There’s a Portuguese song that goes cheira bem, cheira a Lisboa (it smells good, it smells of Lisbon). Where can this Lisbon smell be, if not in its most ancient and picturesque part, the Alfama? Its narrow streets will lead you to the ancient soul of the city; they come from the Muslim culture, dating back to the Moorish times (VII-XII centuries).

Walk through the labyrinth of streets, and you’ll find the Alfama treasures: you’ll see the Sé (Cathedral), that was built in the XII century in Romanesque style and looks like a fortress; the Igreja de Santo António, on the left side of the Sé: Saint Anthony was born in Lisbon, and a church was erected in his honour. Then, there’s the Casa do Fado e da Guitarra Portuguesa (museudofado.egeac.pt, Tuesday-Sunday 10 am - 6 pm), in Largo do Chafariz de Dentro, a museum dedicated to the traditional Portuguese music, and some breathtaking viewpoints. The most famous one is the Miradouro de Santa Lúzia; sitting on seats made out of azulejos you’ll get a wonderful view on the Alfama and the river.

The Castelo de São Jorge (castelosaojorge.egeac.pt, Mar-Oct: 9 am-9 pm; Nov-Feb: 9 am - 6 pm; 5 €) towers the Alfama; its walls proudly remind us of Lisbon early history, being there since the 5th century, and the view from the castle hugs the whole city. Other musts in this area are the São Vicente de Fora church, where all the Portuguese kings from João IV (XVII century) to Manuel II (last king of Portugal, beginning of XX century) are buried, and the Museu Nacional do azulejo (mnazulejo-ipmuseus.pt, Tuesdays 2-6 pm, Wednesdays to Sundays: 10 am - 6 pm, 3 €). The azulejos are ceramics tiles traditionally blue with different kind of drawings: men works, animals and flowers.

The most common are the flowered ones, among the individual azulejos, but you’ll find them as well as an ensemble, to represent huge scenes (battles or hunting, usually). This art has been brought by the Muslims in the VIII century, and, after the great earthquake, they have been used to protect buildings from fire, sun and rain. In this area it will be much easier to find a B&B or pousada ( guest house, pension) while walking around. Guest houses or B&B in Lisbon are usually quite nice, some with typical interior decorations ( azulejos). Not always the owner speaks a good English and breakfast is not always served. Better to check the room before you confirm it and negotiate the price to get a breakfast included.

For a different solution, maybe not so typical but for sure at no-surprises, you can try the Vip Hotel Chain. In terms of money, they offer very good standards (they all are 4-5 stars hotels) from 30-60 euros per person per night in pick season. And of course in the price breakfast is included whereas in many pousadas ( guest houses) it is not always given for granted. Here’s a list of some of them: Hotel Vip Executive Diplomatico,.Hotel Vip Executive Suites Eden; Hotel Vip Executive Suites Marques; Vip Executive Barcelona; Hotel Vip Executive Madrid; the Vip Executive Zurique Hotel; Vip Inn Veneza Hotel; Hotel Vip Executive Arts; VIP Grand Lisboa Hotel and Spa.Hotel; Vip Inn Berna. Articleteller