Those searching for an exciting holiday destination could do much worse than Lisbon - situated on seven low hills on the Iberian Peninsula, it has miles and miles of golden coastline.

Lisbon is the capital and largest city of Portugal and the country's wealthiest region. Because of its economic output, standard of living and market size, the Grande Lisboa (Greater Lisbon) sub region is considered the second most economic and financial area in the whole of the Iberian Peninsula.

There are many flight offers available this season, so prospective tourists should find flights online and book that last minute holiday quickly before they are all snapped up.

Traditions and culture in Lisbon

The cultural traditions in Lisbon are a rich mix resulting from the various invasions that occurred in the country in times past. A legacy of Roman and Moorish invasions have left their imprints in various ways on Portuguese culture.

The most immediate way tourists can appreciate the manifestations of Lisbon's invasions and outside influences are in the city's architecture, which include Romanesque, Gothic, Manueline, Baroque, Traditional Portuguese, Modern and Post-Modern constructions, which can be found all over the city.

Great boulevards and monuments also cross the city particularly in the upper districts, most notably the Avenida da Liberdade (Liberty Avenue).

Lisbon's artistic scene has also been enriched by outside influences throughout the centuries, including Flemish, French and Italian contributions.

Recommended in Lisbon

Lisbon hosted the Rock in Rio pop-rock festival in 2004 and 2006 and will continue to do so for a number of years to come.

The concert is known as the biggest of its kind in the world and has been attended by some of biggest names in the music industry including Anastacia, Metallica, Shakira, Guns n Roses, Roger Waters, Britney Spears, Red Hot Chili Peppers and many more.

A trip to Lisbon in August should not go by without attending the Festival dos Oceanos (Oceans Festival), which celebrates Portugal's proud seafaring history and includes music, tours, regattas and parades.

Weather in Lisbon

Lisbon lies in both the Atlantic and Mediterranean climatic zones, which gives it a pleasantly temperate climate all year round.

The city's average annual temperature is 17 degrees C (63 degrees Fahrenheit), with average temperatures of 13 degrees C (55 degrees Fahrenheit) in winter and 27 degrees C (80 degrees Fahrenheit) in summer.

Destination checklist for Lisbon

Lisbon has a population of around 564,477.

The official language spoken in the city is Portuguese, so a holiday guide with basic stock phrases will come in handy.

When dialling from an international location, the destination code +351 must be used.

Lisbon is in the same time zone as the UK.