Special Places to Stay - More than a bed for the night

A brilliant opportunity to live as a Lisboeta. Up a dozen cobbled alleys – or the funicular should the steps prove exhausting – to arrive at these neighbouring houses, perched high above the city centre. Casa Pátria is a three-storey house for four: contemporary, open-plan, with a clever, funky use of space and filled with light from top to toe. Find a cream sofa, an antique bed, a well-equipped kitchen beneath a sky light, and a lovely open-tread staircase up to a living room and a split-level roof terrace: what views! Villa Serra too is full of views, and has three double bedrooms, the smallest making up for its size with a throne-like Bilros bed. Find marble, granite and cork floors, smart brown leather sofas, a 180-degree panorama from the living room, and more views from the garden terrace – sit out here with a nice cold glass of vinho verde and a fresh slab of cod roasting on the barbecue. Portugal's queen of fado, Amalia Rodrigues, was born just around the corner and now her nephew offers exclusive fado tours to guests.