For romance, Alfama delivers.
The one neighbourhood that survived the 1755 quake, so it's genuinely old: getting lost in it is the point, with washing lines, sardine grills and stray fado drifting from doorways. The catch: the most photographed lanes are increasingly Airbnb-and-souvenir, and every alley is a calf-burning stair. Mornings and weekday evenings still feel real.