The Best Souvenirs in Lisbon, Portugal– Handmade Hats

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After you’ve ridden the giant elevator up and down, had your fill of pastel de nata and thrown back a few ginjinhas, what else is there to do in Lisbon?

giant elevator / CC BY-SA 2.0

They taste just like they look, burnt, crispy and gooey, Pastéis de Nata at the “A Chique de Belém” / CC BY 2.0

Have a ginjinha. Or two. com elas ou sem elas / CC BY-SA 2.0

Shopping anyone?

Maybe it was the ginjinhas or the fact that none of us brought a guidebook, but all of a sudden I was leading the troops through the Barrio Alto’s cobbled streets.  After passing on a too-fancy linen store, I despaired that perhaps the group was losing faith.  Someone mentioned something about a castle.  Others wondered whether we should return to the ginjinhas bar.  Then I spied a bright beacon in the distance, down a little side street.

Fortunately, language barriers have never prevented me from recognizing the word for hat. I am also multi-lingual in shoes.

There it was, Fábrica dos Chapéus, a little hat shop tucked away on a storybook street.

While the others amused themselves in the leather store across the street (sadly, now closed), I checked out the racks of straw hats in for the summer season.  What luck the “Mestre Chapeleiro,” translated as the master milliner, was minding the store.  I learned that nearly all of the hats are made locally in their small factory.  They even locally source all of the wool and felt used to make winter hats like fedoras and berets.

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Photos above courtesy of Fábrica dos Chapéus

Unable to choose among the many adorable styles, I asked the Mestre Chapeleiro for advice. He immediately plucked the winning hats from the rack, saving me from trying on every hat in the store.  The hats were so inexpensive, about 25-30 euros, that I took them both home with me.

Although they look delicate, the hats survived their journey across the Atlantic fully intact.

A hat that’s cute enough for Derby…but actually used for running errands in the neighborhood.

Have you come across any great hat shops in your travels?  Or do you have other Lisbon recommendations? Share in the comments below!

Details here:
Fábrica dos Chapéus

The shop is in the area of Lisbon called the Barrio Alto, or central district.  It’s a great area to wander around in.
Rua da Rosa no. 118, Barrio Alto, Lisboa

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