Read almost anything about Lisbon and the word "decadent" will crop up in the first couple of lines. "Melancholy" is just as inevitable and "elegant" will probably appear a little further on. Spain and Portugal for Visitors' lexical contribution would be "agreeably seedy." In fact, Lisbon is one of the most likeable places in Europe.

The determinant factor in Lisbon's character was the massive earthquake of 1755. Before this, the wealth passing through from Portugal's colonies had made it one of the richest cities in the world. The earthquake, the epicentre of which was in the middle of the Atlantic, affected a great many countries, but the destruction was especially shocking in opulent Lisbon. The quake struck on the morning of November 1st, All Saint's Day, with most of the population at church. The tsunami (tidal wave) which followed the earthquake swept away many who had taken refuge on the waterfront or aboard ships.

The city was rebuilt in neoclassical style, the streets being laid out geometrically. Only a few areas such as the Alfama district and the Belém suburb remained unaltered. The combination of this low-rise neoclassical style and the generally small scale of the city, with trams trundling noisily along, create the impression of a rather provincial, uncosmopolitan place. This is misleading. To a large extent, Lisbon has long been a city of immigrants - and recent influxes from former colonies have had their effect. For one thing, it is now arguably the best place in Europe to hear African music.

Much of the visitor's time is spent climbing. Up to the castle, up the Santa Justa elevator, up steps, up the Discoveries Monument, up the Belém tower... You will probably begin your visit in the Rossio, the main square since mediaeval times. What is more, you are likely to end up here over and over again: the Rossio is one of those places, like Picadilly Circus in London or the Djemaa el Fna in Marrakesh, that draws you towards it. With its neighbours, the Praça dos Restauradores and the Praça da Figueira, it is the day-time hub of the city.

Stroll around the geometrical Baixa, the lower town, as you head down to the waterfront. Many of the streets here are still associated with the trades traditionally plied there: silversmiths and goldsmiths (Rua da Prata, dos Douradores), cobblers (Sapateiros), shopkeepers (Comercio) . The elevador de Santa Justa, designed by Eiffel, overlooks this area and the affluent quarter of Chiado, on the other side. Much of the Chiado was severely damaged (again) by a fire in 1988, but has since been restored. Head up the Rua Garret for a coffee in one of the cafés.

The Alfama, Castelo and Bairro Alto

Stop for a look at the Romanesque cathedral or sé, although it is more interesting from the outside than in. Wander up the hillside through the oldest part of the city, Alfama, once a Moorish quarter, though it is even older than that. It has a totally different feel about it to the rest of the city. Until recently, it was mostly a fishermen's quarter and it breeds fado singers like the Bronx is supposed to produce boxers: you will find a smattering of venues here. (The Alfama is the centre of activity during the immense Lisbon Festas in June.)

 The streets and alleys are so narrow and winding here that many street maps give up the struggle. When (rather than if) you get lost, just keep heading up or down.

At the top of the hill, look out over the city from the ramparts of the Castelo de São Jorge and walk around the gardens before descending.

The Bairro Alto, on the other side of the Baixa, is where you will probably end up at night, but it is worth exploring by day as well, having a completely different atmosphere. It is best approached by the Santa Justa lift (which takes you up to the attractive semi-ruins of the Convento do Carmo and gives you a splendid view over the Baixa) or one of the two funicular trams.

Catch a bus or get a taxi and follow the river out to the suburb of Belém, another earthquake survivor. Here you will find the Monastery of the Jerónimos or Hieronymites, one of the crowning glories of the eccentric Manueline style of architecture.

As well, there are steps from the top of which you can sometimes watch identical wedding parties being dispatched one after the other. It is rather like a cubist painting which tries to capture three dimensions in two, or as if you took snapshots of the same group of people at ten-minute intervals and merged them into a single image. On a spring Saturday, there will be different groups waiting to be married, another at the altar, another having photos taken in front of the church, one crossing over the road to the Jardin do Ultramar, another one or two groups posing in the garden... 

The Belém Tower is also an obligatory visit, as the sole example of an integrally Manueline building. This is because most Manueline architecture consisted of modifications to pre-existing structures. However, the morbid find its history as a dungeon as interesting as the ramparts. 

The (modern) monument to the discoveries offers another climb, with attractive views along the shore and over the tremendous breadth of the Tagus.

Then back to the centre for the evening, to have dinner and perhaps take in some fado. For Lisbon by night is another story.