São Jorge Castle

The Castle of São Jorge is the most visited attraction in Portugal and carries the whole history of Lisbon within its walls. Learn its history and plan your visit to the Castle de São Jorge on your trip to Lisbon. See our tips and tours and be sure to check it out!

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Have you ever been to São Jorge Castle?



The Castle of São Jorge, located on the top of a hill in the city of Lisbon, is a huge building that joins elements of medieval and Muslim architecture. The castle was built around the 11th century by the Arabs who inhabited the region, and functioned as a fortress to the citadel of the elite.

When the Portuguese conquered Lisbon in the 13th century, they baptized him in honor of St. George, the patron of the Portuguese army, and enlarged and adapted the castle to be the royal residence of royalty.

In the following centuries, the Castle of São Jorge undergoes physical and functional changes, and barely survives the earthquake of Lisbon of 1755. The Castle was restored and reformed several times, its rooms and ruins changed of function, in the last centuries had basically military function.

Since the twentieth century, due to the archaeological explorations in place, the Castle of St. George has acquired recognition of its historical value and today is a Portuguese National Monument, and the most visited monument of the year of Portugal.

It has an archaeological site with vestiges of the Arab citadel inside the walls and also of the last palace residence, destroyed in the earthquake. In addition, there is a permanent exhibition inside the Castle. Those who visit it should still enjoy the view of the belvedere, one of the best in the whole city. It is open 7 days a week and is a must see attraction in Lisbon.

What People Are Saying

★★★★★
"Our tour was perfect! We chose a private full day tour of Lisbon. Our driver, Hugo, was so accommodating. Being an older couple we have some restrictions. He managed to tailor our day carefully to cover according to our needs.His historical knowledge, pride in his country, and perspectives were so informative. If you are lucky he could be your driver too"
★★★★★
"E’ stato un vero piacere trascorrere una giornata con Eduardo: profonda cultura, cortesia, attento ai dettagli e alle esigenze, anticipatore di bisogni, puntuale nei tempi con una grande capacità di fare collegamenti storico-sociali e culturali, amante della storia e grande comunicatore con italiano eccellente, complimenti! Dopo la quinta volta che vado a Lisbona ho assaporato e scoperto grazie a lui nuovi e insoliti aspetti della città, grazie grazie grazie"
★★★★★
"Eddie was an amazing tour guide. We were able to see all the great sites in Lisbon during a 6 hour tour. We learned about the history of the city, the history of Portugal and were able to ask lots of questions. The tour was very comfortable (great mix of driving and walking) and we enjoyed a "local" lunch with Eddie. Also, Eddie was able to get us the famous Pasteis de Belem in 5 minutes without waiting in line. This private tour is worth every dollar."
★★★★★
"This is a very well planned experience. Our guide David has been doing this for 7 years and knows both his history and how to efficiently navigate Lisbon streets. At the end of the tour, he pulled out a map and reviewed every where we went which helped put it all together."
★★★★★
"Bei einem Kurztripp ist diese Tour sehr zu empfehlen, da man in 8 Stunden wirklich sehr viel zu sehen bekommt."
★★★★★
"I and my family went to Lisbon for a short break and had booked this tour. It's one of the best things we did by doing so. The whole trip was superb and really outstanding. Our guide (and driver) Rui (I hope the spelling is right) was a young man who really loved his city of Lisbon and his country Portugal. It showed throughout the whole day of the tour. He was so passionate about the whole tour. It was really amazing. Extremely friendly and superbly knowledgeable about Portugal and Lisbon in particular. It showed that he brushed up continuously on his vast knowledge of the city. We must also congratulate him on his driving abilities, specially parking the minivan in so densely car filled city with narrow roads in the old quarters, that is Lisbon. Well done Rui and we wish him all the very best and were extremely glad that he showed us around. We will recommend this tour very highly for anybody who wants to go around Lisbon in a day, the third oldest city in the world!"

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