Parque das Nações

Parque das Nações is the side of Lisbon most visitors never expect. Until the 1990s this stretch of the eastern riverfront was a district of oil refineries, warehouses and industrial wasteland. Then Lisbon won the right to host the 1998 World Exposition, themed on the oceans, and transformed it into a brand-new neighbourhood of offices, apartments, parks and landmark buildings, linked to the city by the metro and by a spectacular new station. Today it is a living district rather than a theme park, and its long riverside promenade is one of the most pleasant places in Lisbon to walk, cycle or simply sit. The architecture is the draw. The Oriente station, by the Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, has a platform roof of white steel branches like a forest of palm trees. The Portuguese Pavilion by Álvaro Siza Vieira hangs a huge concrete canopy between two porticoes as if it were a sheet of fabric. The Oceanário, Europe's great aquarium, sits on the water at the heart of the site, and the Pavilion of Knowledge science museum is close by. Along the river, gardens of themed planting, fountains and public art line the path, and to the north the Vasco da Gama bridge, one of the longest in Europe, stretches across the estuary for kilometres. Walking the riverside is free; the attractions charge separately. Families love it: it is flat, buggy-friendly, full of space to run, and there are plenty of cafés and restaurants with terraces facing the water.

Why go: after a few days of cobbles, steep lanes and crowds, Parque das Nações feels like a holiday from the holiday. The light over the wide estuary is beautiful, the promenade is long enough for a proper walk, and it shows a confident, modern Lisbon that rarely appears on postcards. It is also the natural setting for a visit to the Oceanário, which many families build their whole day around.

Working the visit: arrive by metro on the red line to Oriente, which is also served by trains, and take a moment to look up at Calatrava's roof. Walk through the Vasco da Gama shopping centre or around it to the river, then turn south past the Oceanário and the Portuguese Pavilion, or north along the gardens towards the bridge and the Tagus linear park. A riverside cable car has run along part of the promenade, giving an aerial view of the site; check whether it is operating on the day if you want to ride it. Bicycles and scooters can be rented locally, and the full promenade is long, so pick a section rather than trying to walk it all.

Fitting it in: combine the Oceanário in the morning with lunch on a riverside terrace and an afternoon walk, or come for a late-afternoon stroll and an early dinner when the river turns gold. The district is also handy for the airport, which is only a short taxi or metro ride away, so it makes a good last afternoon before an evening flight.