Not as big or extravagant as neighbouring capitals, Lisbon has, nevertheless, plenty to keep a tourist busy for a while, with a bonus of some superb beaches an hour away at Cascais.
Food variety and value is excellent, local wine and beer is acceptable, coffee is fantastic and there are plenty of interesting walks to aid the digestion or clubs to wail away the night.
Portugal’s unique art forms, azulejos and Manueline [Gothic] decoration are at their best in this city and there’s no shortage of striking buildings and monuments.
The streets are safer than in most European cities, the taxis are good value and the museums magnificent.
Within very easy car-hire travel on spanking new motorways are surfing beaches, climbing castles, medieval walled towns, national parks, a zillion churches/monasteries and even the Algarve in three hours…
Sights are conveniently clustered.
Baixa, the city’s central valley and its heart, travels more or less from the pleasant Avenida Liberdade, past the gorgeous Rossio train station to two plazas, Dom Pedro and da Figueira, before hitting tourist overload in the pedestrian area around the odd elevator of Santa Justa. Baixa terminates at Praca do Comercio by the river, a good place to catch trams or open-top tourist buses.
Chiado & Barrio Alto are on a low hill west of Baixa and showcase the posh side of the city - smart shops and good restaurants, with a couple of museums and two special churches - roofless Convento do Carmo and gold, marble, azuleja packed Sao Roque.
Alfama, Castelo and Graca, on hills east of Baixa, offer the dark side of life - tangled little medieval streets, decaying tenements, and clubs of every description including saddo Fado.
Topping the hill is the city’s best viewpoint, Sao Jorge Castle and the splendid story-telling azulejos of the Monastery of Sao Vicente de Fora. Belem, a little further west and Vasco da Gama’s departure point for his Discovery tour, Belem contains the fabulous Jeronimos Monastery, the quaintly elaborate Belem Tower - both Manueline classics, the ship-like Monument of the Discoveries, some excellent museums and a clutch of funky clubs.