Pilgrim Office opens in Lisboa!

[peregrina2000]

I just heard from José Luis of the Via Lusitana that they have opened a pilgrim office in Lisbon. It only opens in the afternoons — every day, from 2:30 PM to 6:00 PM. It is a small room in the Igreja da Conceição Velha (Rua da Alfândega, downtown). Completely separate from the church, only the entrance is shared.

This is a huge undertaking, one they have been working on for years, and I hope they have a donativo box on their counter!

I’d love to hear back from some pilgrims who visit the office - pictures welcome!

Some pictures:

 

[Elle Bieling]

I am assuming that one can get a credential and a stamp here?

 

[JLuis]

I am assuming that one can get a credential and a stamp here?

Credential, stamp, shell and information.

 

[Kev&Kath]

Great information...thank you! Heading over to Lisbon to walk the CP in Aug. Will most definitely visit.

 

[WendyOz]

Credential, stamp, shell and information.

This sounds amazing and I hope will be well supported. We bought our credential at the church a few weeks ago (not knowing about this new office) and received no welcome from the person selling them. A completely different experience from when we started the Frances years ago from SJPdP. Arrived in Porto and went to Cathedral today for a stamp and received another abrupt reception from the person issuing the stamp there, like we were an inconvenience. She even placed one stamp on top of the previous Albergue stamp in our friend’s credential.
Having said that, we have had some beautiful stamps and experiences from hospitaleros on the trail and people stopping us in the streets in Porto today to talk with us.

 

[peregrina2000]

Great information...thank you! Heading over to Lisbon to walk the CP in Aug. Will most definitely visit.

Spreading the word is important, so post some pictures when you visit!

 

[Lindsay53]

This sounds amazing and I hope will be well supported. We bought our credential at the church a few weeks ago (not knowing about this new office) and received no welcome from the person selling them. A completely different experience from when we started the Frances years ago from SJPdP. Arrived in Porto and went to Cathedral today for a stamp and received another abrupt reception from the person issuing the stamp there, like we were an inconvenience. She even placed one stamp on top of the previous Albergue stamp in our friend’s credential.
Having said that, we have had some beautiful stamps and experiences from hospitaleros on the trail and people stopping us in the streets in Porto today to talk with us.

I had the same reception in Porto Cathedral two years ago. Wonder if it was the same woman.

 

[mat007]

Thank you very much I'm starting next week.

 

[peregrina2000]

@Kev&Kath report that the office is up and running and staffed by helpful people.

See their post and pictures here.

 

[peregrina2000]

@Kev&Kath report that the office is up and running and staffed by helpful people.

See their post and pictures here.

Well, on further inspection, I don’t think @Kev&Kath went to the pilgrim office. They seem to have been at the Cathedral office.

I wonder if anyone is going to the pilgrim office?!

 

[AJGuillaume]

We're in Lisbon, and we'll go to the pilgrim office.
We leave early on Sunday morning 1 September. I am assuming that the office will be open on Saturday afternoon?
We'll also go to the cathedral for a stamp, unless the stamp at the office is the same as the one at the cathedral, of course.

 

[peregrina2000]

We'll also go to the cathedral for a stamp, unless the stamp at the office is the same as the one at the cathedral, of course.

That’s a good question and I don’t know the answer! Yes the pilgrim office is supposed to be open every day, and it will be great to have some first hand information about the place!

 

[AJGuillaume]

That’s a good question and I don’t know the answer! Yes the pilgrim office is supposed to be open every day, and it will be great to have some first hand information about the place!

We went today to the Cathedral and to the pilgrim's office.
In the cathedral, we were directed to the shop, where we received our first stamp.
At the Igreja da Conceição Velha, there was a sign at the entrance,

and then immediately to the left, through a door, another sign

This led to a narrow patio, at the end of which is the pilgrim's office.
The woman who welcomed us spoke English, and put our second stamp in our credenciale. She also has info about the pilgrimage to Fatima, and has the nice Via Lusitana credenciales. There is a donativo box on the table.
The stamps are not the same

Tomorrow morning we start our - unconventional - Caminho Português.

 

[peregrina2000]

The woman who welcomed us spoke English, and put our second stamp in our credenciale. She also has info about the pilgrimage to Fatima, and has the nice Via Lusitana credenciales.

Thanks for the report! Good to know that the office is up and running. I am hoping to walk a couple of stages from Lisbon in a few weeks, and I will make my way there before setting out.

 

[peregrina2000]

I went to the Pilgrim’s Office today with some of my friends from the Via Lusitana (which operates the office and staffs it with member volunteers).

While I was there, there was a trickle of people coming in. I hope that the word gets out that this is the place to go to start your Caminho in Portugal. This is not a slam on the Cathedral Office that sells the credencial (which is produced by the Via Lusitana), but I do think that there is a big difference between what is on offer at the two places. The Via Lusitana pilgrim office has specific and up to date information on the entire route between Lisbon and Porto. They have tried to model it after the SJPP office (several of the Via Lusitana members have volunteered there for years). They have a great communication network up and down the route and have a lot of info that the people who work in the cathedral are unlikely to have — that’s not a surprise, of course, because their job is the Cathedral, not the Caminho.

The recent fires in central Northern Portugal are a good example - you can get current information, straight from the Caminho, at the pilgrim office, but not likely at the Cathedral. Again, this is not a criticism of the cathedral. I just want to highlight that the Pilgrim Office offers a very valuable service, and the information handed out is by people who are pilgrims just like us.

 

[peregrina2000]

Some screen shots of a great little pamphlet that the office has for you to stick in your credential!

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Google Maps shows the church's location and photos.

Church Nossa Senhora da Conceição Velha · Lisbon

maps.app.goo.gl

Located nearby is a museum for Lisbon's history.

Lisbon Story Centre · Lisbon

maps.app.goo.gl

 

[derhuhu]

Thanks for sharing, that's good news. Did I understand correctly that the office is open every day, including Saturday and Sunday?

 

[JLuis]

Thanks for sharing, that's good news. Did I understand correctly that the office is open every day, including Saturday and Sunday?

Yes it is, but only between 2:30 PM and 6 PM
And now it is closed for winter. Will reopen 1st of March

 

[derhuhu]

Yes it is, but only between 2:30 PM and 6 PM
And now it is closed for winter. Will reopen 1st of March

Thank you, and that's perfect for me. I'm planning to start mid June next year (from Lisboa to Fatima and then to Santiago)