Arco da Rua Augusta

This magnificent triumphal arch leads you from the city center to the banks of the Tagus River, via the famous Praça do Comércio (Commerce Square). At its summit are sculptures by Célestin Anatole Calmels, a French sculptor who spent much of his life in Portugal, representing Glory and crowning Genius and Valor. Those below, by Vítor Bastos, depict some of the country's most important historical figures: Nuno Álvares Pereira, Viriate, Vasco da Gama, and the Marquis of Pombal. To the left is the Tagus River, and to the right, the Douro River. These two rivers marked the boundary of the region inhabited by the Lusitanians, and the inscription at the top of the arch refers to the Portuguese colonial empire and the discovery of new peoples and cultures : “VIRTVTIBVS MAIORVM VT SIT OMNIBVS DOCVMENTO.PPD”, meaning : “The virtues of our elders, to serve as a lesson for all. (Dedication at public spending)”.

Highly recommend visiting early on the morning. At around 8-9am, the square and the surroundings are rather void of people and the sun hits the Arc perfectly enough for some good photos. The LISBOA sign is photographable without anyone and is a great opportunity this early in the morning. I’ve seen later in the day that it can be near impossible to have a good unobstructed view of the area. It’s breathtaking and very well kept and clean. On an evening, the side of the square is lined with open air al fresco restaurants, many seafood and catering to all tastes. (And without any of the pushy restaurant salesmen!) A must see!

Stunning architecture, well worth taking the time to come and see it. When coming to Lisbon is well worth making sure you include a vist here on your list. It does get very busy, but the street is wide with lots of room so you dont end up bumping into people. I also found it easy to stop and take pictures with out getting in anyone's way, or anyone getting in my way. If you're coming here on a sunny day, make sure you have you're sunglasses. I forgot mine and found it to be extremely bright!

The Rua Augusta Arch is a stone, memorial arch-like, historical building and visitor attraction in Lisbon, Portugal, on the Praça do Comércio. It was built to commemorate the city's reconstruction after the 1755 earthquake. You can take the elevator above the arch for splendid city views

One of the most important and iconic landmarks of Lisbon. A beautiful square right in front of the Tagus River, perfect at any time for a lovely stroll!

A stunning piece of architecture which is an iconic site to visit when exploring Lisbon. The top of this arch is filled with stunning sculptures and there are so many details you can discover.

A lovely walk down the street with the massive arch at the end heralding the entrance to the square. Absolutely loved this area. Fantastic open space with lots of people enjoying being in the fantastic Lisbon. Great place to people watch and just sit and soak up the atmosphere

Standing beneath the Arco da Rua Augusta, you feel the heartbeat of Lisbon—where history, tradition, and culture converge with stunning views and wonderful vibes. A timeless icon!

"To the winch, wench." ("Neverending Story") The Arco da Rua Augusta/Arch of Triumph is a stone memorial arch at the end of Rua Augusta street that majestically connects Lisbon to the Tagus River. Passing through the arch gateway from Rua Augusta street, one can confidently enter Praça do Comercio square without fear of being annihilated by lasers shot from giant, angry sphinxes. The arch was built to commemorate the reconstruction of Lisbon following the 1755 earthquake and tsunami that leveled the city and took the lives of an estimated 70,000 people. As per "The Neverending Story", "Nothing is lost...Everything is transformed." Lisbon was thereafter beautifully transformed and rebuilt with the world's first anti-seismic architecture, perhaps aided by a little boy's magical wishes. The arch is beautifully crowned by three sculptures that symbolize Glory, Genius, and Valor. The remaining statues are historical figures that include the Marquis of Pombal and Vasco da Gama. Visitors can reach the top of the arch via spiral staircase or elevator for stunning 360° views of the city, including Praça do Comércio and the Tagus River. No need for wenches to be winched up! This arch is a must see landmark when visiting Lisbon--I give it five flying Falkors! *Entrance is free with the Lisbon Card

I was so excited to see the stunning stone memorial arch which stands on the Praça do Comércio. It was built to commemorate the city's reconstruction after the earthquake and what a fitting tribute it is and even more stunning at night!

Doesn't every city need a grand triumphal arch? This is the one for Lisbon and it is indeed grand. Standing at the back of the Praça do Comércio, this arch is the entrance to the city and the main shopping/restaurant district. It was deisgned by architect Santos de Carvalho to celebrate the reconstruction of the city after the 1755 earthquake. It was completed in 1873 with a plan by Verissimo José da Costa. Four figures over the top represent real people - Nuno Álvares Pereira (1350-1431, a Portuguese general), Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo (1699-1782, the Marquis of Pombal who acted as Secretary of State following the earthquake and is chiefly responsible for the design of this district), Vasco da Gama (c. 1460s - 1524, the first European to reach India by sea), and Viriathus (leader of the Lusitanian people that resisted Roman expansion into the area). Others are allegorical to represent Glory, Genius and Valor as well as the Douro and Tagus rivers. This is a major meeting spot for tours and a great place to get a picture. With the trolleys, it is one of the major emblematic symbols of Lisbon and Portugal. [Review 16578 overall - 96 in Portugal - 88 of 2022.]

Didn't go up the arch but from the outside it's very pretty. It is definitely nice seeing it at night. Highly recommend it!

Yelp 100 Challenge 2019 - # 41/100 This is one of the tourist spots we visited while in Lisbon. We just took the bus from Cathedral de Lisboa and followed the crowd towards the Shops and cafes surrounding the square or Praca do Comercio. The Arch was stunning the backdrop of the clear blue skies and pristine clouds of Lisbon.

Siting next to the Tagus river is where the Rua Augusta starts. This triumphal arch is open to the public to climb for 2.50 euros giving you a 360 degree view of Baxia.

This magnificent Arch is one of the most emblematic tourist attractions in Lisbon and after going there I understood why so pretty. I loved it during the day and night time too. But it is best when you see it at night because you can see with the nice lighting the have, all the detail the made to this arch years ago. When you walk along with this place you can find many restaurants around and the beautiful water is right in front too. A place to be!!!

From the exterior, the Arco da Rua Augusta is beautiful! But don't miss the chance to take the windy stairs up to the top to get a breathtaking 360 view of the Atlantic and the surroundings. In my opinion this is worth the €3 to climb up the steep staircase. I would suggest coming up before sunset on a clear day to really soak in the beauty that is Lisbon. You take a small elevator up to the connection where you then climb up a spiral staircase that gets really narrow AND STEEP. The inside of the Arc isn't anything super impressive but once you get outside, your jaw drops! We went in the mid afternoon on a super sunny clear day and the views were amazing. You can see the 25 de Abril bridge (twin to Golden Gate of SF) peeping through the clouds, the Atlantic and fishermen coming back from a long day of work, locals sitting outside enjoying some Rosè sangria by the water. On the other side you get to see the hilly and winding roads of Lisbon. They also have a nice gift shop when you get back down and everything is well priced l!

By the River Tagus. Also called Arco do Triunfo. Commemorating the rebuilding of Lisbon after a massive earthquake. Elevator available if you want to check out the views from the top. One of the statues represent Vasco da Gama. Market stalls near by and places to eat.

Used our Lisbon card to go to the top. After you walk under the arch (toward town), the entrance is just past the arch, on the right. We showed our Lisbon card, and we were given ticket (receipt) with a bar code. You scanned this at a turnstile in front of the elevator. At the top of the elevator, we walked up some narrow steps to anther room. At the opposite end of that room, there was another set of steps that took you to the top. Look for green light near the bottom of the steps before you go up. Very narrow steps. This is not for people with mobility issues. View at the top is great. Look toward the city, or over the river.

If you have already been to other European capitals and seen some of the key sites you are not going to be blown away by this, but it is certainly work a look. I recommend you go down to admire the building and arch and then take a seat in one of the cafés round the edge of the large square. To be honest the quality of the cafés are very average but it is the perfect people watching spot and allows you to sit and soak up the Lisbon atmosphere. If the sun is out I would be surprised if you done end up spending an hour watching the world go by.

Unknown to many Lisboners and tourists alike is the fact that you can now visit the interior of this Arch. Do it! It's only 2,5€ or 1€ if you also buy a ticket for the Lisbon Story Center. This beautiful and imposing Arch looks almost like a gateway into Lisbon. It has a lot of historical meaning to the city, given that this whole area was rebuilt after a severe earthquake that destroyed most of the capital in 1755. You can marvel at it from the street, but going up there completely shifts your perspective. From the upper level you have panoramic views of the city. You can stand beside the grandiose statues and, like them, gaze at the busy streets below. The tower clock and bell - both still working - are exposed there as well as a small history of the Arch, it's not a lot but then again, the ticket isn't expensive and you also don't need to queue to get in and out, so it's good value. There's a lift up to the 2nd floor but from there you'll have to climb some narrow steps to get to the remaining two floors. They have a system in place, like traffic lights, that tell you if you can use the stairs, so that people going in opposite directions don't get in each others way. If it's not raining, it's very much worth the visit. It'd be perfect if they included a small guided tour of any sort and more information about the architectural and artistic details.

Even on a rainy day, you have to walk down Rua Augusta and just marvel at the 'old world' charm that the whole Baixa neighborhood exudes. At the end of the street as the road opens on to a large plaza on the bay, you find the Arco da Rua Augusta. It's nothing special. It's not surrounded by a major traffic circle like the Arc de Triomphe. It's not in the middle of a park like Washington Square Park in New York City. But as you sit on the statue steps in the center of the plaza, you get to stare down cobblestone streets and imagine what a proud people the Portuguese must be to rebuild the entire city after it was leveled by an earthquake. You can watch the tourists commingle with the locals, all trying to dodge those on a segway tour. You can watch the sunset over the water. You can sip a glass of Porto at one of the cafes. Whatever you do, spend at least five minutes just marveling at a space that Americans don't always understand the simple beauty of.

Very nice monument in the Praça do Comércio is a nice place to hang out and people watch. Head under it and you're in the pedestrian boulevard Rua Augusta to do some shopping. I believe you can pay to climb up to the top of it but I didn't see the point because there are better views of this great city elsewhere. I still greatly enjoyed it here.