Portugal’s colonial past has become a vibrant, multi-cultural present, with a diversity of art and music alive in its streets and manifold cuisines. The Atlantic on the doorstep provides the freshest seafood and allows for a short beach break—this is the only European capital where girls and boys take their surfboards on the metro. Water, sun and its famous light are the city’s key ingredients.

In Lisbon, we spoke to a musician who’s packed stadiums with modern interpretations of African dance beats, a food expert who knows every table in town, a communications specialist with his finger on the local pulse, a singer bringing fado to the new generation, a multifaceted writer and a local artist couple. Picturesque commutes and a sweet nostalgia round out the Lisboan offer, making it an ideal city to get lost in.