It was also a transit point of World War Two for refugees who were fleeing Nazi Germany.

But its history goes back much farther than that, given that Lisbon is thousands of years old.

Right now, the city is shut down, like many other capitals grappling with coronavirus.

But once that passes, it will once again be an extraordinary place to visit.

And you don't have to wait another moment to join us on a virtual trip there.

Lisbon, Portugal beautifully combines old World charm with modern culture and sophistication adding to its appeal.

It's a bargain for tourists.

Well, for any traveler looking for a great travel deal right now, Lisbon is actually the perfect choice.

It's one of the most affordable cities in Europe right now.

Located on the west coast of Portugal, this capital city overlooks the Tagus River.

Lisbon is actually built on seven hills, so if you're going there, you should definitely pack your walking shoes.

As you stroll along winding cobblestone streets, you will find tiles or azulejos Joe are everywhere.

In Lisbon, the Moors introduced the art of tile making in the eighth century, and the Portuguese are still masters of the craft today.

The National Museum of Tile, housed in a lovely former convent, is dedicated to the art.

Highlights include the Child Manual in Cloisters, the Lisbon Cityscape dating from 17 38 and a tiled Nativity scene from 15 80 to see another practical craft elevated to an art form stopped by the National Coach Museum.

The museum, founded by Queen Amelia in 19 oh four, is home to a one of a kind collection of ornately embellished coaches and carriages, some dating back to the early 17 hundreds.

One neighborhood packed with must seize is ballet Portuguese for Bethlehem, about 30 minutes west of the city center.

People go there for three main things.

The monastery, a tower of ballet and a pastry shop.

The Jeronimos Monastery includes a mixture of architectural styles.

Is this beautiful 16th century structure that took 50 years to build?

And it's not hard to see why.

The architecture on the outside you'll see detailing that really refers to the nautical history of Portugal's.

So the In the cloisters, the columns look like coiled ropes.

You'll see anchors and seashells embedded kind of on the exterior, and it's really quite lovely.

Just down the road is the past days.

Double.

Founded in 18 37 the pastry shop is famous for its creamy egg custard tarts.

They're made from a secret recipe, the recipe that came from the Monastery of Jeronimos.

Just decide us and the fact that we make all throughout today, and they're always warm and freshly made.

I think that makes the big difference.

These egg custard tarts actually make about 10,000 of them a day, and it's not hard to see why.

Very easy to three or four of them there under a euro piece or their price just right.

Once you've had two or three pastries, a walk along the Tagus River leads to a storybook castle on its banks.

The ballet tower built between 15 15 and 15 20.

The structure marks Portugal's many maritime victories and was once used as a military base to guard the port from pirates.

When it was built, it was actually on a small island in the middle of the river.