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Located out in the blue waters of the Tagus Estuary, the huge Lisbon Oceanarium rises like a hulking aircraft carrier. Inside, the structure houses countless exhibits related to marine life, which together pull in over one million visitors each year. You can get up close to colorful puffer fish as well as watch the marauding sharks. You’ll see curious moray eels and meet cuddly penguins. There are also interesting collections of sea anemones and corals, not to mention an artificial boating lagoon out front where you can rent a pedalo if it is sunny.

The National Museum of Ancient Art is the home of Portugal’s prestigious national art collection. Pieces here range from pious saintly depictions by Nuno Gonçalves to chiaroscuro portraiture by Josefa de Óbidos. Most of the canvasses date from between the 16th and 19th centuries, and came into public ownership following the Liberal Wars that rocked the country in the early modern age. Patrons here can also enjoy countless traveling exhibitions, with past collections reflecting Lisbon in the Renaissance period as well as featuring historical paintings from the Age of Discovery.

You only need to set foot in places like Sri Lanka and Goa to realize how far the reach of Portugal’s great Renaissance Empire stretched. These far-flung eastern corners of the realm are the subject of Lisbon’s Museu do Oriente and the space itself is huge. It is housed in a colossal former fish processing factory, which now enjoys up-to-date exhibition rooms. The focus here is on all things Asian, with stories of Chinese rituals and seafaring across the South China Sea all part of the tour.

Like Rome, Lisbon was built on seven hills. Unlike Rome, the city planners here developed a series of funicular railways to help with transport to and from the neighborhoods above the city. It’s a real joy to ride on some of the tracks such as the old Ascensor do Lavra which dates all the way back to the late 1800s and has been honored with a national heritage tag. There is also the Ascensor da Bica, which winds up the tight-knit cobbled lanes off Largo do Calhariz. Let’s also not forget the soaring Santa Justa Elevator which lifts people from Baixa to Carmo and offers sweeping views of the Lisbon downtown area along the way.

There are two distinct sides to Lisbon’s most famous food market. First of all there is the downstairs part, which throbs with local fruit and vegetable sellers touting succulent legumes and Mediterranean fruits every morning of the week, so make sure to get there early if you want to get the best deals. Then there is the upstairs section which comes packed with more modern, often quirky food stalls and cutting-edge eateries. It is there that you will be able to taste the local specialty of custard tarts, sip fine Portuguese wines, and even attempt to conquer a massive francesinha sandwich which is one of the treats to come out of Porto in the north.

The plane tree peppered Rossio Square is where Lisbon’s local life ticks over each day. Officially titled Pedro IV Square, the spot marks the very heart of the Pombaline Lower Town, which spreads out in wide boulevards between the Tagus and Baixa rivers. The site of the plaza itself has been famous since the medieval age, when public beheadings and bullfighting showdowns were held on its cobbles. Today, it’s a fine place to stroll and people watch. You can relax on the shady benches, watch the locals play dominos in the park, and enjoy elaborate Baroque fountains babbling under the sun.

Bringing up the more modern side of Lisbon’s already formidable array of world class museums and exhibition spaces is the acclaimed Berardo Collection Museum. This massive institution now pulls in excess of 2.5 million visitors each year. They come to wonder at the smorgasbord of eclectic artworks, which range from abstract expressionism to digital art installations or neo-realism and photography. Curators are dedicated to maintaining the cutting-edge aspect of the collections, which means there are also regular touring collections so you can expect the likes of French avant-garde pieces and European cubism to be on display.