Lisbon is a charming port with twisting cobbled streets, quaint sidewalk cafés as leisurely as a sleeping cat, picturesque wooden trams and bleached white limestone architecture memorable for its Moorish touches. It traces its history to pre-Roman times and its mythic origins to brave Ulysses. As Portugal’s capital and largest city, Lisbon accounts for nearly half of the national gross domestic product.

Avenida da Liberdade leads to the historic heart of the city. The Baixa district, with its monumental Enlightenment architecture, was reborn after the 1755 earthquake. The Belem district houses Lisbon’s landmark sights, including the 16th-century Belem Tower, Jeronimos Monastery and the vast Presidential Palace. Don’t pass up the Coach Museum, home to the world’s largest collection of coaches and royal vehicles. Equally compelling are the 12th-century Lisbon Cathedral and the Archeology Museum, housed in the ruins of a Gothic church.

Lisbon’s 1930s trams and its three funiculars are fine ways to navigate this city of seven hills. Use the trams to visit the Chiado, a sophisticated shopping district, and enjoy a coffee there before a striking uphill ride on the funicular for the nightclubs of Bairro Alto.

Come nightfall, immerse yourself in fado, Portugal’s melancholic folk ballad tradition, as sung in the cafés of this “High Neighborhood,” the Bairro Alto, Lisbon’s prime people-watching perch.

Info to Go

The Portela Airport (LIS) is linked to central Lisbon by the Aerobus. TAP Portugal Airlines serves Lisbon with non-stop service from Newark (EWR). An Aerobus ticket (about $5) is good on all public transportation for one day. Taxis charge about $13 to city center. To avoid “being taken for a ride,” purchase a taxi voucher in the airport (about $24).

Traffic jams and parking problems are common. Move more quickly on the Metro. Subway tickets are about $1, while a one-day pass, good on the trams, too, is about $5. The old yellow trams on Line 15 remain a Lisbon icon.

Numbers to Know

U.S. Embassy Lisbon
Avenida das Forcas Armadas tel 351 21 727 3300
Emergency tel 112

Dining

A Casa do Bacalhau
Dine under an 18th-century domed ceiling on a choice of 20 codfish dishes. Rua do Grilo 54, tel 351 21 862 0000.

A Travessa
Famed for its Portuguese dishes, this is the place for fresh seafood, particularly mussels. Travessa do Convento das Bernardas, 12 Barrio da Madragoa-Santo, tel 351 21 390 2034.

Fortaleza do Guincho
French cuisine with a Portuguese accent by Chef Vincent Farges, served in a 17th-century fortress at Costa do Estoril.
Estrada do Guincho, Cascais, tel 351 21 487 0491.

Lodging

Lapa Palace
This 1870 Orient-Express garden hotel is renowned for its concierge services, restaurant, palatial rooms and views of the Tagus River. Rua do Pau de Bandiera 4, tel 351 21 394 9494.

Lisbon Marriott
Ten minutes from the airport, the Marriott offers a business center, health club and executive floors. Avenida dos Combatentes, tel 351 21 723 5400.

Sheraton Lisboa Hotel & Spa
This recently refurbished business-district hotel has a spa, wireless Internet and six executive floors. Rua Latino Coelho 1, tel 351 21 312 0000.