorníu.

Route 5 - From Montserrat to Caldes de Montbui (61 km)
One site you simply cannot afford to miss is Montserrat, a major symbol of Catalonia. There you can visit the monastery and the art museum, as well as hike through the amazing nature park. After this immersion in raw nature, you could head for Terrassa, which boasts a number of first-rate museums, notably the Museu de la Ciència i de la Tècnica de Catalunya, (Science and Technology Museum of Catalonia) Museu Tèxtil (Textile Museum) and Parc Audiovisual de Catalunya (Audiovisual Park of Catalonia). This itinerary winds down in “relaxation mode” at the Termes Victòria spa hotel, or the Broquetas Spa, both located in Caldes de Montbui.

Route 6 - From Montmeló to Palamós (155 km)
Are you a speed freak? Then the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, located in Montmeló, is the place for you, where you can get to drive your dream car. And, if you have any energy to spare for more excitement, at Globus Voltor, in the town of Cardedeu, you can sign up for a hot-air balloon ride, or visit the Can Vila horse-riding school in Sant Esteve de Palautordera and explore the Montseny Nature Park on horseback. This route comes to a close in Sant Feliu de Guíxols, where a walk along the coastal footpath comes highly recommended, and Palamós, where you can take part in a seafood cookery workshop in the Espacio del Pescado.

Route 7 - From L’Estartit to Girona (149 km)
Our final route starts with a diving excursion led by the Aquàtica crew in the waters around the Medes Isles off the coast of L’Estartit, while the wetlands of the Empordà region are ideal for ecokayaking with the SK Kayak team. On the outskirts of the nearby village of Sant Martí d’Empúries you should make a point of visiting the Greek and Roman ruins, and a heady dose of culture awaits you in the monastery of Sant Pere de Rodes – dramatised visit included – the Dalí Theatre-Museum in Figueres, the Salvador Dalí House-Museum in Portlligat and the historic centre of Girona, which you can tour on a segway. The final flourish on this route is provided by the Empordà DO wines – you are urged to visit Empordàlia, located in the town of Vilajuïga, where you can taste wines, oil and the region’s typical dishes.

Text by the Agencia Catalana de Turismo

By Isabel Loscertales from gastronomistas

Feeling a bit blue because summer is almost over? In just three hours you can get to Lanzarote from Barcelona: it's close, it's accessible, and you'll be able to enjoy the good weather again over a long weekend. But the good weather should not be the main reason to visit the island, as you'll find that the unique beauty of its volcanic landscape, the art byCésar Manrique and the island's cuisine are even more fascinating than its climate. As it's quite a small island (about 60 km long and 20 km wide), all you need is a few days to go on a short break and get a good taste of what it has to offer. We would like to suggest an ideal plan for three days:

DAY 1: CENTRE OF LANZAROTE

There are many places to stay on the island, like the popular area of Costa Teguise, which is full of hotels. Barceló Lanzarote Resort (Avenida del Mar, 5. Tel. 928 591 329. www.barcelo.com) is an affordable hotel and perfect for family holidays. It's being refurbished and has large and comfortable rooms, three pools for adults and two for children, many activities for children, sports facilities (climbing wall, miniature golf, tennis courts, etc.), a wellness centre, buffet breakfast, and "Mediterráneo", a restaurant that offers, amongst other delights, homemade pasta and a carefully selected range of wines.

Once you've settling in and are feeling relaxed, it's a good idea to explore the area of La Geria, where you can find the curious landscape covered with typical Lanzarote vineyards. Because of the volcanic soil and strong winds, the vines are planted in pits sheltered by circular stone walls. This dry cultivation method is called "enarenado". The view of these vast vineyards surrounded by perfectly built walls, with the bare mountains in the background, is unique in the world, and is well worth seeing. And even better if you enjoy it with a glass of wine in your hand. White wine is the island's speciality – specifically Volcanic Malvasía, the island's top variety. Once you try it you won't want to drink anything else. If you would like to find out more, you can visit a winery, like El Grifo (Teguise-Uga, LZ-30, km. 11. San Bartolomé. Tel. 928 524 036. www.elgrifo.com). Then, you can visit the "Campesino" monument and the César Manrique Foundation, which are close by.

The capital of the island, Arrecife, covers the centre of the island and the south coast. The most charming area, which is quite fashionable at the moment and has a great atmosphere, is Charco de San Ginés. After going for a walk you can have dinner at a restaurant that opened recently: Naia. It's very trendy and has a beautiful view of the lake. The half-Basque half-Canarian chef, Mikel Otaegui, offers modern Mediterranean cuisine with a twist, like foie gras micuit as crème brûlée, or creamy rice with small cuttlefish. Avenida César Manrique, 33. Tel. 928 805 797. www.restaurantenaialanzarote.com).

DAY 2: SOUTH OF LANZAROTE

The beautiful Timanfaya National Park is a place not to be missed. At the entrance you find an activity specially for tourists: a camel ride, which you might fancy... or not. The best thing to is to take the bus inside the park and enjoy the amazing lunar landscape: a desert area full of volcanoes, traces of lava, and a display of red, ochre and orange hues against the blue sea. You can almost get an idea of what life on another planet would be like. After the bus trip you can stop at the curious El Diablo restaurant, designed by César Manrique (the ever-present artist whose work is to be found all over the island), which overlooks the park. You have to see the enormous grill where they cook the meat – they use geothermal heat straight from the ground, at 600ºC!

Near the park you can find the coastal village of El Golfo, where you can taste typical cuisine of the sea. One of the places you can try is Bogavante restaurant (Avenida Marítima, 39. El Golfo. Tel. 928 173 505), which has a terrace that is not far from the sea. Here you must taste typical Lanzarote fish and seafood. With an intense flavour granted by the Atlantic Ocean, sea bream, comber, red mullet, limpets, squid, grouper, etc. are cooked in simple ways, grilled, with mandatory wrinkled potatoes and mojo picón sauce (either the more citrus green mojo, or the slightly hot red mojo). Other typical products in Lanzarote are cheese, also served fried with fig jam, and scalded "gofio" (which is toasted cornmeal mixed with water and salt; sometimes it replaces bread, and other times it's used to make desserts). And speaking of dessert, you must try "bienmesabe", a very sweet cake that is typical of the area, made with almonds, honey, egg yolk and sugar.

In the afternoon you can visit a lagoon, Laguna Verde or de los Clicos and the Hervideros, where you can see where the sea has eroded the volcanic rocks. Lower down you can find thePapagayo beaches, situated in a nature reserve (there is an fee of around €3 to park the car), and stunning coves where you can sunbathe and relax.

And to round off the day, you can book a table at La Tegala restaurant, in the town of Mácher, near Puerto del Carmen. It's a very special and romantic place, recommended by the Michelin Guide, where the food and the architecture are a wonderful combination of tradition and modernity. Built on a small vantage point, it is the result of joining an old traditional country house and an avant-garde annex with large windows. Chef Germán Blanco's signature cuisine includes many locally-sourced ingredients (organic where possible), to make it fun and contemporary, and bursting with flavour. The best way to discover it is with the Estela menu experience, which changes a few times during the year and is quite affordable at €42.

DAY 3: NORTH OF LANZAROTE

As you head north, it's worth stopping at the picturesque town of Teguise. If you go on a Sunday, there is a very popular market with a small area selling food, where you can purchase cheese, homemade mojo picón sauce, wine, etc. Nearby you can findFamara beach, with its amazing cliff. It's very popular with surfers, as it's really windy! Then you'll come across the town of Haría and its "valle de las mil palmeras" (Valley of a Thousand Palm Trees).

Another popular place in Lanzarote is the Mirador del Río viewpoint, one of César Manrique's projects, resting atop Risco de Famara, and perfectly integrated into the landscape. If affords amazing views of the volcanic mountainsides and of Chinijo archipelago, where Graciosa is the main island. You can have a drink at the beautiful café-restaurant, which boasts large windows that enable you to enjoy the panoramic view. Then it's time to visit Los Verdes cave, situated in a lava tube that continues under the sea. And then we find another of Cesar Manrique's great works: the beautiful Jameos del Agua site. It's an open lava tube with a natural lake. Look carefully at the small albino crabs that live here. They are an endemic species called "jameítos" There is also a café-restaurant here.

You can have lunch at the coastal town of Arrieta, to continue tasting the island's delicacies from the sea. If you're looking for an affordable place, La Casa de la Playa, a restaurant on La Garita beach serves fish and seafood for €15-20 on average (Tel. 928 173 339). And if you've still got time, you shouldn't miss a trip to Graciosa island, to visit some of its secluded beaches. Boats normally leave from the municipality of Órzola. This small island only has a couple of municipalities and no roads have been built, so it's perfect for those who love cycling in the unspoilt and wild countryside.

 We’ll be there. If you want to come too, check out our flights here.

Nosotros nos apuntamos, si quieres venirte consulta nuestros vuelos aquí.