car hire Lisbon

On the strength of ambitious trade both by land and by sea, Lisbon overtook Coimbra as Portugal’s capital in the middle of the 14th century. In the middle of the 16th century, when Portugal entered its famed era of sea exploration known as the Age of Discoveries, Lisbon rose to even more prominence in the eye of the trading world, earning the short-lived distinction as focal point of trade between all of Europe and the Far East. This standing slipped in the ensuing years, and was all but wiped out when a devastating earthquake leveled much of Lisbon in 1755. The following two centuries, marked by political upheaval and revolution, were chaotic ones for Lisbon and all of Portugal, but in the late 20th century the city gained more stable footing, joining the European Union in 1986. With the EU’s support, Lisbon has returned to glory, earned “European City of Culture” honors in 1994, and hosting Expo ’98 a few years later.

You can pick up your car hire at Lisbon’s airport, Aeroporto de Lisboa. A trip to the small nearby fishing village of Nazaré is a refreshing road trip. Óbidos, the “fortified city,” is a medieval, walled town that’s also popular for side trips.

The Portuguese musical genre called fado is huge in Lisbon. You can hear these plaintive tunes of love, longing, and death all over town, but Adega do Ribatejo is a prime spot to hear them performed live, over dinner. If touring bands are more your speed, check out who’s playing at Coliseu dos Recreios, a live-music venue that’s been pulling in big-name acts since 1890.

A signature Portuguese item is port wine, which is available in abundance at Napoleão. Stop in to pick up a bottle of port, or choose from their selection of other fine Portuguese wines. To take home some fado souvenirs, check out the Discoteca Amália, a record store dedicated to fado and its star performer and recording artist, Amália Rodriguez.