An unspoilt part of Portugal

Jan 3 2008 Travel by David Faers

There's something essentially quaint and old-fashioned about Lisbon.

Perhaps it's got something to do with the military-backed dictatorship that ruled here until 1974, but you get a sense that this is a place that hasn't moved on at the same speed as the rest of western Europe. And that's a good thing - for tourists at least.

In an age where much of Europe is starting to look samey, the Portuguese capital stands out. In fact, it's one of those curious quirks of history that a terrible disaster - in this case, the catastrophic earthquake of the late 1700s - turned out to be the making of modern-day Lisbon.

With the centre of the city razed to the ground, the ruler of the day drew up a grand masterplan for rebuilding that included a grid system, fine squares and some wide, treelined avenues.

And so it is today - more or less. The best view of this relatively compact city centre is from the top of one of its seven hills - the one with St George Castle at its top.

From here, you get a bird's eye view of pretty much everything that matters to the weekend break traveller - including the shattered remains of the old city centre church, the Tagus and Lisboa rivers and the bridge that's a dead ringer for the one in San Francisco.

The best way to get up the hill is aboard one of the quaint and perfectly-preserved century-old street trams - the San Francisco connection pops up again - which are, like all of Lisbon's public transport, frequent and cheap.

Stick to two-legged transport on the way down and you can explore the winding streets and alleyways of the Alfama quarter, originally Moorish and home to a knit-knit community not to mention their famous Fado music.

Dotted here and there on the way down are traditional Fado bars where you can enjoy food, wine and a taste of this unique form of local song and dance, as well as lots of souvenir shops.

Eventually you reach the downtown Baxia quarter - regarded as the heart of Lisbon.

Walk up from the bustling Rossio square and follow the Rua Das Portus de Santo Antao and you will find a succession of reasonably-priced cafes and restaurants ranging from the aspiring style of the Coliseu Café, with its smart red and black table linen and polished aluminium tables and chairs, to the more traditional cafes with their flaking paintwork and retro neon signs.

It's a perfect place to sit and enjoy a glass or two of Ginjinha, a sherry liquor that's usually drunk as an aperitif, while you watch the world go by.

Here you might see a man sharpening knives with his bicycle-powered grinder, a wizened old-timer selling leather belts for knock-down prices or a shoeshine man.

Finish your drink, turn a corner and you might come across the tempting smell of charcoal and roasting chestnuts as yet another street vendor hawks his wares to passers-by.

Get the picture? Lisbon is not a swanky, in-your-face kind of city. It's laid-back, safe and slightly old-school.

You will see a fair share of chic, well-heeled urban types making their way to business meetings or lunch dates in one of the city's smarter restaurants, but it's worth remembering that the average weekly/monthly salary here is in the same economic bracket as, say, Greece.

Making a living is often hard work for many Lisboetas - or Alfacinhas as the residents of this charming ancient city are also known. You won't see many homeless people but you will come across the occasional blind, old or crippled beggar.

Perhaps one of the biggest changes is the arrival of migrants from this former colonial power's African and South African outposts. It's evident, for instance, as soon as you stroll into the outer edges of Lisbon's Moorish quarter, but then this is a city with a long, rich history.

You are reminded of that fact as you stroll around the fabulous Jeronimos Monastery, built in the 16th century and an important first port of call for Portugal's returning seafarers.

Other must-sees include the Bevardo museum of modern art which looks a bit like a giant military bunker from a sci-fi comic but houses an impressive collection ranging from Francis Bacon to Andy Warhol and Salvador Dali in some equally impressive white-painted spaces.

At a mere euro for admission, it's incredibly good value and, once you've finished feeding your appetite for culture you can take the weight off outside and relax in the garden, dipping your toes in one of the water features while you reflect on a happy day of sightseeing - joined, if you are lucky like me, by a new friend in the form of a curious and probably peckish lizard.

Still hungry yourself? Then pay a visit to the Antiga Confeitaria dos Pasteis de Belem, the family-owned pastry house with a secret recipe for Lisbon's famous Pasteis de Belem, served with cinnamon and powder sugar. A boxful makes a great gift for friends back home.

Lisbon has plenty more attractions to please the weekend visitor, with plenty of fine restaurants like those at the Saint Amaro Dock marina or the famous Panorama, and the Portuguese-owned Hotel Marfques be Pombal, centrally placed on the Avenue be Liberdade, makes an ideal base for such a stay. And getting here and back is a breeze since bmibaby introduced its direct flight from Birmingham.

If you have enough time to "do" the city itself and feel like venturing a little further afield, then a day trip to nearby Sintra is another must. Home to the fantastic summer palace of the Portuguese royal family, this hilltop town has an even more relaxed charm as well as a multi-coloured royal palace that would do Disneyland proud and some really gorgeous gardens, complete with grottos and other subterranean wonders, in the grounds of the Quinta da Regaleira estate.

• David Faers travelled to Lisbon from Birmingham International Airport with bmibaby and stayed at the Hotel Marques de Pombal.
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