Both the description and the OUV justification on the tentative WH submission for Lisbon outline with significant detail the uniqueness of the city history and its importance in the Age of Discoveries. And yet, ask practically anyone who had toured Portugal to name their favorite stops in the country, and it is highly unlikely that the capital would feature even among the top five.

This lukewarm impression is not entirely unfounded. Lisbon is visually muted; the building façades are uniformly flat and, while varying in color and occasionally covered by tiles, are mostly devoid of decorative elements aside from narrow balconies. Signs of neglect or at best of unenthusiastic upkeep are found frequently all over the city. And there isn’t really anything that could be called an unmissable iconic sight.

But if you give Lisbon enough time it will grow on you. Walk around long enough and you will find quaint pleasant pockets as well as bouncy vibrant areas, eye-catching vistas as well as attractive architectural samples. And while there may not be a museum or a historical monument contending for the world-class status, there are plenty of points of interest befitting a large metropolitan city. Every one of the central neighborhoods - Baixa, Alfama, Chiado, Bairro Alto, etc. - has something to offer.

The city's oldest architectural features are by and large about 250 years old - it was leveled by a great earthquake in 1755 and almost entirely rebuilt thereafter. As you walk around, you will more and more appreciate the challenging topography of its central areas. Lisbon is blended into several fairly steep hills. Although you will find relatively flat areas in the most central area of Baixa (and generally closer to the riverfront), practically any sizable walk will take you through significant changes in elevation. The stairway streets are often unavoidable. On the flip side, there are many elevated viewpoints throughout, offering sweeping perspectives over the city.

I gave two halves of non-sequential days to exploration of central Lisbon on a recent Portuguese itinerary. That was sufficient to get a fill of all of its central areas, step into a couple of major churches, survey the city from the Arch of Rua Augusta and from a couple of miradouros, visit a palace and a museum (both of which are not necessarily part of the WH submission as far as I can gather), browse a lively market, stop by for ginginha on more than one occasion, and catch sunset at one of the lookouts. Unless you are an intrepid museum-goer, I doubt that you can stretch your enjoyment of Lisbon to more than a couple of days. But I certainly think it deserves an eventual WH recognition on par with other great European capitals.