The Estoril Music Weeks and El Corte Ingles present the Estoril Competition of Interpretation which is dedicated to young musicans between 18 and 34 years old living in Portugal.

The competition is open to those who sing or play the clarinette, flute, guitar, harp, piano, saxophone, trumpet, violin and a series of other instruments. The length of the performances can be from 15 to 20 minutes and they will be evaluated by a panel of judges.

The prize for first place of the competition includes a reward of €5,000 as well as performing in various orquestras in Portugal including the Orquesta Sinfónica Portuguesa and the Orquestra Metroploitana de Lisboa. The second and third place prizes only include awards of €2,500 and €1,000.

Watch young musicians perform in the Estoril Competition of Interpretation and see a variety of talents of a variety of music genres during your stay in one of our apartments in Lisbon!

Hopkinson Smith is a world known American lutenist from New York. He came to Europe in 1973 to study with Emilio Pujol and Eugen Dombois, who both have a sense of unity between performer, instrument and historical periods. Their aim is to re-create music from various historical periods using traditional instruments and techniques.

Since the mid 80s, Hopkinson Smith has focused mainly on solo music for plucked instruments from the Renaissance era. These include the vihuela, Renaissance lute, theorbo, Renaissance and Baroque guitars and the baroque lute.

With his recitals and series of over 20 solo recordings, Smith continues to rediscover and re-create the most famous pieces of music from eras such as the Renaissance. His  recording of the lute arrangements of the Bach sonatas and partitas for solo violin has been called “arguably the best you can buy of these works – on any instrument” by Gramophone magazine.

Internationally recognized as a leading personality in the field of early music and one of the world’s great lutenists, Hopkinson Smith gives concerts and master classes throughout Europe, Asia, Australia and North and South America. Don’t miss his performance at the Estoril Music Festival while you are staying in one of our apartments in Lisbon!

In order to be accepted in the courses you must attend an audition. At the end of every course the students will be awarded a certificate and the best ones will be presented at public recitals.

The enrolment fee of €50 is paid when applying for the course and is not refunded. Students can not be admitted without previous registration and respective cards entitling them to admission. Furthermore, the students of the master courses will be able to attend all the events during the Estoril Music Weeks free of charge!

If you are interested in taking one of the Estoril International Master Courses the last date of application is the 25th of June and the classes cost €250 each. This could be a great opportunity for those of you who want to improve your musical talents!

It is a pleasant 30 minute journey along the coastline, with beautiful views of the sea, the Belem tower, the Ponte de 25 Abril bridge, and many of the towns and villages on the coast.

The trains run frequently, from early morning until around 1:00 in the evening. Tickets are purchased from either the ticket office, or machines which accept coins, notes and credit cards. You can purchase a single ticket for €1.45, 10 trips for €15.30 or a 5-day multi-trips ticket for €13:60. Detailed information regarding the train schedule can be found online.

Estoril Music Weeks, or Semanas de Música do Estoril, is a five week long summer event with an exciting music programme that takes place in various venues in and around Estoril in Lisbon. It was established in 2001 and the music programme ranges from various genres such as classical and jazz. Outstanding artists and ensembles have contributed to the event’s worldwide reputation of one of the most diverse music festivals.

Estoril is located 20 kilometers away from Lisbon is one of the most beautiful areas of the Portuguese Atlantic Coast, offering visitors its mild climate and rich seafood dishes. Estoril used to be a significant fishing port, however after the Second World War it became an international tourist destination. The Estoril Coast has a rich historical past, with a tantalising range of historical buildings and other cultural sites all lie within easy reach.

Visit Lisbon and attend one of the many events taking place during the Estoril Music Weeks!

The event was started in 1975 and has broadened its horizons in recent years to include orchestral and choral concerts as well as numerous outdoor performances and chamber recitals. Apart from the Estoril Music Festival events that will be going on through out the five weeks, there is also the Estoril National Competition and the Estoril International Master Courses.

The Estoril National Competition was created in 1990 by the International Association of Music and is dedicated to young musicians who can demostrate their talents and if they are successful they have the possibility to kick-start their music carreers. Furthermore, there are a variety of Estoril International Master Courses organized during this time and they include either singing classes, guitar classs, piano class or saxophone classes.

Estoril Music Weeks’ main objective is to combine teaching with different forms of artistic expression in order to support young musicians both nationally and internationally. The carreers of many young musicians have been developed through the Estoril National Competition, such as the soprano singer Ana Ferraz and pianist Barbara Doria. A detailed program of all the events is available on Estoril Music Week’s official website as well as where they will be taking place and information about tickets.

Due to the extensive variety of events available to the public during the Estoril Music Weeks, there will be something interesting to see for every taste, whether you prefer classical music or rock’n’roll. Enjoy live music this summer in the beachside town of Estoril while you are staying in one of our holiday apartments in Lisbon! We recommend the Graça apartment, that is situated in the center of the city!

You can visit some of the schools to see live the dynamic of this traditional sport and stay in one of our beautiful apartments in Lisbon!

Jogo do Pau that is considered a cultural heritage of Portugal and more a combat art than a game sport. There are two types of sticks used to fight- the 145sm wood stick and the 80sm baton. This sport is great physical exercise and a self-defence system. This sport is very respected and practised by people all age in Portugal. Like every sport of its kind, Jogo do Pau has its psychology. There is literature in different languages about it like the book ¨The Ancient Art and Modern Science of Portuguese Stick Fighting¨ from Luis Preto.

Schools in Lisbon like the Escola Secundária Pedro Nunes or the Ginásio Clube Português offer course in Jogo do Pau.

If you would like to learn more about this unique sport, you can stay in for example the Bairro Alto apartment.  To fully enjoy this great event, we offer our splendid and comfortable apartments in the city centre, ensuring you a fantastic holiday at a competitive price. Come and enjoy the city of Lisbon and be part of this unforgettable city!

The bullfighting season in Lisbon starts during Easter and lasts till mid-July, and is very different from bullfighting practiced in Spain. The type of bullfighting practiced in Portugal is referred to as bloodless bullfighting due to the fact that the bull is not killed in the ring. Instead, the bullfights concentrate on agility, horsemanship and a king of dangerous playfulness that is used to exhaust the bull into submission.

Visit Lisbon and stay in one of our apartments such as the beautiful Vip Eden Lisboa apartment, a comfortable and spacious apartment in Lisbon!

The Portugese corrida de touros has three main events, the first is the fight with the cavaleiro, a horseman dresseded in traditional 18^th century costumes. The purpose of this fight is to stab three or four bandarilhas (small spears) in the back of the bull. The bandarilheiros, similar to the Spanish matadores, do not carry a sword but simply tease the bull with a red coat. Lastly, the forcados are a group of eight men who challenge the bull directly without any protection or weapon of defense. After the bull is challenged by these three different types of fighters, it is removed from the arena alive, however it is sometimes killed away from the audience’s sight by a professional butcher.

Built in 1892, the Campo Pequeno bullring seats around 1200 people is located in Lisbon and its where the bullfighting events take place. After a profound renovation, it re-opened as a multi-event venue in 2006, designed to be used for various events apart from bull fighting.

Summer is the official season for bullfighting and you can check the official Campo Pequeno website for future performances and prices. Prices for bullfights can cost you something between close to 20€ to 75€, depending on the location of your seat.

Portugese bullfighting is different from the one practised in other countries such as Spain and some South American countries, so come and experience this tradiational sport in the heart of Portugal’s capital!

This year the Lisbon marathon reaches its XXV edition. This is a 42 km race through the streets of the city, which every year attracts many people from all over Europe.

It is a chance to meet the beautiful areas of Lisbon, which you can do from one of our rental apartments in Lisbon such as Alfama apartment, located in the center of Lisbon!

In addition to the marathon in Lisbon, there will be at the same day a half marathon and a mini marathon: the first is a shorter race of the regular marathon, for those not prepared to reach 42 kilometers run, the mini marathon is a 6 kilometers race unclassified and open to all, to enjoy a moment of non-agonistic level sport.

The three races reach the stadium of “May 1″ after have passed through the centuries-old and precious city. Throughout the course, participants will have avaliable water, cereal bars, fruits, and also medical assistance.

On December 3 will start the show. On December 4 from the 19 o´clock a “pasta party” will take place at the fair and on December 5 the final races start at 9 morning.

Registration is open and you can book online or directly at the fair, but with a higher price.

What are you waiting? Enjoy a few days in Lisbon, booking our centric apartments in Lisbon for an unforgettable vacation.

The 17th round of the 2010 MotoGP World Championship will take place at the Estoril circuit near Lisbon. The Championship starts in Quatar and after been in over 18 cities ends in Valencia.

It is important to specify for the ones, who aren´t yet fans of motorcycling that the machines in this race are specially made for it. They are not to be used in the general transport, so the only place to see them at their best is a race. You can stay in one of our rental apartments in Lisbon and enjoy days of high-speed vehicles at the Grande Premio. Try the Vip Suites do Marques apartment, a centric apartment that is equipped with internet!

The race is divided in three main sections: MotoGP, Moto2 and 125. On the first day of the race just one of each section will start, but on the second and third day two of each will compete.

This year among the teams in MotoGP are Ducati Marlboro Team with the riders Casey Stoner and Nicky Hayden, Repsol Honda team with Andrea Dovizioso and Dani Pedrosa, Fiat Yamaha Team with Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo and seven more.

In the Moto2 compete 26 teams among which Jack & Jones by A.Banderas with Joan Olive and Kenny Noyes, Racing Team Germany with Arne Tode, Tenerife 40 Pons with Sergio Gadea and Axel Pons.

In the 125 section there are 17 teams like Bancaja Aspar Team with riders Bradley Smith and Nicolas Terol, Red Bull Ajo Motorsport with Marc Marquez and WTR San Marino Team with Johann Zarco.

If you are a speed motor fan, this is the place for you. To fully enjoy this great event, we offer our splendid and comfortable apartments in the city center, ensuring you a fantastic holiday at a competitive price. Come and enjoy the city of Lisbon and be part of this unforgettable city!

It is a great opportunity to practice your golf skills or take the first course in your life. You will have a great time with this sport under the warm Portugese sun and you can rest after the game in one of our beautiful apartments in Lisbon. We recommend the Chiado apartment, a luminous and comfortable apartment in the center of Lisbon!

For example you can visit the Oitavos golf club at the Europe´s most western point in the mountains of Sintra and Cabo da Roca. It has been designed by the world´s best golf architect Arthur Hill. The aim of the club is to provide a fine experience of this great sport in the surrounding of beautiful nature and ocean´s view. The three areas of the field are forest area, dune area and open coastal.

Another important name is the Lisbon sport club, located 20km away from the city. It was founded in 1880 by English residence. The field between forest and hills is said to be a bit challenging. After the game you can rest on the veranda of the Golf house with view over the forest.

There are the golf houses of Aroeira 1 and 2 located just 20 min away from Lisbon. Each of the golf clubs promises around 350 hectare of pure golf pleasure. The Portugal open took place in Aroeira 1 in 1996 and 1997. The Aroeira golf group is the largest golf club in Lisbon and a nice leisure center.

There can be written a lot more on the topic of golf opportunities in Lisbon, but the best way to understand is to go and enjoy it!

We offer splendid and comfortable apartments in Lisbon, ensuring you a fantastic holiday at a competitive price.