Lisbon from the Sky

Former Drone Video of the Week Winner dronesantana007 brings us this this magnificent aerial tour of Lisbon, Portugal.  The video opens with shots of Commerce Plaza, one of Portugal's most iconic sites.  Just before the 1:00 mark, there's a marvelous view heading toward São Jorge Hill, and at 1:15 you'll see the 25 de Abril Bridge.  From there, you'll head to the Jerónimos Monastery, followed by the Monument of the Discoveries.  Other featured spots include Belém Tower (2:40), the Christ the King statue (3:30), and more.    

Contributor francescoview met up with two friends in the great city of Lisbon, and in the course of 24 hours they were able to capture the essence of the Portuguese capital. Produced using a well-edited combination of drone and ground camera footage, the video's highlights include great shots of the Marquis of Pombal Square (and roundabout), the 25 de Abril Bridge across the Tagus River, the Praça do Comércio public square, Belém Tower, and more. This video was a DVOW finalist in October, 2019.

Top AirVuz contributor ArturCarvalho brings us this excellent DVOW nominated film of Lisbon as the Portuguese capital city dresses itself up for Christmas.  The video opens with a shot of the Rua Augusta Arch on Commerce Square (Praça do Comércio), followed by a great shot of the Christmas tree in the square itself.  Starting at the :49 mark, there's some great shots of the King Pedro IV Square (the Rossio), the Queen Maria II Theatre at its north end, and a grand finale at the Monument to the Restorers on Restauradores Square.

For a two minute aerial tour/VLOG of the great Portuguese city of Lisbon, it's tough to beat this one by AirVuz contributor and pilot Rein Martens.  It combines ground footage, drone footage, and some very skillful editing to give you a feel for this amazing city on the western fringe of Europe.  The video contains bird's eye views of Commerce Square in the heart of the city, the amazing Vasco de Gama Bridge over the Tagus River, and the Atlantic coast just west of the city.   

Check out this stunning drone video of the Portuguese capital city Lisbon, compliments of contributor Madeirexx.  The video opens with a magnificent aerial shot of the Christ the King statue overlooking the 25 de Abril Bridge on the Tagus River.  From there it's on to other top spots in the city such as Jerónimos Monastery and Rossio Square, the Praça do Comércio, Torre de Belem, and Sao Jorge Castle.  It also includes some footage of Greater Lisbon, including Pena Palace and Cascais Beach.  

Top AirVuz contributor ArturCarvalho used a DJI Inspire 3 drone to create this outstanding nighttime aerial tour of the great city of Lisbon, Portugal.  At the :04 mark, there's a great shot of the Vasco de Gama Bridge, and at around :33 you'll see the Port of Lisbon.  Just past 1:00, you'll see the 25th de Abril Bridge, an older span which crosses the Tagus at a narrower point.  At 1:18, you'll see Commerce Plaza (Praça do Comércio), and just after 1:30 you'll see the hilltop São Jorge Castle.  

Drone Video of the Week finalist ArturCarvalho brings us this brilliant video from Lisbon during one of the strangest times in the long history of the great Portuguese capital city: during the Covid-19 pandemic in the Spring of 2020.  As Spain became one of countries worst hit by the deadly virus, its neighbor Portugal adopted increasingly stringent social distancing measures to combat its spread.  The result is what you will see in the video - public spaces nearly emptied of people and ordinarily busy streets appearing virtually deserted.  

Former Drone Video of the Week Winner ArturCarvalho used a DJI Inspire 3 drone to create this amazing aerial tour of Lisbon, Portugal.  Filmed in low light during the Christmas holidays, much of the video was shot over Commerce Plaza (Praça do Comércio), the large public square which sits along the city's waterfront on the Tagus River and the site of the Ribeira Palace which was destroyed in the great 1755 earthquake.  At about the 1:20 mark, there's a great shot of São Jorge Castle, which sits atop a hill overlooking the city.  

Check out this fantastic drone video of one of the wonders of modern Portugal, compliments of contributor Carlos Pinota.  It's the Vasco de Gama Bridge, which spans a much wider part of the Tagus estuary than Lisbon's first span, the 25 de Abril Bridge. Opened in 1998, it's one of the longest bridge in Europe: 12.3 km (7.7 mi.) end-to-end.  It's an engineering marvel for another reason, too: it's built to withstand an earthquake up to 5x bigger than the monster which nearly destroyed the city in 1755.

In this video, top contributor Justin Poore used a drone to give us an unforgettable look at the amazing city of Lisbon, Portugal.  The video captures many of the top sights in the Portuguese capital, including an epic shot of its iconic 25 de Abril Bridge at around the 1:40 mark.  The red-colored bridge spanning the Tagus River between Lisbon and Almada has been a filming location for numerous movies, notably the 1969 James Bond movie On Her Majesty's Secret Service, the seventh movie in the series.

Contributor Martigen created this marvelous drone video of the Portuguese capital city Lisbon.  It opens with a magnificent shot of Praça do Comércio on the Tagus River.  The square was built on the ruins of the Ribeira Palace, the great Portuguese royal palace.  The palace along with  much of Lisbon was destroyed in one of history's greatest natural disasters: the 1755 earthquake, which is estimated to have registered up to 9.0 on the Richter Scale, leveled much of the city, and killed up to 100,000 people.  

Explore the great city of Lisbon, Portugal from above with this excellent drone video by AirVuz contributor filmingdrones.  Filmed with a gimbal-stabilized drone as well as a first person view (FPV) quad, the video opens with shots of the 25 de Abril Bridge, followed by some fantastic FPV shots of São Jorge Castle.  At the 1:48 mark, you'll see the famous Christ the King statue, and at 2:15 you'll see the Belém Tower fortress on the Tagus River.  Starting just before 3:00, there are some great shots of Lisbon's harbor.  

Lisbon, Portugal is known for its long and rich history but this aerial film explores the city's modern development. Flying DJI Phantom 3 Pro and Inspire 1 drones, creator flyingvisions illustrates the beauty of a vibrant bustling metropolitan area.  Most of the video was shot in the city's Parque das Nações district.  This is is the area a bit upstream from central Portugal, just south of the Vasco de Gama Bridge.  It's known for its beautiful parks and large marina on the Tagus estuary.  

AirVuz contributor and pilot goncaloafranco used a DJI Mavic Mini 2 to create this excellent aerial video of the great city of Lisbon, Portugal.  The video opens with a nice shot of the Vasco de Gama Bridge, which spans the Tagus River and is the longest bridge in the European Union as of 2021.  Then it's on to Commerce Square (Praça do Comércio), followed by Rossio Square.  Other notable locations include the Campo Pequeno Bullring at the 1:11 mark, the Marquis of Pombal Square (1:40), São Jorge Castle (2:00), and more.  

The Fort of St. Vincent (Belém Tower) lies in the Tagus River in Lisbon.  It was built in the early 16th century to fortify the Portuguese capital city's defenses against a seaborn invasion.  However, despite being later strengthened, the tower surrendered to Spanish forces after just a few hours of battle.  It was subsequently used for a prison.  After falling into a state of disrepair, the tower was fully renovated in the 1990's.  It is now listed as one of the Seven Wonders of Portugal.

Throughout its history (including a time as one of the world's most important cities), Portugal's capital city Lisbon has been vulnerable to seaborne invasion.  To cover the approaches to the city from the Atlantic Ocean, various fortresses have been built in the Tagus River estuary to protect the city from such an eventuality.  In this video by contributor Flyingbydaniel, you'll get a bird's eye look at one of these forts: Fort of São Lourenço. Built in the 16th-17th centuries, it now functions as a lighthouse.

Contributor RickKengan used a DJI Phantom 3 drone to create this beautiful aerial capture of Almada, Portugal. Almada sits across the Tagus River from the capital Lisbon, with which its relationship resembles the relationship between San Francisco and Oakland, California: the two cities are connected by a bridge of fairly recent vintage.   In the case of Almada, the connection was provided through the 25 de Abril Bridge, which opened for auto traffic in 1966 and is one of the most important pieces of Portuguese infrastructure.  

The statue of King Jose I in Lisbon's Commerce Square (Praça do Comércio) is an important landmark in the Portuguese capital city.  The complex was built in the late 1700's on the ruins of the Royal (Ribeira) Palace, which was famously destroyed in the great 1755 Lisbon Earthquake.  One of Portugal's most popular tourist destinations, it sat virtually empty during the worldwide novel coronavirus pandemic in the Spring of 2020, as seen in this drone video by AirVuz contributor flymydr8ne.  

Contributor Flyingbydaniel used a DJI Mavic Pro 2 to aerially film two of the top spots in Lisbon related to Portugal's great Age of Discovery, when the tiny nation assembled one of the world's largest empires.  The first is the Monument to the Discoveries on the northern bank of the Tagus River, the departure point for many of the country's great voyages in the 15th-16th centuries.  The second is Belém Tower, a fortress in the Tagus River built to protect the city from predatory raids by jealous rivals.   

Here's a great aerial view of one of the more well-known churches of Lisbon, Portugal, compliments of contributor and drone pilot flyingbydaniel.  It's the Royal Basilica and Convent of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus (Basilica Estrela), and it's located on the Ave. Infante Santa, just west of the São Bento Palace.  Completed in the late 18th century, its design reflects a blend of baroque and neoclassical styles.  It was the world's first church dedicated to the Church of the Sacred Heart devotion.

Seen in this drone video by flyingbydaniel, the Church of Santa Engrácia in Lisbon, Portugal is actually no longer a church.  Construction on the Baroque masterpiece began in the late 17th century, and (incredibly) wasn't completed until the middle of the 20th.  In the mean time, its function changed to being the Pantheon of Portugal.  Located in the Alfama District, the landmark is the burial site for many of the most famous Portuguese, including numerous Presidents, writers, artists, and other leading figures.  

Like so many of the world's most historically important cities, Lisbon, Portugal is a river town.  It sits near the mouth of the Tagus, one of the most important waterways on the Iberian Peninsula.  In this drone video by flyingbydanuel, you'll get a bird's eye view of two of the best sights along the river: (1) the Praça do Comércio, the great square on the site of the Royal Palace which was destroyed in the 1755 earthquake; and (2) the 25 de Abril Bridge, which was completed in the 1960's and spans the river to Almada.

Here's a nice aerial view of an important traffic roundabout and monument in the Portuguese capital city of Lisbon, compliments of flyingbydaniel.  The roundabout is called Marquis of Pombal Square, and it connects several of the cities most important thoroughfares.  The statue in the middle of the roundabout, from which it derives its name, is of Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, 1st Marquis of Pombal, who was a Prime Minister of Portugal during and for two decades following the great earthquake of 1755.

Check out this drone video of Portugal's biggest football (soccer) stadium, compliments of flyingbydaniel: the Estádio da Luz in Lisbon.  It's the home of the S.L. Benfica club, which competes in the top-flight Primeira Liga league. The stadium opened in 2003, replacing an older facility of the same name.  The stadium seats just under 65k fans, putting it amongst the top 25 in Europe.  In a survey conducted by the French sporting publication in 2014, it was voted as Europe's most beautiful stadium.  

Former Drone Video of the Week Finalist TravelPenguin brings us this excellent drone video of the giant Christ the King Statue near Lisbon, Portugal.  Completed in 1959, the statue is situated near the southern terminus of the 25 de Abril Bridge in Almada, just across the Tagus River from the Portuguese capital city.  Inspired by the Christ the Redeemer statue which overlooks the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the Portuguese landmark celebrates Portugal's escape (via neutrality) from the horrors of World War II.  

Jerónimos Monastery is one of the most well-known sites in the Portuguese capital city of Lisbon.  It is situated across the street from Empire Square (Praça do Império), just north of the Tagus River.  Dating to the late 15th century, the monastery was substantially altered in the late 1800's to take on its current Late Gothic architectural style.  Seen here in this excellent drone video by sphereview, the monastery complex has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1983.

Myriad by SANA is one of the finest hotels in Lisbon, Portugal.  The ultra-modern, five star property is situated overlooking the Tagus River, a bit upstream (northeast) of the center city, just south of the western terminus of the Vasco de Gama Bridge.  It has 186 rooms, including a number of luxury suites.  Its distinctive design includes a sail sculpture which symbolizes Portugal's great Age of Exploration.  In this fantastic drone video by AirVuz contributor and pilot flyhmydr8ne, you'll get an aerial view of this landmark property.  

Belém is the westernmost district of Lisbon, the Portuguese capital city.  Lying near the mouth of the Tagus River, Belém played a key role in the great Portuguese Age of Discovery which began in the 15th century.  It's home to some of the more notable landmarks in the city, including Belém Tower, the Jerónimos Monastery, and Belém Palace (the official residence of the President of Portugal).  Check out the historic district from above in this excellent drone video by sphereview.

Lisbon's Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology is one of the great modern landmarks of the Portuguese capital city.  Often simply known as the MAAT, the museum focuses on the intersection between art, architecture, and technology.  Opened in 2016, it's located on Lisbon's Tagus River waterfront, just west of the historic core of the city.  In this drone video by AirVuz contributor Timearth, you'll get a nice aerial view of the ultra-modern MAAT, as well as nearby sites such as the 25 de Abril Bridge.  

Built on the ruins of the Rebeira Palace which was destroyed in the great Lisbon Earthquake of 1755, Commerce Square (Praça do Comércio) is one of the busiest spots in Portugal.  During the national near-shutdown to fight the Covid-19 pandemic, AirVuz contributor and drone pilot flymydr8ne managed to record a surreal scene of the great square virtually empty .  The video was shot from the square's Rua Augusta Arch which commemorates the many tens of thousands who perished in the great 18th century disaster.  

Portugal's Fort of São Bruno is one of a series of fortifications erected during the 17th century to protect Lisbon from seaborne invasion.  The fortress is situated in the town of Caxias, just south of the mouth of the Tagus River estuary on which Lisbon is situated.  Seen here in this drone video by Timeacrth, The star-shaped structure became operational in 1649.  Despite being used for target practice into the 19th century, the guns of São Bruno were never fired in anger, and the anticipated invasion from Spain never materialized.  

Check out this excellent drone video of two of the most iconic sites of Lisbon, Portugal, compliments of AirVuz contributor Pedro Pedro Tomé.  The first is the 25 de Abril Bridge, which spans the Tagus River and connects Lisbon with the "suburb" of Alamada to the south.  Its main suspension span is just over 3.3k ft. (about 1k m) and was the longest in Continental Europe when it was completed in 1966.  The second is the Christ the King (Cristo Rei) statue, which is located near the bridge's southern end and was completed in 1959.  

No less shocking than scenes of empty downtown streets during the Covid-19 pandemic in the Spring of 2020 was the sight of major airports shut down.  In this drone video by Carlos Pinota, you'll get a rare aerial glimpse of Humberto Delgado Airport in Lisbon, Portugal.  Located about 7 km (around 4 mi.) northeast of the center city, the country's largest airport shut down completely from April 9 -13 as part of nationwide social distancing measures to combat the deadly virus. 

While Lisbon is many centuries old, two of its most well-known landmarks are of much more recent vintage.  Situated adjacent to one another, together they are probably the most well-recognized site in the great Portuguese capital city: the 25th of April (25 de Abril) Bridge over the Tagus River, which was completed in 1966, and the Christ the King (Cristo del Rey) statue near its southern terminus, which dates to 1959.  You can see them both as they shimmer in the fog in this beautiful drone video by AirVuz contributor and pilot Aldo.  

AirVuz contributor gasendi brings us this excellent drone view of Belém Tower (Torre de Belem), one of the cultural treasures of Lisbon, Portugal.  Located in the city's westernmost district, it was built as a fortified tower in the 16th century to protect the capital city (then near its height of imperial splendor) from seaborne invasion.  It was originally built in the center of the Tagus River, but the tsunami which followed the 1755 Lisbon Earthquake changed the river's path such that the tower is now near the shore.    

Check out these beautiful drone views of Lisbon, Portugal, compliments of aylingabrica.  The video opens with a great shot of São Jorge Castle, one of the city's most iconic sites.  From there you'll head to the Tower of Belém, a 16th century fortification and a UNESCO World Heritage site.  At about the :10 mark, you'll see the 25 de Abril Bridge, which spans the Tagus River and is sometimes compared to the USA's Golden Gate Bridge.  Other featured locations include Commerce Square (Praça do Comércio), the Vasco de Gama Bridge, and more.  

Explore the great city of Lisbon, Portugal by drone at Christmastime in this excellent video by nunovalente.   The video opens with a nice shot of Lisbon Cathedral, which dates to the 12th century.  From there you'll head to the Alfama neighborhood to see the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora and adjacent Church of Santa Engrácia, and then to São Jorge Castle.  At the 1:10 mark, there's a nice reveal of the 25 de Abril Bridge, followed by a view of the Rossio (King Pedro IV Square).  The video concludes with shots of Commerce Square.  

Contributor ArturCarvalo used a DJI Mavic Pro 2 drone to create this aerial video of the Tagus River waterfront of Lisbon, Portugal.  The great city is in large part defined by its relationship to the river, which empties into the Atlantic just west of the city and is one of the most important waterways on the Iberian Peninsula.  The video includes some excellent footage of one of the newest additions to the waterfront: the Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology, otherwise known as the MAAT.  

Life in the great capital city of Lisbon, Portugal came to a virtual standstill during the Covid-19 pandemic in the Spring of 2020.    In this drone video by top AirVuz contributor and pilot flymydr8ne, you'll get an aerial tour of the nearly empty streets of the city during those difficult days.  Featured locations include the Marquês de Pombal roundabout, Praça do Comércio, Rossio, Restauradores, Campo das Cebolas, Sé, Castelo de São Jorge, Avenida da Liberdade and Avenida Fontes Pereira de Melo.