Tapada das Necessidades Lisbon – A hidden eden

Relaxing

Cláudio from Lisbon

About me I arrived in Lisbon in 2000, straight from Porto Alegre, Brasil. Living abroad was a dream I had since I was a child. First I thought o...

""Tapada das Necessidades" is one of Lisbon's parks that are hidden in plain sight. It's a great place for a walk or picnic with great views over the city."

Unlike most cities, Lisbon does not have a central green area. It has peripheral parks, passage parks and mostly, hidden parks. Which just adds some mystery and a romantic mood to the city. Tapada das Necessidades is one of them. It took me ages to pay it a visit, because, as I said before, it's hidden. Well, not quite.

For anyone who enters Lisbon via the 25 de Abril Bridge, it's one of the main green spots you can see from far away. But the problem, which haunted me for years, was not knowing exactly where the entrance of that huge garden was.

Well, one day, while lost in the city, I finally came to it. And it's an amazing garden. It's close to Necessidades Palace, which nowadays holds the Foreign office services. But since the very beginning, 1742, it was a King's and Queen's garden, built in the most British style.

The garden was forgotten for many years, but is now again in the hands of Lisbon's citizens with all its splendor. A great place for a visit, a walk or a picnic. It's important to mention that from the garden there's great views over the city.