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Praça do Comércio

#1von 10 Orten zum Besuchen in LisbonLisbon, Área Metropolitana de Lisboa, Portugal

Auch bekannt als Terreiro do Paço · Commerce Square

Kurz gesagt

Öffnungszeiten: 10:00–19:00. Der Eintritt ist kostenlos. Plane 45 min ein. Beste Zeit: Early morning.

Aktualisiert am · Erstellt von Traveliac, KI-unterstützt · 5 Min. Lesezeit

Lisbon
Photo: Deensel / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Öffnungszeiten
10:00–19:00
Square accessible 24 hours; Arco da Rua Augusta viewpoint 10:00-19:00 daily, last entry 30 minutes before closing
Eintrittspreis
Kostenlos
Benötigte Zeit
45 min
Beste Tageszeit
Early morning
Beste Monate
Apr – Jun, Sep – Oct
Adresse
Praça do Comércio, 1100-148 Lisboa, Portugal

Über Praça do Comércio

Praça do Comércio opens directly onto the Tagus river on three sides framed by uniform, arcaded yellow-ochre buildings, the centrepiece of the Marquês de Pombal's post-earthquake rebuild of downtown Lisbon after 1755. The square occupies the former site of the Paço da Ribeira, the riverside royal palace destroyed in the earthquake and subsequent tsunami, and its scale — roughly 180 metres by 180 metres — was a deliberate statement of the monarchy's confidence rebuilding on the exact spot where the old palace had stood. A bronze equestrian statue of King José I, cast in 1775 by sculptor Joaquim Machado de Castro, stands at the square's centre facing the river. On the square's northern side, the Arco da Rua Augusta triumphal arch marks the entrance to the pedestrianised Rua Augusta shopping street and carries a rooftop viewing platform reachable by lift and stairs, offering the clearest elevated view over the square's full symmetry.

Beste Tageszeit: Early morning. Before 09:00 for an uncrowded photograph of the full square, or the hour before sunset for warm light on the yellow facades.

Öffnungszeiten von Praça do Comércio

Praça do Comércio öffnet um 10:00 und schließt um 19:00. Diese Zeiten gelten auch samstags und sonntags.

Öffnungszeiten
10:00–19:00
Mon–Sun10:00–19:00
Square accessible 24 hours; Arco da Rua Augusta viewpoint 10:00-19:00 daily, last entry 30 minutes before closing
Geschlossen an
Täglich geöffnet

Gut zu wissen: Arch viewpoint hours are reduced around Christmas and New Year.

Öffnungszeiten zusammengestellt aus visitlisboa.com und öffentlichen Quellen, zuletzt aktualisiert am . Sie können sich ohne Vorankündigung ändern — vor der Reise bitte bestätigen. Wie wir diese Reiseführer schreiben

Eintrittspreis für Praça do Comércio

Entry fees for Praça do Comércio
TicketPreis
StandardticketKostenlos
Ermäßigt (Studenten / Senioren)Kostenlos
KinderKostenlos

The square itself is free and open at all hours. The adjoining Arco da Rua Augusta viewpoint charges €3.50 per person as of 2026, included free with the Lisboa Card.

Preise zusammengestellt aus visitlisboa.com und öffentlichen Quellen, zuletzt aktualisiert am . Sie können sich ohne Vorankündigung ändern — vor der Reise bitte bestätigen. Wie wir diese Reiseführer schreiben

Beste Reisezeit für Praça do Comércio

  • Quiet
  • Moderate
  • Busy
  1. 07:00-09:00

    Early MorningBest time to go

    The square is close to empty; commuters cross en route to nearby offices and ferries, and photographs of the full symmetrical facade are unobstructed.

    Quiet
  2. 10:00-13:00

    Late Morning Peak

    Tour groups pass through en route between Alfama and Baixa/Chiado; the Arco da Rua Augusta viewpoint queue lengthens.

    Busy
  3. 13:00-17:00

    Afternoon

    Steady foot traffic continues, with riverside cafe terraces filling for lunch and afternoon drinks.

    Moderate
  4. 18:00-21:00

    Evening

    Locals and visitors gather on the riverside steps for sunset over the Tagus; a relaxed, non-peak atmosphere despite decent numbers.

    Moderate

Geschichte von Praça do Comércio

The site held the Paço da Ribeira, the principal royal residence of the Portuguese kings, from the 16th century until the 1755 Lisbon earthquake and the tsunami that followed destroyed it along with much of downtown Lisbon. The Marquês de Pombal, King José I's chief minister, directed the city's reconstruction using a rectilinear grid plan and, crucially for the era, an early seismic-resistant timber-frame building technique now known as the 'gaiola pombalina' (Pombaline cage), tested at the time by having troops march around a scale model to simulate tremors.

The square was renamed Praça do Comércio to signal its new civic purpose as a hub of trade and government ministries rather than royal residence, though Lisboetas still commonly call it Terreiro do Paço, a name referring back to the vanished palace. The Arco da Rua Augusta, though conceived shortly after the earthquake, was not actually completed until 1875, and originally functioned as a clock tower before its current viewing-platform use.

The square was also the site of the 1908 assassination of King Carlos I and his heir, Crown Prince Luís Filipe, an event that accelerated the end of the Portuguese monarchy two years later.

Regeln & Etikette in Praça do Comércio

The square itself has no entry restrictions, dress code, or fee, and remains open around the clock, making it a legitimate through-route as well as a destination. The Arco da Rua Augusta viewpoint, by contrast, is ticketed and has a lift for part of the ascent but a final stretch of stairs to the rooftop platform, so it is not fully wheelchair accessible.

Vendors selling counterfeit goods and unlicensed 'tuk-tuk tour' touts operate around the square's perimeter, particularly near the riverside steps; polite refusal is sufficient, and prices for anything offered here should be treated as opening negotiating positions rather than fixed.

Tipps für den Besuch von Praça do Comércio

  1. 1

    The riverside steps on the square's southern edge, historically used for royal embarkation, are a popular free spot to sit with a drink from one of the surrounding cafes and watch the Tagus ferry traffic to Cacilhas and Barreiro on the south bank. The ferry to Cacilhas, a 10-minute crossing for around €1.35 one-way with a Viva Viagem card, gives a reverse view of the square and the wider Lisbon skyline for a fraction of the cost of a river cruise.

  2. 2

    Restaurants with outdoor seating directly on the square itself tend toward tourist-menu pricing with limited authenticity; better and cheaper options for a meal sit two to three streets back in the Baixa grid, particularly around Rua dos Correeiros and Rua da Prata.

Anreise nach Praça do Comércio

Der rote Stern zeigt Praça do Comércio; die nummerierten Markierungen sind die 6 nächstgelegenen Orte aus unseren Reiseführern, jeweils mit ihrem Rang in der eigenen Stadt. Für Details auf eine Markierung tippen.

Praça do Comércio, 1100-148 Lisboa, PortugalRoute in Google Maps

  • Ab Humberto Delgado Airport (LIS)

    8 km · 15-20 min

    €12-€17 taxi/rideshare; Metro Red then Green line, €1.90 with a Viva Viagem card

  • Ab Cais do Sodré railway station

    0.5 km · 6-7 min walk

    n/a (walking distance)

  • Ab Rossio railway station

    0.6 km · 7-8 min walk down Rua Augusta

    n/a (walking distance)

Nächster Flughafen

Ab Humberto Delgado Airport (LIS)

approximately 8 km, 15-20 minutes by taxi.

Nächste Station

Ab Cais do Sodré railway station

approximately 500 m, 6-7 minutes on foot along the riverfront.

Häufige Fragen zu Praça do Comércio

Is Praça do Comércio free to visit?

Yes. The square itself has no entry fee and is open 24 hours a day. Only the adjoining Arco da Rua Augusta rooftop viewpoint charges a separate fee, €3.50 per person as of 2026.

Why is Praça do Comércio also called Terreiro do Paço?

Terreiro do Paço means 'palace grounds' in Portuguese, referring to the Paço da Ribeira royal palace that stood on the site until the 1755 earthquake and tsunami destroyed it. Lisboetas commonly use the older name even though the square was officially renamed Praça do Comércio after its post-earthquake rebuild.

What is the Arco da Rua Augusta and is it worth visiting?

Yes, for the view. The Arco da Rua Augusta is a triumphal arch completed in 1875 on the square's northern edge, with a rooftop viewing platform reached by lift and a final set of stairs, giving the clearest elevated view over the square's full symmetrical layout and Rua Augusta below. Entry costs €3.50 as of 2026 and takes about 20-30 minutes round trip.

Can you take a ferry from Praça do Comércio?

Yes. A passenger ferry departs from the riverside terminal at the square's edge to Cacilhas on the Tagus's south bank, a roughly 10-minute crossing costing around €1.35 one-way with a Viva Viagem card, and offers a reverse skyline view of the square and central Lisbon.

Mit KI-Unterstützung aus offiziellen Quellen und öffentlichen Aufzeichnungen erstellt und erst nach den Prüfungen veröffentlicht, die beschrieben sind unter Wie wir diese Reiseführer schreiben. Niemand von Traveliac war persönlich vor Ort. Zuletzt aktualisiert am . Wie wir Orte bewerten und prüfen