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Capital City of Portugal - Area Information:

Lisbon

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The city's traditional centre is the Baixa; its rectangular grid was laid out by the Marquês de Pombal following the earthquake in 1755, and is marked at the river end by Praça do Comércio and at the upper end by Rossio and Praça de Figueria squares.

To the west, the elevadors (funiculars) link the Baixa to the Chiado shopping area and Bairro Alto, with its nightlife. To the east are the narrow, well-worn streets leading up to the Castelo de São Jorge and the Alfama and Graça residential areas?

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Belém, at the western end of the city, is the site of a complex of museums surrounding the Mosterio dos Jerónimos and Centro Cultural de Belém, as well as riverfront attractions like the Torre de Belém. This fanciful tower is a reminder of the importance of Lisbon's (and Portugal's) Age of Discovery in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, when explorers like Vasco Da Gama set out to discover trade routes and conquer new lands. This seafaring heritage is displayed in the unique Manueline architectural style of the tower and is an important part of the national identity, appearing as a theme in Portuguese literature. Portugal's role as a commercial and military power faded, however, with the period of Spanish rule (1580-1640). Today, its main industry is tourism and it is also a regional centre for commerce, notably in the service industries.

Lisbon is on the north bank of the Rio Tejo (River Tagus) and is rediscovering its waterfront, with the entire Expo98 site currently undergoing a reworking as a fashionable living area; many of the pavilions are being retained as museums, and the new convention centre and fairgrounds are located here. This follows on the Docas - the old dock area near the Ponte 25 de Abril - that has been refashioned as a promenade of bars and clubs over the past few years. The bridge itself is reminiscent of San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge, and it is easy to draw further comparisons: both cities are built on a series of hills (Lisbon has seven of them), with trams and funiculars rattling up the steep and narrow streets. Both have a series of neighbourhoods with strong individual identities. But Lisbon has an obviously more European flair, and the influx of people from its former colonies - Africans and Brazilians - have added a unique feel to the city and a decided impact on the nightlife's sounds and rhythms. The city's easygoing pace is typified by the nightlife, where restaurants are still full at 23.00 and bars and discos wind down towards dawn.

During the summer, Lisboetas who have not gone to the Algarve for the weekend hit the beaches along the coast near Estoril and Cascais or across the river in Caparica. Although summers can be hot, the city's proximity to the Atlantic Ocean provides cool breezes, keeping the temperature comfortable.

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