Mouraria — The Original Fado Neighbourhood

While Alfama receives the bulk of Lisbon's tourist attention as a romantic hilltop neighborhood, adjacent Mouraria — the Moorish quarter established after the Christian reconquest of Lisbon in 1147 — is arguably more authentic and less photographed. The neighborhood is credited as the birthplace of fado: the famous singer Maria Severa was born here in 1820, and the genre emerged from the combination of African rhythms, Portuguese folk music and the neighborhood's atmosphere of exile and longing.

Today Mouraria is one of Lisbon's most multicultural neighborhoods, with over 50 nationalities living in its narrow streets. The Intendente square has been beautifully renovated and serves as the neighborhood's living room. Tasca restaurants serving traditional Portuguese food at working-class prices line the back streets. The Miradouro da Graça and Miradouro da Senhora do Monte — both less visited than Miradouro de Santa Catarina or São Pedro de Alcântara — offer extraordinary views from the upper reaches.