Lisbon

The urban landscape blends riverfront promenades with the 10 km² Monsanto Forest Park, one of Europe’s larger city parks, which covers about ten percent of the municipality. To the west, the Portuguese Riviera reaches Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point of continental Europe. Lisbon’s climate is Mediterranean, offering mild, rainy winters and warm, dry summers; the average annual temperature is 17.6 °C and the city enjoys about 2,875 hours of sunshine each year.

Historically, Lisbon ranks among the world’s oldest continuously inhabited cities and is the second‑oldest capital in Europe after Athens. Its origins trace back to pre‑Celtic tribes, later shaped by Phoenician traders and a Roman municipium called Felicitas Julia. The city’s streets echo centuries of Visigoth, Moorish, and Portuguese rule before it became the capital in 1255. Today, Lisbon hosts the national government, the Assembly of the Republic, the Supreme Court of Justice, and diplomatic missions from 86 countries, alongside representations from Taiwan and Palestine.

Economically, the city is an alpha‑level global hub, home to three Global 2000 corporations and the largest centre for debt and funds listings in the world. Its position at the mouth of the Tagus, where the river meets the Atlantic, gives Lisbon a maritime character unmatched by any other European capital.