Praça do Comércio
#1sur 10 lieux à visiter à LisbonLisbon, Área Metropolitana de Lisboa, Portugal
Aussi appelé Terreiro do Paço · Commerce Square
L'essentiel
Horaires d'ouverture : 10:00–19:00. L'entrée est gratuite. Comptez 45 min. Meilleure période : Early morning.
Mis à jour le · Rédigé par Traveliac, avec assistance IA · 5 min de lecture
- Horaires d'ouverture
- 10:00–19:00
- Square accessible 24 hours; Arco da Rua Augusta viewpoint 10:00-19:00 daily, last entry 30 minutes before closing
- Prix d'entrée
- Gratuit
- Durée nécessaire
- 45 min
- Meilleur moment de la journée
- Early morning
- Meilleurs mois
- Apr – Jun, Sep – Oct
- Adresse
- Praça do Comércio, 1100-148 Lisboa, Portugal
À propos de 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.
Meilleur moment de la journée : 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.
Horaires de Praça do Comércio
Praça do Comércio ouvre à 10:00 et ferme à 19:00. Ces horaires valent aussi le samedi et le dimanche.
- Horaires d'ouverture
- 10:00–19:00
Mon–Sun 10:00–19:00 - Square accessible 24 hours; Arco da Rua Augusta viewpoint 10:00-19:00 daily, last entry 30 minutes before closing
- Fermé le
- Ouvert tous les jours
Bon à savoir : Arch viewpoint hours are reduced around Christmas and New Year.
Horaires d'ouverture établis à partir de visitlisboa.com et de sources publiques, mis à jour le . Ils peuvent changer sans préavis — vérifiez avant de partir. Comment nous rédigeons ces guides
Prix d'entrée de Praça do Comércio
| Billet | Prix |
|---|---|
| Billet standard | Gratuit |
| Tarif réduit (étudiant / senior) | Gratuit |
| Enfants | Gratuit |
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.
Tarifs établis à partir de visitlisboa.com et de sources publiques, mis à jour le . Ils peuvent changer sans préavis — vérifiez avant de partir. Comment nous rédigeons ces guides
Meilleure période pour visiter Praça do Comércio
- Quiet
- Moderate
- Busy
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.
Quiet10:00-13:00
Late Morning Peak
Tour groups pass through en route between Alfama and Baixa/Chiado; the Arco da Rua Augusta viewpoint queue lengthens.
Busy13:00-17:00
Afternoon
Steady foot traffic continues, with riverside cafe terraces filling for lunch and afternoon drinks.
Moderate18:00-21:00
Evening
Locals and visitors gather on the riverside steps for sunset over the Tagus; a relaxed, non-peak atmosphere despite decent numbers.
Moderate
Histoire de 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.
Règles et étiquette à 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.
Conseils pour visiter Praça do Comércio
- 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
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.
Comment se rendre à Praça do Comércio
L'étoile rouge indique Praça do Comércio ; les repères numérotés sont les 6 lieux les plus proches de nos guides, chacun avec son classement dans sa ville. Touchez un repère pour plus de détails.
Praça do Comércio, 1100-148 Lisboa, PortugalItinéraire sur Google Maps
Depuis 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
Depuis Cais do Sodré railway station
0.5 km · 6-7 min walk
n/a (walking distance)
Depuis Rossio railway station
0.6 km · 7-8 min walk down Rua Augusta
n/a (walking distance)
Aéroport le plus proche
Depuis Humberto Delgado Airport (LIS)
approximately 8 km, 15-20 minutes by taxi.
Gare la plus proche
Depuis Cais do Sodré railway station
approximately 500 m, 6-7 minutes on foot along the riverfront.
FAQ — 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.
Rédigé avec l'assistance de l'IA à partir de sources officielles et de registres publics, et publié seulement après les vérifications décrites dans Comment nous rédigeons ces guides. Personne chez Traveliac ne s'est rendu sur place. Mis à jour le . Comment nous classons et vérifions les lieux
Lieux à visiter près de Praça do Comércio
Distances à vol d'oiseau, depuis notre carte ; les durées sont estimées.
