Photo of the Day 121

Historic Alfama District, Lisbon, Portugal, 2002

Photograph by Tino Soriano

Lisbon's Alfama District rises dramatically to the base of the imposing Saint George's Castle. The castle began as a Visigoth fortification in the sixth century and was taken over in turns by the Romans and the Moors. It was eventually captured by Portugal's first king and became the royal palace. Tourists flock to the castle's towers and ramparts, which offer unsurpassed views of the city below.

(Text adapted from and photo shot on assignment for, but not published in, "The Soul of Lisbon," January/February 2002, National Geographic Traveler magazine)

Photo of the Day 46

Aerial View, Lisbon, Portugal, 2002

Photograph by Tino Soriano

The church of Santo Estêvão, at right, watches over clusters of red-roofed homes along the Lisbon shore. Built by seafarers where the Tagus River empties into the Atlantic, Lisbon was once Europe's wealthiest capital and a center of world exploration. In 1775, a horrific earthquake in the Portuguese capital led to centuries of decline.

(Photo shot on assignment for, but not published in, "The Soul of Lisbon," January/February 2002, National Geographic Traveler magazine)