Conference Location 

The conference will be held in Lisbon, Portugal.

How to get to Lisbon
 

Lisboa is the capital of Portugal and lies on the north bank of the Tagus Estuary, on the European Atlantic coast. It is the westernmost city in continental Europe. Greater Lisboa has an area of approximately 1,000 km2. The city lies more or less in the centre of the country, approximately 300 km from the Algarve in the south and 400 km from the northern border with Spain. Lisboa offers a wide variety of options to the visitor, including beaches, countryside, mountains and areas of historical interest only a few kilometres away from the city centre. 

Although it was at the castle that everything began, historical sites can be found throughout the city. With a thousand years of history, Lisbon is full of monuments of great importance, that reflect some of the key moments in the Portugal’s history.  Capital of the Empire, the peak of Lisbon’s wealth was during the Age of Discovery, which guaranteed its heritage of a rare beauty.  Close to the castle, in Graça, is the church and monastery of São Vicente de Fora, one of the most imposing and notable religious monuments in the city. It was built immediately after the city was recaptured from the Moors because of a vow made by King Afonso Henriques to São Vicente during the siege of the city in 1143.  Close by, on Tuesdays and Saturdays, we will come across one of the most popular and busy markets in the city, the Feira da Ladra, or flea market. Everything you can possibly imagine is on sale here and you will find the most useless and irresistible objects, as well as true antiques. It is a true walk through culture. If we walk down to Santa Apolónia and continue though this riverside neighbourhood, we will find the highly original Casa dos Bicos (16th century). The "bicos" in its name are the diamond-shaped stones that cover its façade. In addition to the aesthetic singularity of the building, with its Italian influences combined with elements of the Manueline style, it is also of considerable historical importance, having belonged to Afonso de Albuquerque, viceroy of India, and being the site of some interesting Roman archaeological finds.

Continuing along the riverside, you will arrive at the neighbourhood with the largest number of heritage sites connected with the voyages of discovery: Belém. It was from the beach in Belém that Vasco da Gama set sail to discover the sea route to India and the grandiosity of the former empire can be sensed throughout the area, including one of the symbols of the city, the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos, the construction of which was begun in 1501 by King Manuel I and was concluded just a century later.  Overlooking the magnificent Praça do Império, the monument possesses architectural features from the late Gothic and the Renaissance and is one of the most beautiful and magnificent monuments in the capital. These architectural features are combined with royal, religious, naturalist and nautical decorative elements to create a building that is considered the jewel of the distinctively Portuguese Manueline style. Its architectural excellence is more than evident and it has been recognised as World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO.  In one of the wings of the former monastery we can find the Museu da Marinha, an excellent place to learn a little about the naval history of Portugal, and the Museu de Arqueologia.  The monastery church, the Igreja de Santa Maria de Belém, is a magnificent church with a nave flanked by two aisles separated by elegant pillars that support a beautiful and unique ogival dome. The luminosity, with the sunlight filtered by the stained glass windows, is extraordinary, creating an almost unreal atmosphere. The tombs of Vasco da Gama and the epic poet Luís de Camões can be found in the church. The visitor feels simply overwhelmed by the beauty and grandiosity associated with the history, the faith, and also the knowledge and determination that moved Portuguese culture.

Touristic attractions:

Belem: Pristine Manueline Take tram 15 west along the Rio Tejo (Tagus River), and you reach the historic neighborhood of Belém. Its prime attraction is the grand Mosteiro dos Jeronimos. The monastery cost an equivalent of 70 kg of gold each year during the construction, a good deal of which was financed through the spice trade. It is a prime example of what is called Manueline architecture, with inspiration brought back from the explorations, as well as being influenced by the Gothic and Renaissance periods. Construction started in 1501, and took 70 years to complete. Don't miss the nearby and amazing Torre de Belém.

Lisbon: Funicular Transportation Transportation in Lisbon is more charming than most cities. Much is owed to its geography; much of Lisbon has been built on its seven hills. No visit to Lisbon is complete without riding the century old trams. The greatest attractions, though, are the funiculars, of which there are three. These are Elevador da Glória, Elevador da Bica and Elevador da Lavra. Perhaps the most picturesque is the Elevador da Bica, which passes through a charming residential neighborhood just below Bairro Alto.

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