VINCCI TALKS – EPISODE 12: ‘THE ART OF LIVING IN LISBON’

Our Vincci Talks, the podcast where we explore each Vincci destination in depth, continue their journey across Europe. The cities where Vincci Hoteles has a presence become the perfect stages to welcome our guests and provide unforgettable experiences. But we don’t want to discover them in just any way: we do it together with renowned local figures, allowing us to experience each destination like a local, not a tourist.

Welcome to the Art of Living Lisbon! In this new episode of our podcast, we dive into the essence of Lisbon, a city that blends tradition and modernity, history and avant-garde in every corner. For the traveler who wants to go beyond monuments and truly live the city, we will discover a Lisbon that is tasted through its flavors and remembered as one of Europe’s great urban destinations. A city that always opens its doors and invites you to stay. Get ready to be carried away by the golden light of the Tagus and discover, with all your senses, why Lisbon is not visited… it is lived!

To truly experience Lisbon, we are joined by two guests who guide us through its most authentic corners and reveal what it really means to live in this city: from our Vincci Liberdade 4* we talk with Cristina Siza, Executive President of the Portuguese Hotel Association, and Fernando Santos, a local gastronomy expert and restaurateur. Together we explore the essence of the Portuguese capital, discovering a multicultural, cosmopolitan city that remains true to its roots. A city of neighborhoods, markets and viewpoints, always with the sea nearby and a light that captivates. An open, welcoming city where every walk turns into a magical moment.

Lisboa é linda, created by Fernando Santos, is not just a restaurant — it is a culinary and cultural space, a declaration of love for the city, its people and its flavors. Each dish is a journey through markets, memories and traditions that reveal Lisbon’s most authentic essence to travelers seeking to go beyond monuments and truly live the city. This project has gained outstanding visibility and is part of a broader context: Lisbon was awarded Europe’s Best Culinary Destination at the World Culinary Awards 2024.

For Fernando, the culinary tradition of codfish is all about preparing it with love, which is what makes Lisbon’s cuisine unforgettable — finished in front of the guest, as tradition dictates. Working with local products and designing a seasonal menu is his philosophy of proximity, one that Vincci restaurants also share.

Don’t miss Fernando’s gastronomic recommendations: not only the most delicious dishes of this part of the world, but also Lisbon’s most authentic markets, its lesser-known neighborhoods, and the hidden corners where you can breathe in — and taste — the city’s true essence.

Lisbon today shines as one of Europe’s top urban destinations, and few voices know this trajectory better than Cristina Siza Vieira, Executive President of the Portuguese Hotel Association since 2010. A lawyer by training, she has held key positions in public administration, was Director General of Tourism, Head of the Legal Department at the Ministry of Defense, and served as an advisor to Lisbon’s City Council. She launched the HEART social program, has been awarded the Order of Merit, and was recognized as a leading woman in tourism in 2025. Her career makes her one of the most authoritative voices in the sector.

For Cristina, true to the title of our podcast, living Lisbon requires a certain art, since it has always been a very cosmopolitan and unique city — something reflected in its society, gastronomy and spirit. In short: “A city with life, that embraces differences. The art of living in Lisbon is to accept that diversity is part of who we are.”

In the past fifteen years, Lisbon has become a key tourism destination in Europe, and Cristina shares the keys to making this possible: a well-structured urban planning strategy to recover iconic neighborhoods and revitalize public spaces, alongside major investment in heritage restoration.

The river, the closeness to the sea, the light reflecting off the water, and its neighborhoods are, for Cristina, what defines Lisbon. Preserving its authentic identity while balancing modernity and cosmopolitanism is crucial. Her local recommendation to truly live this European capital is to walk, walk, and walk some more — across viewpoints, neighborhoods, and plazas, from Amoreiras to Camões, through Mercado da Ribeira and Praça do Comércio — every corner becomes an extraordinary memory.

Exquisite and unique, that’s how Cristina Siza sees Lisbon — and that’s how we hope you will experience it in your next getaway to this remarkable city. Lisbon is not only seen with the eyes; it is savored, heard, breathed. It remains etched in memory as one of Europe’s greatest urban destinations, open and welcoming, always inviting you to stay. Don’t miss our new episode of Vincci Talks: The Art of Living Lisbon to discover every detail of this vibrant city.

Listen to Episode 12 of our Vincci Talks podcast now on Youtube and Spotify.

"Come. Be surprised. Discover more than 40 four- and five-star hotels where every experience is unique. Open your eyes. Look out. Enjoy the most privileged locations. See. Touch. Feel a design and style that can be appreciated in every detail. Rest. Relax. Let yourself be taken care of by a service where you are the center. Dream. Smile. Live. You are at a Vincci"

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