Modern Lisbon paints a dramatically different picture to 1988, when the city was devastated by a fire which destroyed the Chiado district. Serving as an impetus for reconstruction and development, and with the aid of funds from EU, the mjor scars left by the blaze quickly disappeared. Voted as Europe’s “City of Culture” in 1994, host to the 1998 Expo and the European Football Championships in 2004, Lisbon has evolved into a cosmopolitan, and certainly much-loved, travel destination.
A walk through the city centre reveals both wide avenues, and narrow, café-lined streets. The capital is characterized by Art Nouveau architecture and pastel-shaded houses with red-orange rooftops, set against the backdrop River Tagus (Rio Tejo) and the blue waters of the Atlantic. With relatively inexpensive price-tags, savouring Lisboa’s many attractions, traditions and delicious cuisines is easy… and utterly tantalizing.