Portugal’s capital is divided into dozens of distinct neighborhoods, each of which feels like its own micro-city within the cohesive metropolis of Lisbon. Each district has its own indelible character, from the graffiti-covered party that is Bairro Alto to chic Chiado, to touristy Baixa, to the crumbling tiles of Alfama—cross a single street or descend one steep staircase and you’re someplace new. The tired juxtaposition of the ancient and the modern is a common selling point for the travel industry, but this contrast of past and present can be seen and experienced in Lisbon like nowhere else. Colossal new discotecas sit on the Tejo, mere blocks from Moorish streets and homes that have stood since the Middle Ages, trendy cafes and luxurious hostels have taken over 19th-century palaces, and pre-WWI trams run over cobblestone streets alongside air-conditioned buses. The city stretches on and on, and there are enough sights and restaurants, enough parties and people, and enough sardines and ginjinha to keep you in Lisbon for years without getting bored. There’s no city better—or easier—in which to get lost.