Lisbon

Lisbon, the Portuguese capital, spreads across seven hills above the Tagus estuary, its skyline punctuated by medieval fortifications, Manueline monasteries, and the pastel-tiled facades of Alfama and Mouraria. São Jorge Castle crowns the highest ridge, a Moorish stronghold later expanded by Portugal's first kings, offering panoramic views across the city and river. Below it, the National Museum of Ancient Art holds one of Europe's most significant collections of Portuguese painting, decorative arts, and colonial-era objects, housed in a seventeenth-century palace in the Lapa district.

Beyond the city limits, the UNESCO-listed Serra de Sintra rises to the north-west, where the extravagant Pena Palace and the mystical gardens of Quinta da Regaleira draw visitors into a landscape of romantic architecture and dense woodland. The Atlantic headland of Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point of continental Europe, and the coastal town of Cascais complete a region of remarkable geographical and historical variety. Hop-on hop-off bus routes, historic tramcar tours, and guided day trips connect these landmarks across the wider Lisbon area.