Shopping delights for a perfect city break in Portugal
You don’t have to be a committed consumerist to be awed by the originality of local shopping in Portugal. City breaks in Portugal can be a great excuse to do some memorable shopping, and you won’t regret it. Especially for the enthusiast travellers who have a different idea of what a souvenir should look like, city breaks in Portugal, especially around Lisbon and Porto, offer an array of fabulous shopping ideas. Local crafts, both traditional and modern, terrific delicatessen, great wines, books, design and fashion and are just some of the items you should look for when window-shopping in our next city break in Portugal. Portugal really has the best of both worlds: it’s traditional, yet trendy. A tailor-made shopping city break in Lisbon will take you beyond the obvious to discover some of the most authentic and charming shopping venues in Europe.
From past to present: A City Break in Portugal through Lisbon’s most charismatic shops.
The variety of shopping options in a city like Lisbon is really exciting. A city break in Portugal’s capital, especially around the central historical quarters, is the occasion to browse some of Europe’s loveliest stores. If you’re into books, you don’t want to miss Bertrand bookstore, in your city break in Portugal. Perhaps the oldest bookstore in the world, Bertrand is located at the heart of Chiado, the noblest commercial quarter in Lisbon. Just a few meters down the road, Luvaria Ulisses, Portugal’s only remaining shop dedicated exclusively to gloves, is the slimmest piece of elegance Lisbon: a small, yet marvelous shop with Empire interiors and a neoclassical façade. It was founded in 1929 to provide the high society and still sells the same hand made gloves made with the finest materials.
Trendy and traditional: the verve of Portugal’s shopping city breaks
Around the area, the city break shopping experience continues as you discover Loja do Burel, where you will find the traditional woolen fabrics of Burel, made in the mountains of Serra da Estrela and brought to Lisbon with a contemporary flair thanks to the collaboration of young designers who reinterpreted the tradition. Not far from here is A Vida Portuguesa (The Portuguese Life), another must-see in any thorough, shopping oriented city break in Portugal. More than a shop, this is a cultural project, created by a Portuguese entrepreneur who dreamt of a place where you could find anything genuinely Portuguese, unique, and of unmistakable quality. Here, the past meets the present in a place where you can find just about anything, from the beautiful ceramics of Bordallo Pinheiro, to Viana jewelry, gorgeous notebooks and canned sardines. Speaking of canned fish, you shouldn’t end this city break in Portugal without a stop at Conservaria Nacional to take some delicious edible goods from Portugal (a delight to the eyes, too, as the packaging is gorgeous), or taking and espresso at the legendary Café A Brasileira, where, in the beginning of the 20th century, the poet Fernando Pessoa used to write and discuss literature.
City Breaks in Portugal: your local shopping guide in Porto
Going North, the charming city of Porto has many remarkable shops to discover, so be sure to include it in your itinerary as you plan your next city break in Portugal. Some of Portugal’s oldest and most marvelous shops (such as the Livraria Lello & Irmão, opened in 1906 and chosen by The Guardian as one of the 10 most beautiful bookstores in the world) live side by side with the creations of high-end fashion designers. A city break in Portugal wouldn’t be the same without a visit to Porto’s A Pérola do Bulhão, an outstanding grocery shop with a lovely Art Nouveau façade where you can find everything from codfish to candies. Established in 1917 it still is a lively shopping spot at the city. Araújo & Sobrinho, is even older: it was founded in 1829 and quickly established itself as one of the finest stationery shops in Portugal. Located at the heart of the city, in the Largo de S. Domingos, this Portuguese city break paradise has now been adapted and converted into a charming theme hotel where the history of the city and its people cross.
