Why Lisbon has become Europe's new hipster destination

09/14/2016

Get the lowdown on the 'hipsterisation' of Portugal’s capital!

With its beautiful maritime location, cheap rents and funky nightlife, Lisbon has replaced Berlin as Europe’s hipster capital. Quirky restaurants and retro bookshops line the streets; organic food bazaars and pop-up galleries are being set up all the time.

Village Underground

Image by André Nogueira

Portugal's capital is a city reborn thanks to young creatives embracing the tech startup scene. Thousands of young people from all over Europe are flocking to Lisbon to live, work and party. Regenerating the city into a beacon of creativity, old townhouses are being converted into boutique hostels, nightclubs and experimental restaurants.

If you want to find out more why Lisbon has gone hipster, then here are a few reasons why...

#1 Awesome nightlife in Bairro Alto

Bairro Alto

Image by Tieme Pool (Flickr/Creative Commons)

With its atmospheric setting dotted along the Tagus river, Lisbon has an electro nightlife scene to match Berlin and Madrid. Travellers can party all night long in the Bairro Alto district, where over 250 bars will be serving Super Bock and cocktails until dawn.

#2 Experimental cuisine

Lisbon food

Image by Paul Bernhardt

If hipsters love one thing more than beards, coffee and tattoos, then it’s taking pictures of food! Portuguese petiscos (tapas) has undergone a spectacular comeback in recent years and no more so than in Santos, a stylish waterside district in south Lisbon. Here you will find tiny cobbled streets and multiple restaurants that cater to all budgets.

#3 Street art

Lisbon street art

Image by Alexander Svensson (Flickr/Creative Commons)

All corners of the city have been touched by urban artwork, from the crumbling homes of Mouraria, wild paintings in Barrio Alto and enormous murals in the city’s business district. The result is a vivid and imaginative mixture of traditional architecture and urban art.

#4 Beautiful historic buildings

Lisbon townhouse

Image by Pedro Ribeiro Simões (Flickr/Creative Commons)

If you wander down any Lisbon side street you are sure to be delighted. Many of the city's buildings are covered in decorative tiles, Azulejos, which are a cultural motif of Portuguese architecture, often depicting narrative scenes and historical events. With so many elaborate surprises, it’s a beautiful city to explore and take pictures on vacation.

#5 Boutique hostels

Urban Hostel

Lisbon's glorious architecture makes it the perfect city for designer hostels. Offering cheap and affordable accommodation you can always sleep in style in Lisbon. Some of our favourite hostels include the designer friendly Hub New Lisbon Hostel and Urban Garden Hostel, perfectly capturing the spirit of Lisbon's new hipster age.

If you want to sleep in style in Lisbon, then find out where you can stay here and save a fortune when you book with HostelsClub.

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