The City of Seven Hills
Lisbon is also known as The City of Seven Hills, and after spending a day there we know why. We walked up and down so many steep hills that day, and most of them were cobblestoned which made it much worse. There are so many things to love about this vibrant city, but the hills weren't one of them. If nothing else, it showed us just how much we are out of shape. Lisbon is the second oldest capital in Europe, next to Athens. It was originally settled by the Phoenicians around 1200 BC. Over the centuries the Romans, Visigoths, and Moors all had a turn ruling the area. In 1147, Lisbon was recaptured by King Afonso I of Portugal, marking the beginning of its development as a Christian European city. During the Age of Exploration in the 15th and 16th centuries, Lisbon became a global hub of trade and navigation, fueling Portugal's maritime empire. Although Lisbon was built up in the middle ages, the defining event that shaped "modern" Lisbon was the devastating earthquak...
