January 2013
At gig venue TMN ao Vivo (65 Rua Cintura do Porto, tel: 213 220 160) you can catch Enter Shakiri and Cancer Bats on 8 January. For more erudite fare there's a mini-Schubert Festival at the Gulbenkian Foundation from 26-29 January with Elisabeth Leonskaya and the Casals Quartet (musica.gulbenkian.pt).

December 2012
The districts of São Vicente and Graça are filled with interest. Visit the churches of São Vincente and Santa Engrácia and on Tuesdays and Saturdays you might pick up a bargain at the colourful flea market, the Feira da Ladra. Take tram No.28 or metro Santa Apolónia.

April 2013
The waterfront district of Belém is packed with attractions, from the Manueline-style Jerónimos Monastery to the Berardo Collection of Modern and Contemporary Art. There's also a planetarium, a coach museum and the famous tower that saw the departure of the 15th-century mariners for the four corners of the world. Don't miss the best cakes in town at the Pasteís de Belém Cake factory (tram 15 or 18, tel: 21 363 7423).

March 2013
The famous Bairro Alto district is celebrating its 300th anniversary this year. As one of the earliest examples of town planning it has now become the centre of alternative nightlife with its clubs, bars, boutiques and galleries. It buzzes into the early hours but be warned: it doesn't really get going until about 11pm.

March 2013
Setubal and the Arrábida mountains are hardly an hour south of Lisbon but seem a world away. The city is principally an industrial centre and port but it's the Troia peninsula, a short ferry ride across the Sado River, and the Arrábida Natural Park, with its secluded beaches and winding tracks, that will enchant the visitor.

February 2013
The fabled town of Sintra is the perfect getaway from the bustle of the city. Set amid forests and waterfalls it has, as the old summer capital, three palaces worth visiting and many other sights, including the gardens of Monserrate and Seteais Hotel.