
Jardim do Torel
Hidden hilltop garden with tiered terraces, a mermaid pond, and panoramic views over the Baixa.
Location
About this audio guide
This guide to the Jardim do Torel in Lisbon follows Raoul Mesnier du Ponsard, a student of Gustave Eiffel who built Lisbon's funiculars instead of returning to Paris, starting with the Lavra line that opened in 1884. It traces the hilltop land's earlier life as a judge's farm, the mermaid-pond garden that eventually opened to the public, and the view over the Baixa and the Tagus from one of the city's seven hills. Come for the near-empty terraces most visitors never find.
This audio guide was created using AI.
Similar places
Lavra Funicular
Yellow wooden funicular climbing a steep street, the city's oldest, first powered by water.
Eduardo VII Park
Hilltop park with manicured terraces, a quarry greenhouse, and sweeping city views.
Bica - Lg. Calhariz
Funicular railway climbing a steep Bairro Alto hillside, carrying passengers since 1892.
Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara
Terraced hilltop garden with sweeping skyline views and a tiled panel naming every visible landmark.
Estufa Fria
Lush botanical garden carved from a basalt quarry, shaded by wooden slats instead of glass.
Jardim Amália Rodrigues
Hilltop park honouring Portugal's fado queen, with a fountain lake and a Botero sculpture.