"Lisbon - a Small, Likeable and Distinctive Capital" Lisbon by dlytle

Lisbon is one of Europe's smallest and most likable capital cities. In the oldest parts of town, pastel-color houses line tiny, stepped alleys, while in the grand 18th-century center black-and-white mosaic cobblestone sidewalks border wide boulevards. There's a legacy of fine art-nouveau buildings, too, and everywhere you'll see the striking blue-and-white azulejos (painted and glazed ceramic tiles) for which Portugal is famous. The city became a flourishing trading center during 300 years of Moorish rule, beginning in the 8th century, and the Alfama - the oldest district of Lisbon and site of the city's cathedral and castle - retains its intricate, Arab-influenced layout. To move beyond the center, try the entertaining local transit system, which includes elevators to negotiate the tougher hills, and you'll understand why Portugal is known as the Rome of the Atlantic.

Over the centuries, Lisbon has both flourished and suffered. The city is most famous for its history of maritime successes, in particular the voyages of Vasco da Gama, who first navigated a sea route to India. In recent years the city has flourished again, and is now a major European center of commerce.

According to myth, the Greek hero Odysseus (also known as Ulysses) founded Lisbon on his journey home from Troy. The Phoenicians are known to have established a trading post on the site in around 1200 BC. From 205 BC the town was in Roman hands, reaching the height of its importance when Julius Caesar became the governor in 60 BC.

Lisbon was later occupied by a succession of conquerors, most notably the Moors, for 450 years starting in 711 AD. Afonso Henriques, the first king of Portugal, finally ousted the Moors from Lisbon in 1147 AD. But during Moorish times, Lisbon was an important trading center and their legacy is evident today in the Castelo de Sao Jorge and the streets of the Alfama district. Sadly, because of the earthquakes, only a few vestiges of the earlier occupiers still exist.

Earthquakes have always been a menace and one of the most devastating to Lisbon occurred in 1755. As the chronicles of 1755 put it: "The earth opened and swallowed Lisbon". In a way the quake did the city a favor, since it obliterated much of the hodge-podge of houses and shops that was typical of the time, and made it possible to replace them with something better. Fortunately one of the 18th century's most visionary urban planners, the Marques de Pombal, was on hand to plan and oversee the reconstruction.

He re-aligned Lisbon on a north-south axis and created a grid of streets with the Baixa (lower town) at its heart. In the area below the hills and stretching to the river he laid out a magnificent boulevard, a fine commemorative square, a rectangular grid on which shops would be located, and a magnificent waterfront area to display some of Portugal's finest architecture and to greet visitors arriving by ship. It is within or adjacent to the reconstructed area that most of the city's administrative, cultural and historical artifacts are found today. Finally, at the north end of the new boulevard he had a huge white column erected, graced with larger-than-life marble statues of heroic figures, and topped off with a huge one of himself standing beside a lion.

Long the capital of an empire that stretched around the globe, Lisbon once was one of Europe's most glittering capitals. Since Portugal only recently emerged from a stultifying dictatorship to become a free democratic member of the European Community, much of the glitter is gone, but it has always remained a city which values its artistic and cultural heritage.

Lisbon remains one of Europe's more distinctive cities. While there are significant signs of modernization, Lisbon has strived to maintain those qualities that made this city popular to earlier generations. Finding Lisbon attractive and friendly is uncomplicated and you will find that visiting here is not a disappointment.

New hotels and apartment buildings in Lisbon

Lisbon is the cultural and artistic heart of Portugal and, as its capital city, it is where the Portuguese play as well as govern. The old center, with its distinct historic areas, makes Lisbon (pop. 2,000,000) a charming capital. In some ways it is tragic that modernization is beginning to make Lisbon look more and more like the rest of West Europe.

In the last decade or so, many new high-rise buildings have been constructed around the edge of the city. Lisbon has, however, still retained much of its past. Lisbon's downtown area has a quality that has not changed much for generations. Visiting Lisbon is an adventure in traditional surroundings. Many young people seem to prefer Lisbon because of the city's low prices and because of Portugal's reputation for providing a successful holiday.

Lisbon, its seaport and the river Tagus

Situated at the mouth of the Tagus River about a third of the way up the Atlantic coast, Lisbon is Portugal's capital and most important seaport. It's a compact people-oriented city, inexpensive to visit by European and American standards. Like America’s San Francisco, it is built on several hills and has known a series of earthquakes. The worst, the "Great Quake" of 1755, was felt as far away as Sweden, and only the hilltop areas and a few historic buildings in the heart of the city escaped its devastation.

Thus, most of what you see today is relatively new by European standards, but it certainly doesn't lack interest.

• Pros:Inexpensive city with great old culture, history, archeology, architecture, scenery, good food and friendly people.
• Cons:Don't expect super-efficient service. Portuguese drivers are crazy.
• In a nutshell:Don't overlook this scenic and friendly city!