Introducing Lisbon

Lisbon (Portuguese: Lisboa) is the capital of Portugal, located on seven hills at the wide mouth of the Tagus (Tejo) River, where it reaches the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of half a million in the city proper and 2.8 million in the Lisbon Region, and a thriving mix of Portugal's rich history and vibrant contemporary culture, Lisbon enchants visitors with its white bleached limestone buildings, intimate alleyways, and an easygoing charm that makes it a popular year-round destination.

The Lisbon Region includes many other wonderful tourist attractions, including the UNESCO World Heritage site of Sintra, the seaside resorts of Estoril and Cascais, world-class museums, and Almada, famous for its hilltop Cristo Rei statue, all of which are well-connected to Lisbon through excellent public transportation.

Since Lisbon is built on seven hills, getting around can be a workout. One of Lisbon's distinguishing features is its abundance of slopes and scarcity of truly flat areas. This is a city of enthralling contrasts as well: The lower areas' elegant squares, long avenues, monumental houses, and rectangular architecture quickly give way to the hilly, narrow, winding, unpredictable, and crowded streets of Alfama and Bairro Alto. The glamorous dining rooms and smart rooftop bars of expensive hotels seem to be in another world when compared to the excellent restaurants hidden behind an unobtrusive façade on a modest Bairro Alto lane. Quality patisseries and restaurants coexist with late-night bars and loud discos. The vintage, squeaky trams (one of the city's trademarks) stand in stark contrast to the efficient metro system.

The Portuguese capital is often viewed as less frantic than other million-person towns, with less aggressive traffic and barkers than in many other tourist destinations.