Lisbon

There are few more immediately likeable capitals than Lisbon (Lisboa). A lively place, it remains in some ways curiously provincial, rooted as much in the 1920s as the 2000s. Wooden trams clank up outrageous gradients, past mosaic pavements, Art Nouveau cafés and the medieval quarter of Alfama, which hangs below the city's São Jorge castle. Modern Lisbon has kept an easy-going, human pace and scale, while boasting a vibrant, cosmopolitan identity. The city invested heavily during the 1990s as disused dockland was reclaimed and communication links improved, and yet more improvements have been made as Lisbon gears up to host the 2004 European Football Championship.

The city has a huge amount of historic interest. The Great Earthquake of 1755 (followed by a tidal wave and fire) destroyed most of the grandest buildings, but frantic reconstruction led to many impressive new palaces and churches, as well as the street grid pattern spanning the seven hills of Lisbon. Several buildings from Portugal's golden age survived the quake - notably the Castelo de São Jorge and the Monastery of Jerónimos at Belém. Contemporary sights include the Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, with its superb collections of ancient and modern art.