podtour
From the Rossio to the Mouraria: the Inquisition, 1506 and fado
In 1506, in a chapel by the Rossio, someone said the glow on a crucifix was only a candle.
Chiado and Bairro Alto: 25 April, the Fire and Pessoa: audio walk in Lisbon
Eleven stops from the São Pedro de Alcântara viewpoint down to Chiado, with slopes up and down: the barracks where a dictatorship surrendered in a single afternoon, the carnation that gave the revolution its name, the night the district burned in 1988, the mystery of the name Chiado, Pessoa, and the only blood spilt on 25 April.
What this walk is about
On 25 April 1974, in the middle of the afternoon, a captain gave the head of the government ten minutes, by megaphone, to surrender. This walk heads down from Bairro Alto, the district laid out for seafaring people, to that square, and follows the rest of the day: a restaurant worker who had no cigarettes and gave away a carnation, an armoured car that went in backwards and, at nightfall, the shots that give the lie to the cliché of a revolution without deaths. Along the way: a church that isn't a medieval ruin, a department store that burned in the small hours, a district whose name nobody can explain, and a poet born just round the corner with several names at once.
- Start
- The barefoot newspaper boy
- Finish
- All those deaths on one street
- Who it is for
- A walk for anyone curious about 20th-century history and 25 April. You don’t need any prior knowledge.
- Languages
- Spanish and British English
- Underfoot
- The walk has slopes or changes in level. There are cobbles or uneven surfaces. The route notes mention stairs or steps on the walk or its approaches.
The route, stop by stop
An outline of the walk. The full stories are in the app.
Loading the map…
Open a marker to see its page. Use two fingers to move the map on mobile.
- 1
The barefoot newspaper boy
- 2
Shipbuilders, Jesuits and a chapel from Rome
- 3
Ten minutes through a megaphone
- 4
An armoured vehicle in reverse
- 5
The ruin that was never rebuilt
- 6
A carnation instead of a cigarette
- 7
Another night of fire
- 8
A tavern keeper, a poet or a squeak?
- 9
The table nobody booked
- 10
One man, many names
- 11
All those deaths on one street
Walking directions are based on mapped pedestrian routes. Check local access and signs; the route is not an accessibility guarantee. Times are approximate.
Lisbon, before you go
Light over the Tagus, patterned pavements and streets that change gradient without warning. Lisbon rewards a mixture of walking, shade and a pause to look at the river.
More walks nearby
Cais do Sodré and the Bica: spies, sailors and a giant of stone
Cais do Sodré has been a filthy beach, a quay for distinguished arrivals and Lisbon's roughest street.
Príncipe Real and Rua do Século: presses, fires and newspapers
Up above the Bairro Alto, away from the crowds, Lisbon printed its laws, its playing cards and its newspapers.
Good to know
What is Podtour?
An app for self-guided audio walks. Choose a city and a route, then listen to the stories behind its streets. You decide when to start and when to stop.
When can I download the app?
Podtour is coming to iOS and Android. There is no confirmed launch date yet. Join the waitlist and we will let you know when it is ready.
Does Podtour include attraction tickets?
No. Street walks and monument audio tours do not include admission tickets, transport or a guide accompanying you.
Can I listen without an internet connection?
Download the audio in the app before heading out, then listen offline. Loading the online base map and calculating a new route from your location require a connection.
What languages are included?
Every route includes Spanish and British English. The English version is adapted for English-speaking travellers, rather than translated word for word.
How do I get a whole city for free?
Join the waitlist, choose a city and confirm your email address. When the app launches, we will email you with access details. No card is required. You can also try one free route in every city.
Can I buy for myself or for a group?
Yes. Your own access is included and you can choose 0–5 guests: up to 6 people including you. Each guest saves up to €0.50 on a walk, €1 on a pack or €2 on a whole city compared with buying separately. The counter shows the total before you confirm one payment.
How do I share, and when must guests accept?
After paying, share your purchase’s invitation link. Each guest opens it in Podtour and accepts their place on their own iPhone or Android phone. They must redeem it within 30 days of purchase. Unclaimed places then expire and cannot be recovered or renewed. Access accepted in time is kept. Opening the link does not use a place; one account takes just one place, and no more people can join once all places are taken.
Can I add guests after buying?
No. Choose all your guests before confirming the first purchase. Afterwards you can share the places you paid for, but you cannot increase their number or restart the 30-day deadline.
Your first city,
on Podtour.
Join the waitlist. When we launch, your chosen city is yours to explore.
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Your first city,
on Podtour.
Join the waitlist and get one whole city free when Podtour launches. You choose where.
Podtour manages your launch request with your consent. You can withdraw it and exercise your rights as explained in our privacy policy. Privacy details.
One city per person. All its Podtour routes in Spanish and English. Available at launch. Offer details.