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And you also should.
From my very first days here, I have been always amazed by the unique character that each metro station had, with tiles, sculptures, murals, writings and paintings. Finally this year I insisted on this desire and made a guided tour inside the stations.
At the time of this writing, there are four lines: Blue, Green, Yellow, Red. It is supposed to change with the inauguration of six new stations, which will also make one of the lines into a circular line. Before any of these changes, there was this beautiful website done by Metropolitano de Lisboa, called Art Tour. It's possible that they discontinue it, but basically it's an interactive self-guided tour divided into four parts (corresponding to the four lines).
We did four separate days of visits to the metro (I bought a daily pass each time), so we took a few months to finish this project. Each tour took us three to four hours (without any rush and with some breaks).
Due to the person that I am, obviously I made a list and personal ranking system, keeping track of how much I liked each station. I am not going to bore you with it, but let me give you a sense of what you should pay attention to.
To start with, if you like urban immersion and if you already walked in the older neighborhoods a bit, then you must definitely visit the metro with some intention and attention. It really gives you a good sense of the city's soul.
But if you don't want to give it that much effort, then you can still do two things. One, you can visit a few key stations (see below). Two, you can be aware of your surroundings while using the metro and take a few minutes longer inside some of the key stations (see below).
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Here is how I would do it if you want to appreciate the metro and do it justice.
0) I am assuming you are not doing the Art Tour for some reason. (You should!)
1) Go through the Green Line (Cais de Sodré >>> Campo Grande) and then take the Yellow Line (Campo Grande >>> Rato), getting off at each station and having a quick walk.
This tour will give you a taste of the first stations (with Maria Keil's artistic struggles during the dictatorship), as well as some of the extensions. It will be your baseline for everything else.
N.B. If the circular line is open, then do the whole thing.
It should take you one day. (If you are running out of time, skip Baixa-Chiado, Arroios, Alameda, Areeiro, Roma, Campo Pequeno and Picoas.)
2) Visit the following stations with special care.
Each could be treated as a museum. Particularly in Lisbon where worthy museums are a rarity, these stations are definitely top sights to see.
Lumiar (Yellow Line): Clean and smooth from a distance but filled with details when you look closely, the artwork by António Moutinho, Marta Lima and Susete Rebelo is mesmerizing.
Parque (Blue Line): From the very first metro line inaugurated in 1959, it has some of Maria Keil's work. It passed through major renovations in 1994, when Françoise Schein and Frederica Matta transformed the station into a dense museum. It has the Universal Declaration of Human Rights meshed up with small icons from the colonial history and surrounded by humanist quotes. It's perhaps the only decent historical narrative you might find in official spaces, doing justice to the contradictions.
São Sebastião I (Blue Line): This is where to see the full capacities of Maria Keil. She did the first art work in 1959, went over it in 1977 (after the Carnation Revolution, that is), and then did the extension to the Red Line. This station is basically a tile museum.
Chelas (Red Line): This was inaugurated in 1998 for the Expo, so it belongs to a different category of considerations. Here and perhaps for the only time, the architecture and the art work are fully integrated. In all other stations, the station is built and the art work comes after. In this case, the architecture of Ana Nascimento directly communicates with the tile work of Jorge Martins. It's simply stunning.
A proper visit to each would take perhaps 30 minutes.
The stations do not communicate with each other, so you can visit them separately based on your life and calendar.
3) Now if you have more time and/or if you want to have mindful travel experience, here is a list of very pretty stations.
Cidade Universitária is a permanent exhibition by Vieira da Silva, no further words necessary.
Saldanha I (Yellow Line) is a wonderful painting-on-tile exhibition by Luís Filipe de Abreu.
Cais do Sodré has Alice's rabbit overwhelming you and himself.
Martim Moniz has an eclectic mixture of imperial past and multicultural present.
Bela Vista is almost in our top picks for the tiles by Querubim Lapa.
Oriente gives you an international painting exhibition launched for Expo 98.
Aeroporto introduces you to all the important figures from the Portuguese intelligentsia, successfully telling a story of national culture without relying on emperors and colonialism. While there, say hi to José Saramago from me, hiding at a not-so-used exit.
These are also very full stations. So do give yourself around 30 minutes to visit each.
4) For the rest of the stations, just pay attention to (1) the entrances and stairs have tiles, each station is unique; (2) stop at the atrium and look around, there might be some art work deserving your attention; and (3) walk along the platform while waiting for the train and check what you might find.
Nothing very complicated, just watch your environment. It might maybe add 5 minutes to your existence in the station, but it will add to your day a substantial amount of beauty.
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Establishing this personal intimate connection with Lisbon, the city where I lived the most in my life, is a major achievement for me. So take this long post as my celebration.
