Lisbon’s seven hills clearly define the districts of this estuarine capital, a seductive mix of broad avenues and twisting alleyways, the old-fashioned and the hip, the past and the present – all on an enjoyable and manageable scale.

Stand on the banks of the Tejo River and savour the salty Atlantic air – you will have a clear sense of being on the edge of Europe. Lisbon is very much that, its character formed more by Portugal’s overseas colonies than by European neighbours. Above all, the capital presents a harmonious architectural face due to a disastrous earthquake that, in 1755, shook the very foundations of the city and reduced much of it to ruins – though Lisbon’s greatest monument, the sixteenth century monastery of Jeronimos, survived.

Lisbon offers a unique array of cultural attractions, excellent and affordable restaurants, atmospheric backstreets, melancholic fado music, efficient trams, and plenty of green escapes. The city’s riverfront position, too, adds spice to every view, of which there are many from hilltop miradouros and towers. This sense of space is increases by two spectacular bridges: the Ponte 25 de Abril and the 16-kilometre-long Ponte Vasco da Gama, a technological feat that disappears over the horizon.