Location

Lisbon is an enchanting city with delightful cuisine and unforgettable sites. The city holds many pleasant surprises to visitors who wish to enjoy their stay. The capital of Portugal since its conquest from the Moors in 1147, Lisbon is a legendary city with over 20 centuries of History. The Alfama is one of the oldest quarters in Lisbon. It survived the earthquake of 1755 and still retains much of its original layout. In addition to Alfama are the likewise old quarters of Castelo and Mouraria, on the western and northern slopes of the hill that is crowned by St. George's Castle.

Radiant skies brighten the monumental city, with its typical tile covered building façades and narrow medieval streets, where one can hear the fado being played and sung at night. Lisbon successfully hosted two major international events, namely the EXPO’98 and the European Soccer Championship 2004.

In addition, Sintra and Cascais, two delightful and well known Portuguese villages, are both approximately 28 kilometres away from Lisbon and are easily reachable by train or by car.
Some of the most beautiful buildings in Portugal are located in Sintra which is overlooked by Palácio da Pena, the romantic palace dreamt and built in 1839 by king D. Fernando II. Quinta da Regaleira, Palácio de Seteais, Palácio de Monserrate and the VIII century Moorish Castle are other places not to be missed.

In Cascais, one can visit the Town Hall, the Citadel - Fort of Cascais, built in the 16th century to protect its bay, and its many museums. In the evening, its bars, restaurants and pubs attract the local population and tourists from all over.

Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian is located between Praça de Espanha and Campo Pequeno, in the heart of the ‘Avenidas Novas’ area of central Lisbon. Transportation facilities are at their best here, with nearby train and underground stations, and a good bus coverage. The closest underground station is São Sebastião, less than 1 minute from Gulbenkian Park.

Interesting information on Lisbon and its surroundings can be found in the following website:
http://www.portugalvirtual.pt/_tourism/costadelisboa/

Facilities

The meeting will take place in Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian building, in Avenida de Berna, close to Praça de Espanha. Fundação Calouste Gulkenkian is a Portuguese private institution of public utility whose statutory aims are in the fields of arts, charity, education, and science. Created by a clause in Calouste Sarkis Gulbenkian's will, the Foundation's statutes were approved in 1956.

In addition to the areas occupied by the Foundation’s management and various departments, the premises include a large auditorium, a space for temporary exhibitions, a congress area with auditoriums and other rooms, as well as a large building, which houses the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum and the Art Library. The entire complex is set in the Gulbenkian Park, where participants can go during break times, and which was designed by Ribeiro Telles, a very well known landscape architect.

The project for the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and Museum was inaugurated in 1969. The ambitious and detailed specifications were based on the presupposition that the new building was to serve as “a perpetual homage to the memory of Calouste Gulbenkian, and its lines were to reflect the essential features of his character – concentrated spirituality, creative force and simplicity of life”.

A defining mark in Portuguese museum architecture, the building of the Museum is organised round two gardens with numerous tall picture windows that enable the visitors to enjoy Nature and Art. In 1983, the Modern Art Centre, consisting of a museum and an education centre, was opened at one end of the park.

More information on Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian will be found at:
http://www.gulbenkian.org/english/main.asp and map location is available here.

Accessibility

Portela Airport (Lisbon) is an international gateway with flights departing and arriving from almost anywhere in the world and is only 7 km away from the centre of Lisbon. Major companies such as AirFrance, Air Luxor, Alitalia, Air Berlin, British Airways, Continental, Iberia, Lufthansa, TAAG, TAVC, TAP Air Portugal, among others, fly to Boston, New York, Toronto, Luanda, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Johannesburg, Caracas, and most European capitals and intercontinental hubs (London, Amsterdam, Zurich, Paris, etc.). There are several buses that run to the city centre (tickets cost €1.10). Taxi ranks are situated at the arrivals and departures kerbsides. Taxis are affordable, with a typical ride from the airport costing around 15 euros.

Climate / Season

Owing to a Mediterranean microclimate, Lisbon has mild winters and an ideal summer temperature. During the month of September, the average temperature ranges from 23 to 27º C. There is hardly any rainfall during this time of year.