Officially this park is called Jardim Marcelino de Mesquita, but among Lisboetas it is better known as Jardim das Amoreiras: park of the mulberry trees.
Jardim Amoreiras is a tribute to the playwright, poet and writer Marcelino de Mesquita.
Mulberry trees
Inaugurated in 1759 by Marquês de Pombal, this park is one of the oldest in Lisbon.
During that time there were many silk factories in the area surrounding the park. Because of that, 335 mulberry trees (Amoreiras) were planted in the park to promote the Portuguese silk industry.
The houses around the park still reflect that part of history: they used to be workers’ houses, belonging to the employees of the silk factories.
Quiet and relaxed
We like to go to Jardim das Amoreiras very much. The atmosphere here is very pleasant and contrasts sharply with the hustle and bustle of the city, just a stone’s throw away. Usually there are but a few tourists here, you will mainly encounter Lisboetas who come to the quiosque to have a coffee or something small to eat.
After school you will also find many neighbourhood children in the playground. In the playground there are a couple of contraptions to play on, such as a climbing frame and a swing. What is nice is that the whole thing is closed with a fence. The children can play and you can have a cup of coffee at the quiosque, overlooking the playground.
Sightseeing in the area
Right next to the park is the watermuseum Mae D’Aqua which is definitely worth a visit, if only for the beautiful view from the roof.
Also directly next to the park is the Museum Arpad Szenes-Vieira. where you can find mainly modern art in an old silk factory.
The Amoreiras shopping center is just around the corner from the park and if you walk another 10 minutes from there you will arrive at the Águas Livres Aqueduct.
If you walk south along metro station Rato you walk in the district Príncipe Real. In short, there is plenty to combine if you want to spend an afternoon in this park.
How to get to Jardim das Amoreiras
It’s a 10 minute ride from Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara in Bairro Alto with tram 24. Walking distance is no more than 20 minutes.
From Marqûes de Pombal it is a 10 minute walk.
Oh, I am so glad to find this article. We just came back from Lisbon and we stayed in a pet friendly rental just around the corner from the park. Every day we had at least 3 or 4 walks with our cute dog in the park and we enjoyed it so much. And of course the kiosk (quiosque) was our favorite place to have a coffee and toasted sandwich. The people are so friendly! This was our 4th visit to Lisbon but not the last! Hopefully next year we will go there again!
Hi Livia, Happy to hear!
Hello we are heading to our beloved Lisbon in April, staying at the same place (near the beautiful park!)