A stroll through the labyrinth of winding streets of the old Alfama district will show you Lisbon's most photogenic spots – churches steeped in history, and wonderful panoramic views you can enjoy from cool shaded terraces. There are still many small buildings in the old Moorish quarter with their well-preserved traditional white walls, and little bars where you can hear the authentic folk-music of Portugal – fado. Many of Lisbon's historical buildings miraculously survived the catastrophic earthquake which struck the city in 1755.
Later, in the second half of today's walk we'll take an amble through the Baixa Quarter. It took on the role of the new centre of the city in the mid-eighteenth century - when Lisbon was still recovering from the aftermath of the earthquake. Marquis Sebastian Jose Pombal was charged with rebuilding the city.... and his plans involved clearing the maze of medieval lanes and alleys, which were pulled down – and replaced with new broad avenues, arranged in parallel with each other. At the time, it was one of the first such wide-scale city re-planning programs in Europe. And now, are you ready? Let's go!