Weekender: Lisbon, Portugal

Portugal's capital city is as delightful as its custard tarts, hugging a harbour and lounging over seven hills. Catch a rickety old tram as it trundles up to the old Moorish quarter, listen to the melancholic music fado, feast on sardines and dance all night long at Bairro Alto.

Headline attraction
Head up Lisbon's highest hill to the Castelo de São Jorge, a semi-restored fortress dating back to 138BC. From here, you'll have views over the whole city. A stroll back down through the Moorish-influenced Alfama district takes you through the oldest part of Lisbon to Baixa.

Best of the rest
The Parque das Nacoes is a hub of modern architecture housing one of the largest aquariums in the world. Catch the cable car for a magnificent view of the harbour.

Chow down and try the local tipple
Lisbonites love their food, and with the Atlantic Ocean so close you'll find most types of seafood. The local pastries are famous the world over. Try pastéis de nata (custard tarts) in Belém, made from a secret recipe of 19th-century monks.

Dance the night away at the many Brazilian salsa bars in Bairro Alto. Or check out the revamped riverside area of Docas, where chic outdoor restaurants turn into pumping nightclubs as evening falls.

The sound of music
Don’t miss the traditional, melancholic sounds of fado. It's best heard in one of the many small taverns among the winding streets of Alfama. Entrance at the casas de fado is free, but you must book a table and eat dinner.

Museum time
The Museu Nacional de Arte, in Belém, is home to Portugal's most valuable art collection. The Museu da Marinha is the place to learn about Portugal's golden age of sea-faring discovery. Also worth seeing in Belém is the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos, a beautiful monastery of Manueline architecture.

Need to know

Out of town: Visit Costa Azul in the south, a national park dotted with quaint fishing towns. To the north is the Sintra coast with its dramatic cliffs and headlands. If you're surfing, head to the coast of Estremadura for sandy beaches.

When to go: Lisbon comes to life in summer with festivals running throughout the warmer months

Getting there: It takes just under three hours to fly to Lisbon from London - Search for flights

Money: Euro - Check out Currency Converter for the latest rates

Language: Portuguese (official) and Mirandese (official, but used locally)

Getting around: Catch a tram up to the heights of Bairro Alto or catch the metro to the outer districts of Lisbon

Accommodation: Search for hotels