Lisbon

Lisbon is climbed uphill and enjoyed downhill. Tram 28 clatters between tiled façades up to Alfama, the oldest quarter, where hanging laundry and fado taverns keep the city's soul, crowned by St George's Castle and its views over the Tagus. Below, the Pombaline Baixa opens onto Praça do Comércio, while Chiado and Bairro Alto string together century-old bookshops, viewpoints and long nights.

In Belém await the Jerónimos Monastery and the Belém Tower, both World Heritage Sites, and the bakery where the authentic pastéis de Belém were born, still warm and dusted with cinnamon. Just over an hour's flight from Madrid — or a night train away — Lisbon is the easiest international getaway of the year: affordable, close and bathed in a light you never forget.