Once at the heart of the greatest seafaring nation in the world, Lisbon nowadays still has an air of majesty that transcends time. The air of slowly eroding wealth in the old city draws comparisons in the mind's eye to Italy's great maritime state of Venice, and indeed the two cities at the height of their ascendancies were often compared. But Lisbon is a different proposition to Venice's elegant aging dowager. Portugal's capital might wear the jewels of its golden age proudly but it is not prepared to live on the wealth it gets from pawning them to tourists. But Lisbon has more to offer than these antique trinkets. Most recently the city has revitalised itself with a modern development and the massive centrepiece of the Vasco da Gama bridge. The most fun places to stay in Lisbon are the older areas of the city such as the Alfama or the Bairro Alto. These well-preserved historical sectors have bags of character and are among the most beautiful areas of what is already a very beautiful city. These are also the most popular areas of the city and can remain busy well into the night. Get this unique experience with best deals of GalaHotels.