Page 62 - WINE DINE AND TRAVEL MAGAZINE SUMMER 2023 LISBON EDITION

restaurant on the riverside Rua do Ginjal, past
the abandoned Quinta da Arealva, now a show-
case for spectacular street art and murals. The
walk itself is worth the boat ride - one of the
most interesting we took in Lisbon. The long con-
crete wharf is lined with abandoned warehouses
and factories, ancient rusted winches, and cov-
ered with graffiti. It was sensory overload, with
beautiful views of the Lisbon skyline on one side
and strange artistic chaos on the other.
Until recently, these ruins have been a ‘secret’
sunset spot for Lisbon insiders, but it became a
tourist attraction after they were featured in
Netflix’s “Money Heist.” We later heard that this
was a safe place for graffiti artists to do their
thing without fear of being busted. We also were
told that a conglomerate had purchased the en-
tire ruin with plans to gentrify it with expensive
condos, apartments and tourist-oriented retail.
You couldn’t blame the developer, given the
spectacular setting, but it’s a shame that future
urban explorers wouldn’t have the chance to see
this wild outdoor gallery in all its grungy, glori-
ous beauty.

62 WINE DINE & TRAVEL MAGAZINE SUMMER 2023