Lisbon

Lisbon rewards travelers who like to wander without a fixed plan. The city is built across seven hills above the Tagus estuary, and every turn down a cobbled alley in Alfama or Graça reveals a new miradouro — a viewpoint over rooftops the color of rust and ochre, with the river glinting beyond.

It's a capital that has resisted over-polishing. Azulejo tiles cover entire building façades, vintage trams still climb impossibly steep streets, and pastelarias serve pastéis de nata warm from the oven for less than the price of a coffee elsewhere. Lisbon feels lived-in, not staged for tourists — which is exactly its appeal.

Highlights