Alfama When the Fado Finds Its Voice

Alfama is Lisbon's oldest neighborhood -- a Moorish-era labyrinth cascading from Castelo de Sao Jorge to the Tagus. GPS fails here. That's the point. Tasca do Chico on Rua dos Remedios is a fado house where singers perform without amplification and the room goes silent.

Insider tip: Walk from Miradouro da Graca down through Alfama to the river in late afternoon. The route passes the Se Cathedral and a dozen viewpoints framing the river and red rooftops.